Aquarium males are a fairly popular variety of fish. They attract attention with an unusual appearance, as well as fighting behavior. Of course, feeding deserves special attention, because only by knowing what and how to feed properly, you can provide a comfortable life for your pets. Let us consider in more detail what the males eat, the volume of their portion and the subtleties of feeding, and also what to do if the fish refuses to eat.
What do they eat at home?
Many today start a cockerel fish, because it has an attractive appearance. She is omnivorous, but it is worth noting that such a fish copes well with the role of a predator. Therefore, they should be fed primarily protein foods. The nutrition of the fish cockerel should be varied. Consider the presence of what products are required in the diet of this fish.
- Flakes. They have a low cost, but they are not recommended to be given very often. If the fish does not want to eat them, then it is worth replacing this feed.
- Granules. These are specially formulated feeds that can be easily purchased at the pet store. Such food is essential for fish. It is worth noting that the size of the granules should be small, because large elements quickly sink to the bottom of the aquarium - as a result, the fish considers them exclusively as waste.
- Dry food. This food option is also a must. It is represented by crafted bloodworms and artemia. Cockerels really like this kind of food.
You can feed the cockerel with such feeds as bloodworms, brine shrimp, or daphnia, both live and frozen.Frozen worms are perfect - glassy ones are pretty hard to find on sale, but living worms are best abandoned because they can contain parasites. Frozen shrimp meat and beef heart, live insects, earthworms, as well as spinach or lettuce leaves, previously scalded, should be included in the diet of males.
It is worth remembering that fresh and dry food should not be disturbed. It is better to immediately refuse the combination of food. If the fish will eat a lot of dry food, then this will necessarily negatively affect her health.
How often do you need to feed?
Initially, it is worth noting that the aquarium cock does not need multiple meals. It is enough to organize feeding 1-2 times a day, because excess food will bring them extremely harm. Experts recommend once a week to do fish fasting day. This approach will ensure the cleaning of the fish organism in the aquarium.
It should be understood that the nutrition of the fry and the adult will vary greatly. The norm for small fish is the use of plankton.
When the cockerel grows up, then it is worth introducing bloodworms and brine shrimp into his diet. It must be remembered that young animals should be fed 4 to 6 times a day, gradually reducing the number of feedings as they mature.
Serving Size
It is very important to determine the portion of food for aquarium males. Food debris adversely affects the state of water. And if you do not change it in a timely manner, then the fish will begin to hurt. If the portion size is larger than normal, then the fish overeat, which leads to the following symptoms:
- bloating;
- tail and fins omitted;
- unwillingness to eat;
- a manifestation of the nature of the predator - the fish rushes at other fish;
- the fish is always without mood.
To correctly determine how much to feed the cockerel, just pour dry food into the aquarium and see how much food the fish can eat in about 3-4 minutes. This amount will become the optimal serving volume for fish. Usually it leaves no more than 5% of the total weight of the fish. It is advisable to immediately remove food residues to prevent water contamination.
It is interesting that cockerel fish can survive for 2 to 3 weeks without food. Let us consider in more detail the ration for one meal for the male:
- dry granules - 1-2 pcs.;
- medium flakes - 2-3 pcs.;
- bloodworm - 2-3 worms.
How to give food?
Experts advise feeding a cockerel fish at the same time. If you accustom the fish to the routine, then at a certain time all the males will be together waiting for food, and you can be sure that all individuals will remain full. You can do a certain action every time before feeding, for example, tap on the glass. This ritual will soon be associated in fish with feeding, they will immediately sail to the feeding trough. Feeding adult fish once a day is enough.
What to do if they eat poorly?
Cockerel fish eat pretty well; they do not need to be invited to dinner twice. But there are times when the fish do not pay attention to food or just start spitting out already chewed food. To cope with the problem, you must first recognize the cause, and there may be several.
Adaptation
After moving from the pet store to a new aquarium, where other lighting, water temperature and so on, the fish goes through the stage of adaptation - getting used to new conditions. During this period, she may not pay attention to food. Usually this period takes no more than 7 days. If the cockerel feels great, only refuses food, then you need to give him time to adapt.
Improper care
Cockerel fish is a tropical species, which needs the following conditions:
- aquarium volume - at least 5 l;
- temperature - from +26 to +28 degrees;
- light balance;
- clean water - 5 minutes after feeding, all residues must be removed.
If you do not adhere to the above conditions, then the fish can not only refuse food, but also die.Therefore, if she does not want to eat, then it is worth evaluating the conditions of the aquarium. If you put a cock in a three-liter jar, then he will definitely stop eating from sadness. The optimal aquarium is 7–10 liters, if, apart from the males, other fish live in the aquarium, then its volume should be at least 20 liters, or even all 30 liters.
If the water temperature drops below +26 degrees, then the fish will also begin to starve. Males can swallow air by mouth, so you can save on the purchase of filters, but you should keep the water temperature under any circumstances.
It is worthwhile to ensure that the water hardness is from 4 to 15 units, and the pH level is 6–7.5. Fish should be at rest for about 6-8 hours, it is at this time that it is worth turning off the light in the aquarium.
Food preferences
Males eat live food, dry and even frozen food. But it is worth remembering that they get used to a certain diet. If the fish in the pet store are accustomed to one brand of feed, then they may not like the others, in this case, you should ask the seller of the fish for the name of the feed. You can replace dry food with live food, because its males eat more readily. If you throw pellets to the fish, you should pay attention to their size, perhaps it is too large for the "kids".
Diseases
Of course, a disease can also lead to a refusal of food. Cockerels often suffer from fin rot, starting from various infections. This disease leads to the destruction of the fins - as a result, the fish dies. Symptoms of this disease are as follows:
- long refusal of food;
- fins become cloudy;
- the fish begins to move less;
- eyes become cloudy;
- white spots appear on the scales.
It is worth using drugs of both antifungal and antibacterial spectrum of action. If you start treatment for the disease in time, then it can be defeated.
Aquarium males also suffer from "semolina" or ichthyophthyroidism. A feature of this disease is that white nodules begin to appear on the body of the fish. This disease is changing, every year its treatment requires new drugs. This disease may be accompanied by the following symptoms:
- fish spits out food;
- begins to lead a sedentary image;
- swimming in jerks;
- trying to rub against the substrate.
The main cause of this disease is a violation of sanitary standards. It is worth resorting to medications, as well as heating the water in the aquarium to +30 degrees, while it is worth maintaining this temperature for several days, then it will be easier to cope with the disease.
On the maintenance and care of fish by males, see the video below.
