Aquarium fish-snakes: varieties, selection, care, breeding

The underwater world attracts many with its mystery and diversity. In ancient times, aquariums did not exist, and fish were bred for the most part in artificially created ponds. Today, anyone can buy an aquarium for himself, which will suit him in size and design. In addition, you can get exactly the fish that you like most. Many people prefer aquarium fish snakes, because they are unpretentious and have a good character.

Any aquarium snake has a long body (up to 35 centimeters) and can live up to 9 years at home. Her eyes are black, and the antennae with which she breathes are quite short. Most often it is kalamoikht called snake fish. They belong to the multidimensional order and were born more than 40 million years ago.

Kalamoihts are fish that look like snakes. Their scales strongly resemble the skin of a real reptile. The triangular head is slightly flattened, besides it has a large mouth and too sharp teeth, which makes such a snake fish quite unusual. The tail has from 6 to 15 sharp spikes.

There are absolutely no fins on her belly, which makes this fish even more like a snake. It is painted in a light green color, which in the abdomen turns into a yellow tint.The fins located at the very base of the chest have black spots. Besides, Calamo yachts have a completely unique feature.

Kalamoicht is not the only species of serpentine fish. Among them, there are several more varieties, for example, acantophthalmus, loach, char and others.

The second name of such a fish is plucking or Cobitis taenia. Most often, it lives in shallow water. This is not too big a fish - up to 10 centimeters in length. Its body in shape resembles a tape with dense scales. A sharp spike is placed under each eye. In addition, there is an antennae on her lower lip. The char's coloration is either light yellow or dark brown. She has brown spots on her sides.

By its appearance, the creature is very similar to a snake, since it has a rather long body. His head is also slightly elongated and slightly flattened. 10 antennae sticks out of the mouth, 6 of them are located on the top, and 4 - on the bottom. The eyes are very small, golden brown. The whole body is covered with small, barely noticeable scales.

The loach is painted brownish yellow on the back and yellow on the belly. Black stripes stretch along both sides, one of which is wide and two narrower.

These fish are relatives of kalamoikht. They differ only in color, as well as a slightly higher price. Their scales have a diamond shape, which develops into a mosaic pattern. The fins of these fish are located at different ends of the body and slightly resemble the paws of an animal. Outwardly, they seem like real monsters.

Most often they live in Africa or in southwest Asia. The body in shape resembles a snake and has a length of 20 to 70 centimeters. The upper jaw of such a fish has a process that resembles a proboscis. They prefer to lead secretive lifestyle and sit out in the most secluded places, for example, in the roots of algae or at the base of snags.

This type of snake fish is most often bought for aquariums. After all, they not only have an interesting appearance, but also perform some useful functions. Indochina is considered their homeland, but in the Soviet Union they appeared only in the 70s of the twentieth century.

Their body is quite long, its size reaches 14 centimeters. They have a habit of burying themselves in the ground or hiding in various shelters. They do not tolerate bright light, so you can keep them even in dark rooms.

Most snake fish, which are sold in specialized zoological stores, are taken in natural reservoirs. therefore their further maintenance will require adaptation to artificial conditions. Sometimes it lasts up to 30 days. However, many sellers often do not adhere to this rule, because of which fish can even die in new conditions.

This fish is not worth buying, because it will not live long. If all the rules were followed, then the snake-fish can not only adapt to the new conditions, but also live in the aquarium for up to a dozen years.

Snake fish can live in the aquarium both by themselves and in small groups. In the second case, the volume of the container should be at least 150 liters. Indeed, in artificial conditions, they do not grow more than 35 centimeters. In addition, by their nature, aquarium snake fish are peaceful in nature and even in spite of their large size they can be frightened by small fish. This is especially evident during meals.

Be sure to well strengthen the planted algae, as they spend most of their time at the bottom of the aquarium. Snake fish quite actively dig in the substrate, which can lead to damage to their root system. The substrate should consist of fine gravel and coarse sand.

If we talk about ideal conditions for their maintenance, then the temperature in the aquarium should not exceed 25 degrees. Water hardness should not be higher than 15 units, and acidity - 7.5. In addition, sharp changes in temperature should be avoided, as this can even lead to the death of the inhabitants of the aquarium.

Many novices use drugs such as snake fish formalin or various organic dyes. However, this is strictly prohibited. Since these fish very often run away from the aquarium, you must definitely get a lid for it. Wherein need to take care of the aeration systemso that fish do not experience acid starvation.

They can eat various insects, bloodworms, and any shredded fish. In addition, they can also eat crab, crayfish or shrimp.

However, if, in addition to them, other fish live in the aquarium, then they may simply not have enough food. In this case, care must be taken that they do not starve. To do this, just go for a little trick. For example, you can give food in a pipe, lowering it to the very bottom. Other fish will not get there, and "snakes" will be able to get it without much effort.

Offspring of snake fish are given quite rarely. After all, most of them are delivered to points of sale from their natural habitats. In nature, their puberty occurs only for 2-3 years of life. For one spawning, they can sweep up to 100 thousand eggs. Both parents guard them. In addition, they wave their fins to saturate the eggs with oxygen.

Snake fish should not be large, but should not be smaller than the "neighbors". A great company for them are cichlids, catfish or sonodontis.

You also need to know that too active fish should not be hooked to them. Otherwise, they will take all the food from the serpentines. And, conversely, a small fish may be in their stomach. These include tadpoles, small catfish, or newts. In addition, snake fish can eat neon, as well as zebrafish. As for the kalamoicht, he is able to eat even his own kind, only smaller in size.

If such fish are kept in common aquariums, then even fights for food can occur. To prevent this from happening, the aquarium should be large, and feed enough for everyone. Most often, they are settled by 4-5 individuals in one tank.

Those who prefer to get such unusual fish should definitely be familiar with all the recommendations for their maintenance.

In the next video, you can watch the Kalabar calamity during feeding.