Torch epiplatis: content at home

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Torch epiplatis (clown pike) belongs to the family of spawning carps. It has a controversial classification, in connection with which it is assigned to both the genus Epiplatys and the genus Pseudepiplatys. Both Latin names are considered correct.

Description of where it lives

In the wild, the fish is common in West Africa, found in countries such as Guinea, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone. The habitual habitat of epiplatis is shallow swamps and slowly flowing forest streams.

He looks like a pike. The small body of the torch epiplatys (see photo in the review) is elongated, flat on the sides in the posterior part. His eyes are colorful, glowing blue-green. The male is usually brighter than the female. Four parallel wide stripes of a dark shade run along the body of the fish.

Prominent is the tail, with a bright orange stripe in the middle in the form of a flaming torch, along the edges of which there are red lines on a blue background, shaped like a flame. Thanks to him, epiplatis acquired its name. The color of the remaining fins, depending on the species, may be brownish-yellow incombinations with brown, red, blue.

Females look less remarkable, not having such bright coloration, except in some cases. Their size does not exceed 1.5-2 cm, unlike males, whose length can reach 3-4 cm.

Content rules

In order for the torch epiplatis to feel comfortable in the aquarium and periodically give offspring, it is necessary to create conditions for it that require fairly simple care.

Pike-clowns love to swim in flocks of 6-8 pieces. You can keep them in the same aquarium only with peaceful species of fish. In no case should neighbors be predatory or cocky aquatic inhabitants.

An ideal place for keeping torch epiplatis would be a species aquarium. The small size of the fish allows you to keep them in a tank with a volume of 15 to 40 liters.

The main period of time the pike are in the upper part of the water column. Therefore, in an aquarium, the size of the bottom area is more important than the height.

You can decorate the habitat with thick algae, including those with floating roots, use decorative stones, driftwood.

Sometimes epiplatis males arrange tournaments among themselves, showing off their fins. They are also very bouncy, so a tank cover is often necessary.

The soil is used from sand or fine dark gravel. There should be enough light, so it is recommended to place the aquarium closer to the window. You will also need to filter and partially do a water change every 7-8 days.

When leaving, the torch epiplatis also makes demands on water. It is recommended to use a liquid that is close in composition to neutral. The main criteria are 23-26°; acid pH 6.5-7.5; hardness dH 2-6°. If the liquid is softer, this will act depressingly on epilatis. Also, the fish are not adapted to the flow, so artificial aeration is unacceptable for them.

Diseases

Torch epilatis is rarely susceptible to disease. Possible defeat by oodiniasis, for the treatment of which the antibiotic bicillin-5 is used.

In order to prevent infection, s alt crystals can be added to the aquarium, in a ratio of 10 g to 7-10 liters of water. At home, fish live from 2 to 4 years.

Food

Torch epiplatis feed by rising to the surface of the water. Food for them can be dry, live and frozen. It includes small bloodworms, cyclops, daphnia, brine shrimp, pellets and flakes.

You need to feed the pike in fractionally small parts. The favorite food of the fish are insects (aphids, fruit flies, cockroach and cricket larvae). When hunting them, the epiplatys pop out of the water.

Reproduction

At the age of six months, clown pike are ready for breeding. For breeding fish at home, you will need a spawning tank measuring 20x20x20 cm. Water is used from a residential aquarium, adding a little settled and softened. Its level should reach 8 cm.

Due to the fact that fish eggs are not sufficiently resistant to fungal diseases, fresh and clean water is needed. Complement the container with plants such as Thai fern and richia.

For an active start of spawning, the water temperature will need to be gradually increased to 27-28°. It should be taken into account that if the producer is quite active, then 3-4 females will need to be planted to him. The spawning period usually lasts about 10-14 days.

To breed epiplatis in a group, you will need a 50-liter container. 20 males can be placed in it, but with a predominance of females, in the amount of 3-4 fish per 1 producer. With this method, the spawning period lasts up to several weeks. Feeding during this time should be varied and plentiful.

Floating vegetation and its roots serve as a good substrate for sticky eggs to attach to. They are approximately 1 mm in diameter, colorless. On the day, the female produces several eggs, the number of which can be different every day. The incubation time lasts about 12 days.

The newborn fry are ready to swim in search of food. There are no special difficulties with their feeding. Initially, the fry feed on ciliates, and later they can be given Artemia and various microworms.

As the larvae hatch, the fry should be separated from the eggs and sorted by size into separate small containers, as wide as possible. This is due to the fact thatsmall specimens of epiplatis are prone to cannibalism. Most often they can be found on the surface of the water near the glass. They attract attention with a spot on the head of a steel shade.

Also at home, you can achieve results with paired reproduction. In this case, the female and male after spawning will need to be returned to the aquarium where they lived before.

Features of offspring care

Not everyone knows how to keep torch epiplatis that have just been born at home. The best food for the little ones will be "live dust". Some fry prefer micromines and microworms. At the same time, in this case, there should be powerful aeration in the aquarium so that the feed mixture is in continuous motion.

The growth of fry is initially slow, but this is until stripes barely visible to the eye appear in the color of the epiplatis. Further, the rate of development increases markedly. During this period, matured fry need a more spacious aquarium. You should also control the size of the feed elements, it should not be too large.

When reaching 2-3 months, epiplatis already differ by sex. But before transplanting the young into the aquarium with their parents, it is necessary to prepare it. To do this, you need to gradually add water from their future habitat to the fish tank.

Conclusion

When keeping and breeding torch epiplatis, there are no particular difficulties, but still attention and caution will not hurt. If you comply with all the necessary conditions, then the clown pike is ready to delight with its beauty andproduce brightly colored offspring.