Aquarium cockerel fish - maintenance, care and compatibility with other fish

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

Cockerel fish, or, as it is also called, fighting fish, is a representative of the labyrinth family. Such a name for this species is not accidental. The bright color, as well as the warlike character of the "fighters" in some way resembles the same cocky and beautiful "earthly" roosters. If two males are placed in one aquarium, then a real cockfight with loose tails and fins can begin. You need to quickly separate the fighters, otherwise one of them will die. Cockerel fighting is extremely popular in their homeland.

Origin

Cockerel fish has its ancestry from Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. There, these aquatic inhabitants live in small warm reservoirs. Therefore, the optimum water temperature for this species is 22-26 degrees. There is little oxygen in the silty stagnant waters of Southeast Asia. Therefore, your aquarium will not need an aerator to saturate the water with oxygen.

At home, no one is particularly interested in the color of the cockerel fish. Their content is reduced to preparing for battles. This is done by specialized trainers. A huge number of spectators come to watch the fights. However, most often the death of the fish is not allowed, dangling fins are enough.

Description

The cockerel fish has an oval elongated body, slightly compressed on the sides. Its length is up to 5 cm in males and smaller, up to 4 cm, in females. They have no equal in beauty and brightness, "fabulous" coloring. At any turn, red, yellow, orange, pink, green colors sparkle and play, taking on all sorts of shades. Especially bright color in males when fighting with each other.

During spawning, cockerel fish also "fills" with paint. Females are a little paler than their gentlemen, the fins of the "ladies" are short and not so luxurious. However, breeders are working in this direction. Not so long ago, females appeared, in which the fins have a more elongated shape, and the body color is not inferior to males.

The cockerel fish has dark stripes across or along its body. The upper fin and tail of this species are rounded, the lower fin, starting from the head, reaches the tail. The pectoral fins of cockerels are pointed. It is interesting to watch the fish being excited - the gills of the males swell, forming a protruding "collar" around the head.

The sex differences in these fish are obvious. The “boy” cockerel is more slender, it is brighter colored, its fins are much longer. Females are usually smaller, their fins are shorter. The main difference between a "chicken" and a cockerel will be the presence of a female near the anus of a small white spot -"grains". This formation is a bit like an “egg” coming out. She becomes clearly visible from the age of three months.

What else do you need to know after the betta fish appeared in your house? Keeping them is not such a difficult task.

Contents

You don't need to have academic knowledge or special conditions in order to get a betta fish. This species thrives even in a small aquarium. Some owners manage to keep one individual in a regular three-liter jar. But two males in one "reservoir" do not get along. True, some owners separate long aquariums with glasses, settling their pets one at a time in different compartments. Many do this also because, seeing an opponent, the cockerels begin to become brighter, more colorful, they take belligerent poses, trying to intimidate and intimidate their counterpart. Females are not so aggressive, they can be kept by several individuals at the same time.

Cockerel fish at home can live in an aquarium at the same time as other species. However, it is worth avoiding neighbors with veil fins. Otherwise, the "fighters" will certainly cut them off. It is better to put larger fish with short fins, for example, barbs, to cockerels.

For tropical bettas, it is desirable to keep the water temperature in the range of 24 to 28 degrees. It is allowed to periodically reduce it to 18 degrees. Open areas should be left on the surface of the water, without floating vegetation. Fish need atmospheric air. Special aeration of water is not required, but it is desirable to pass water through the filter. It is recommended to place the aquarium in such a way that during the day it gets sun for several hours. It is undesirable to put it in a draft.

Periodically, the pond should be thoroughly cleaned. To do this, either partially or completely change the water. Fish are pre-caught with a special net and placed in a jar. Sanitation is carried out without the use of powders.

Air

The labyrinth organ is a distinctive feature of cockerel fish. This is not a simple addition to the gills - these babies breathe atmospheric air. Make sure that the surface of the water does not overgrow. Sometimes a bacterial film appears on it, it can be easily removed if you attach a sheet of paper to the water, and then just gently remove it.

Bettas can jump out a lot. To prevent them from harming themselves, install a special cover with holes or a mesh.

Water

The fish will need soft water. Do not use distillate for the aquarium, as it lacks not only harmful, but also useful substances. Specialized stores sell special preparations for softening and purifying water. The temperature should be controlled. To slightly reduce aggressiveness and stress, add a little treatment-and-prophylactic s alt (half a teaspoon per four liters). Large aquariums need a water change every two weeks. In the interval it is necessary to change it partially. Small aquariums need cleaning and water changes twice a week. Be sure to remove leftover food from the bottom - its decomposition products will poison the water.

Feeding

What to feed the cockerel fish? These aquatic inhabitants are picky. They can eat both dry food and live food. Most of all, cockerels love bloodworms. You can give tubifex, cyclops, daphnia. Earthworms will do. To prevent the fish from overeating, remove uneaten leftovers 15 minutes after the start of feeding. Food should be given once or twice a day.

If you see that your pets are overeating, arrange for them one unloading day a week.

Cockerel fish: compatibility

As mentioned earlier, male cockerels should not be kept together. It is also undesirable to keep individuals of different sexes together. The male will constantly chase and bully the female.

Do you have a cockerel fish at home for the first time? "Who does this species get along with?" - this is a question often asked by beginners. Despite the "fighting" glory, cockerels behave peacefully enough towards their neighbors. Sometimes, however, a male may attack a male guppy, mistaking him for a relative.

It is undesirable to add a betta to owners of beautiful long fins and tails. This will definitely provoke a fighting fish, and it will begin to attack. It is unlikely that the cockerel will bring the opponent to death, but he can bite or cut off the tails and fins.

Often aquarium owners add snails to their pets. Fighting fish can eat small specimens (for this they are usually planted). In larger bettasthey can bite their antennae. This should be kept in mind for those who plan to decorate their aquarium with large snails.

Suitable neighbors for fighting fish

What kind of fish do bettas get along with? These can be neon irises, swordtails, platies, ancitruses, brocade catfish, tarakatums, bots, grumbling gourami, acanthophthalmus, pulchrypinnis, speckled catfish, gastromisons and some other species. It is advisable to consult with a sales assistant before purchasing fish.

Unwanted neighbors for cockerels

Acaras, piranhas, tilapias, black-striped cichlosomes, ctenopoms, tetraodons, parrots, kupanuses, astronotuses - cockerels cannot be settled with these types of fish. Fighters can attack and cut off the fins of such neighbors as neon, zebrafish, guppies, cardinals, barbs, as well as spotted, pearl and marble gourami.

Cockerel fish breeding

Spawning should be carried out in a small separate aquarium (from seven liters). In this case, the height of the water column should be approximately 10-15 cm. Shelters from aquarium plants and artificial grottoes are arranged here. Cockerel fish (female) will be able to hide here from the male, which is very aggressive during this period.

Producers before spawning should be fed with all kinds of live food. Bright light is not needed. In a spawning aquarium, do not aerate - it will interfere with the construction of the nest.

Combat fish reach sexual maturity at three to four months. Spawning can be stimulated by large water changes. It is heated in the aquarium by 1-3 degrees. Previously, the fish are "acquainted" with each other. To do this, they are placed in adjacent containers so that they can see their neighbors.

For the male, small floating plants are added so that he can strengthen the nest. At the beginning of spawning, starting to build a "dwelling", the male cockerel releases small air bubbles, then sticking them together with his saliva. Approximately a day after the manufacturer was launched, a future mother is placed next to him. After the start of spawning, the male cockerel collects the eggs with his mouth and takes them to the nest.

At the end of spawning, he becomes aggressive, attacks the female. Therefore, it should be removed to another aquarium. The male rears the offspring - he guards the nest, picks up the fallen eggs, placing them back. After the larvae have hatched, the cockerel keeps them from spreading in different directions, collecting them.

A female can lay 100-300 eggs at a time. Under normal conditions, spawning begins a day or two after a pair of bettas are placed together in an aquarium. It happens, however, that this process is delayed for a week. After a day or three, larvae appear in the aquarium. After all the fry appear, and this will happen in 4-6 days, the male is removed, otherwise he is able to crush the fry spreading in different directions. In a spawning aquarium, the betta is usually fed with bloodworms. The food must be washed well beforehand.

In cockerel fry, the labyrinth organ will appear only after a few months. To create good conditions for the growingyoung animals need to establish aeration. You can lower the water level.

The fry are fed with infusoria - "living dust". In exceptional cases, you can give a steep egg yolk. However, you should not abuse such complementary foods. When the young grow up, you can transfer it to feeding Artemia larvae. Further, the size of the feed is selected taking into account the size of the fry. Chopped tubifex or specially formulated industrial feeds can be introduced into the diet.

Battle fish live for about three years. In the "old" age, it is undesirable to use them as producers.

Summing up

Bright and eccentric bettas can decorate any home or office. Caring for them is easy. In return, they will give many pleasant minutes to their owner.