Aquarium sturgeon: maintenance, care, reproduction

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

Most people believe that only small ornamental fish are intended for aquarium breeding. But this is completely untrue. The ability to grow quite large fish in the living conditions of a small apartment really exists. Aquariums with such marine life can bring a touch of exotic to the interior, as well as become a real hobby that brings money. For such purposes, aquarium sturgeons are excellent. Thanks to the beautiful shape of the body, this fish looks very attractive in clear water. In this article, we will look at the general principles of keeping sturgeons in aquariums, how to care for them and what conditions are most optimal for them.

Description of the sturgeon family

The main feature of this family, whose roots go back to the prehistoric era, is the chord. She is the backbone of the skeleton, in addition, even adults do not have a body.vertebrae. Sturgeons have a cartilaginous base of the skull and skeleton, the body is needle-shaped and has 5 lines of prickly spines. There are bone outgrowths on the head, the muzzle is cone-shaped. The dorsal fin is close to the caudal. The pectoral fin has a spike, by which experts determine the age of the sturgeon. The lower part of the muzzle has 4 whiskers. In addition, this type of fish has a spatter, the same as that of sharks.

Sturgeon habitat in the natural environment

Before you start growing sturgeon at home, you should get to know this family a little. In its natural environment, this fish is found in such reservoirs as the Volga, Yenisei, Irtysh, Ob. In addition, representatives of sturgeons inhabit the Azov and Black Seas. Some species, such as sterlet, prefer to enter s alty waters very rarely. It is this kind of sturgeon that experts recommend growing in an aquarium. If we consider the inhabitants of the Volga, then semi-anadromous sturgeons live in its expanses of water. These fish travel to the upper part of the river delta to spawn. In their natural environment, sturgeon never migrate in large flocks.

When the warm season ends and autumn comes, sturgeons gather in small flocks for wintering. Often at this time they do not eat at all. When the ice finally melts, freshwater sturgeons rise from the bottom and go down the riverbeds to spawn.

Sturgeons at home - myth or reality?

Today there isa huge number of different opinions about the maintenance of representatives of this species in domestic conditions. However, most argue that the ornamental sturgeon is an aquarium fish that has good endurance, vitality and will not cause trouble to the owner. In reality, although sturgeons are unique prehistoric animals that have incredibly survived to this day, this does not add to their increased vitality, and they can not be bred in every water. On the contrary, they have higher requirements for purity and water quality than other fish that can be kept in an aquarium.

Features of the sturgeon family

As practice shows, aquarium sturgeons, which are kept in small containers up to 500 liters, do not grow more than fifteen centimeters. But there is no need for this. Small representatives of this family have no less beauty than their large relatives. At the same time, the color of sturgeon individuals can vary from bright white to deep black. In addition, aquarium sturgeons are able to attract the eye not only with a wide range of colors of their color, but also with increased activity, which is inherent in all representatives of this family. These fish spend most of their lives in motion.

An important point is the choice of fish species that can be in the same container with aquarium sturgeons. Since the latter are predatory representatives of the aquatic environment, it is impossible to add smaller species of fish to them. They will just be eaten. Larger varieties of aquarium fish are also not suitable, as sturgeons canleave without food.

Specialists have identified species that can get along well with aquarium sturgeons, and recommend adding them. These include arowan, chain catfish and armored pike. In addition, sturgeons get along well with their relatives.

Care and basic maintenance requirements

The maintenance and care of an aquarium sturgeon is a fairly simple process, but nevertheless requires certain knowledge. First of all, it should be remembered that this type of fish loves clean water with its unchanged quality parameters. In order to ensure all this, it is necessary to equip the aquarium with an aeration and filtration system that will meet all the requirements for keeping sturgeons. The best solution would be to set up an aquarium with running water, without any algae. The surface of the body of sturgeons has a large number of spines, with which they can catch algae and get entangled in them. Often this ends with the death of the fish. The pointed plates cling to the plant and trap the sturgeons in it, which is why they cannot continue swimming. As a result, the fish begins to twitch and beat intensely, which leads to damage to the dorsal vertebrae. Therefore, according to numerous reviews, aquarium sturgeons should be kept in containers with a bottom covered with pebbles.

Features of the structure of the mouth

The sturgeon family is a predatory type of fish, so it needs to eat live food. They love various shellfish andsmall insects. The oral cavity of the sturgeon has no teeth and is extremely small in size, so earthworms, bloodworms, tubifex and finely chopped beef are perfect as food. It is noteworthy that this fish only feeds from the bottom.

Impurities kill sturgeon

Water in the aquarium is subject to weekly replacement. It is important that not all the water needs to be changed, but only 20% of the total volume. Representatives of the sturgeon family cannot tolerate the admixture of ammonia, nitrates and heavy organic substances. Aquarium sturgeon, the price of which is at least 200 rubles. per individual, is very capricious to the composition of water, and impurities in it can lead to the complete extinction of livestock. To prevent this from happening, before settling the aquarium, you should find out if the water contains substances that can harm the sturgeon.

Water temperature

According to experts, a comfortable temperature for the life of a sturgeon should be no more than 24 degrees Celsius. It is important that the temperature regime must be approached with all seriousness, as this can adversely affect the he alth of the fish and lead to its death. There is an opinion that the water in the aquarium should not fall below 16 degrees, this will certainly destroy the sturgeon, although in its natural environment it can feel great even at lower temperatures. However, even very hot water can have a detrimental effect on fish. At temperatures above 27 degrees, she stops eating.

Requirements for a sturgeon aquarium

When choosingthe container in which the sturgeon will be bred, it should be noted that at least ten liters of water should fall on 1 cm of the body. Therefore, it is worth using aquariums with a volume of 250 liters or more. It should be understood that the size and development of fish directly depend on the size of the container in which they will live. The large size of the aquarium is also due to the fact that, due to the biological characteristics of the organism, the body of the sturgeon regularly releases mucus. He constantly has to get rid of it, and for this he needs to move regularly, and movement needs a large bottom area.

For optimal conditions for the existence of sturgeon in the aquarium, the water needs regular cleaning, so the tank is equipped with filtration systems with a capacity of at least 6 volumes per hour. Also a great solution would be the organization of biofiltration. This will significantly increase the chances of success in sturgeon breeding. It is noteworthy that the sterlet is the most adapted to life in an aquarium. Therefore, experts recommend starting it.

Sturgeon maintenance in aquariums: what to feed

Growing sturgeon in an aquarium is quite simple if you follow a number of rules. Particular attention should be paid to nutrition. Feed is primarily a factor that directly affects the he alth and development of fish. When choosing food for sturgeon, it should be taken into account that it feeds from the bottom, which means that only food that can sink in water should be used, and does not float on the surface of the water. In addition, you need to understand that representatives of the sturgeon family have a sensitive sense of smell. When choosing food, you should pay attention to the fact that its smell is pleasant for the fish.

Another important factor is its structure. The food should be well compressed and not be destroyed by water. Granular food is best. This type of it must be chosen due to the peculiarities of sturgeon nutrition. The fish does not swallow food whole, but does it gradually, so the food must remain in its original state for at least half an hour. It is noteworthy that although food for sturgeon should not be destroyed by water for a long time, it should not be solid. Only soft food is suitable for this fish, which it is able to eat faster. If the goal is to grow a large individual from a small sturgeon, then you need to understand that in this case the food should also have a large number of calories.

The size of the feed is also important. If it is purchased for fry, then its pieces should be small. Today, there are many types of food for sturgeon bred in aquariums and pools, but experts recommend using those species that contain phosphorus, lysine, protein and fiber. Such a set of trace elements will have a beneficial effect on the body of the fish.