Neptun
Apteronoth white border recently appeared behind the glass of aquariums species. Every year aquaristics is replenished with new species of exotic fish. Aquarists are attracted by the unusual shape, coloration or behavior of representatives of wildlife and enthusiasts of the artificial content of unusual representatives of wildlife put a lot of effort to ensure that the new species took root in our aquariums.
Just such a species – apteronotus white caiman, black knife or black knifefish (Apteronotus albifrons). This fish appeared in artificial lakes quite recently. On the expanses of the Soviet Union, it first appeared in the mid-eighties of the last century. And to reproduce it for the first time it was possible only in the early nineties.
The supremacy of successful breeding of this representative of underwater fauna behind the aquarium glass belongs to Leningrad aquarists. But to this day, this species remains a rare guest in the aquariums of amateurs. This is due to the complexity of both the content and the complexity of breeding. But for real fans of breeding exotic fish, this can only be an additional incentive for the acquisition and attempts to breed this fish at home.
Classification
- kingdom: Animals
- Type: Хордовые
- Superclass: Pisces
- Class: Radial fish
- Squad: Gymnotiformes
- Family: Apteronotus
- Rod: Apteronotes
- View: Black footlocker
For this species, it is necessary to create conditions as close to natural conditions as possible. The natural habitat of the white caiman apteronotus is the middle part of the Amazon basin (Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Colombia)
Apteronoth white border Aquarium conditions
The fish is large – up to fifty centimeters in length. Therefore, it needs a large aquarium of 70 liters or more per individual.
The bottom should be covered with coarse river sand. Caves, grottoes should be arranged on the bottom. These shelters are necessary because the fish in the wild leads a nocturnal lifestyle, and during the day likes to hide in small coastal holes, holes. Therefore, such shelters should be a sufficient number of otherwise clashes between your pets can not be avoided.
The vegetation should be dense and lush. Its species composition is of no particular importance. Almost any plants common in our home lakes will do. Naturally, the water parameters, which are necessary for normal existence of the white caiman apteronotus, should be acceptable for them.
And these parameters are as follows. The temperature is about twenty-eight degrees Celsius. The pH of the medium is 5 to 6.5, the hardness is two to three degrees.
Apteronoth white border Feeding
Feed the apteronotus with live food. Food should be varied. Its amount should be sufficient. It can be fed with moths, pipefish, insect larvae, small insects and fry.
Since the fish are large and carnivorous, good aeration, filtration are necessary.
As you can see, even just in the maintenance of this fish, there are peculiarities. But if you want to get it to reproduce, then here begins the real art. You will need knowledge, patience and luck. I will wish you luck at the end of the article. I hope you already have patience. Now let’s get down to knowledge.
Apteronoth white border Propagation
The white caiman apteronotus is practically devoid of sexual dimorphism. Female and male can be distinguished only by the rounded abdomen of the female before spawning. There really is a high-tech way to determine the sexes by the electrical activity of a special tokogenerating organ, the happy owner of which is an apteronot. As it turned out, current pulses are generated by short pulses with a certain frequency. In females, the frequency of generation is higher the closer the spawning is.
But since this method is inaccessible for most amateurs, it will be necessary to focus only on the more rounded abdomen of female individuals.
Think that’s the end of the breeding difficulties? Wrong!!!
Apteronotus albifrons is a species that is difficult to breed in captivity. At fish breeding farms they make their life easier by making pituitary injections.
For amateurs, the only thing left to do is to recreate as accurately as possible the processes that occur under natural conditions to stimulate reproduction.
Maximize natural conditions
In natural conditions, aptnerotes breed during the period of heavy rains. During this time they have time to lay eggs 2 – 3 times with an interval of 30 – 35 days.
The best ratio of males to females for successful spawning is 2-3 males to one female.
To simulate the onset of the rainy season, the water level in the aquarium will have to be gradually reduced over a period of about a month. Gradually increase its temperature by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. It was a drought.
Now we start to make it rain. Gradually increase the water level by adding distilled water for about a month. At the same time it is desirable to turn on a sprinkler system simulating rain. This installation should work at least 3 -4 hours a day. An additional stimulus to spawning can be an increased water current in some parts of the spawning tank. Such a current can be created with the help of a pump or increased aeration.
Spawning proper There are miracles 🙂
If you have the patience to do all this and you have done everything correctly. If you have had the patience to do all this and you have done everything correctly, you will be lucky – the fish will lay eggs in the roots of large pistia bushes, which should be placed in the aquarium before the start of the simulation of drought.
Spawning usually occurs in the water stream in the predawn hour. One female can hatch about five hundred eggs at a time.
After the eggs have been laid and fertilized, the producers should be removed. Reduce the water level to fifteen centimeters and dim the light.
Keeping you safe from infections
Methylene blue and antibiotics should be added to the water. You will have to take the role of mom and dad. Over the eggs should be monitored and timely remove whitened eggs. At a temperature of twenty-eight degrees, the larvae will hatch in about two days, and after two and a half – three days they will turn into relatively large fry. But, despite their size, they need small zooplankton.
About a month old fry take the color and shape of adult fish. And at two months of age, they begin to fight and fight as adults, if they seem cramped aquarium or insufficient number of caves with all the amenities.
Ready to spawn fish become by the age of one and a half years.
Here is such an interesting in all respects fish apteronot white caimovy. If you are interested in it so much that you want to engage in its breeding, then I, as promised, I wish you good luck in this difficult but noble cause 😉 .
