Lalius

Lalius is known to aquarists for more than a hundred years and yet has not lost its charm and appeal. With a peaceful disposition most of the time, it can be kept in a common aquarium.

Its ease of keeping and breeding make it accessible to novice aquarists. It belongs to the labyrinth fish, which makes it resistant to the lack of dissolved oxygen in the water. Its original behavior makes you watch the underwater world for hours.

Latin name: Colisa lalia.

The species was described in 1822 by Hamilton.

Lalius habitat

Inhabits the rivers of India. Prefers shallow water. Likes soft sun-warmed waters. Keeps mainly in thickets of plants near the water surface.

Description of Lalius

The oval-shaped body is tall and strongly flattened from the sides. Dorsal and anal fins extend almost to the base of the caudal fin. The pelvic fins are modified into whiskers. Located slightly in front of the pectoral fins. The entire body is covered with alternating red and turquoise stripes. The stripes go on the pelvic and dorsal fins. In the male, the end of the dorsal fin is slightly more pointed than in the female. The coloration of the male is brighter.

Body length reaches six centimeters. Feels more relaxed in a flock. Can splash water, knocking down insects flying by. In the inter-mating period is extremely peaceful. During spawning, the male lalius becomes aggressive. Life expectancy is 2.5-3 years. Sexual maturity is reached at 4-5 months.

Lalius keeping in the aquarium

На пару взрослых рыбок достаточна емкость 15-20 литров. Химический состав воды для содержания не важен. Но температура не должна снижаться ниже 20 градусов по Цельсию. Поэтому аквариум обязательно надо снабдить обогревателем с терморегулятором.

Дно укрывается грунтом темного оттенка. Темные тона грунта и рыбке больше нравятся, и выглядит она на темном фоне привлекательнее. В углах аквариума желательно устроить заросли мелколиственных растений, в которых пугливый лялиус любит прятаться.

Аквариум желательно накрыть крышкой или стеклом. Это не только предотвратит выпрыгивание самца лялиуса из аквариума, но и убережет от простудных заболеваний рыб, которые дышат атмосферным воздухом, если его температура в комнате понижена. Желательна фильтрация воды, так как рыба любит чистую воду. Освещение – общее яркое, верхнее. Кормить желательно живыми не очень крупными кормами. Можно кормить и сухими кормами. Желательны растительные подкормки (салат, шпинат, водоросли).

Lalius Compatibility

Lalius fish in the intermarital period is extremely peaceful and fearful. It can be kept with any peace-loving fish with similar conditions such as guppies, barbs, danio.

Lalius Breeding in the aquarium

Breeding is better in the spring, in April – May, when there are no problems with obtaining live dust. As a spawning aquarium suitable tank for 15 – 20 liters. The water level is about ten centimeters.

The water must be soft. To soften the water, boil it for about ten minutes. In most cases, this is enough. However, it is still advisable to check the hardness of the water using one of the methods available to you. It should be about 4 -6 °dH. Boiled water stands for three days. Before pouring it into the spawning tank it should be 3 – 4 hours to blow air with an aquarium compressor.

In the corners of the aquarium must necessarily be arranged thickets of plants, so that the female had somewhere to hide from aggressive during the spawning period of the male. On the surface of the water should be thrown a bundle of riccia, which the male skillfully uses in the construction of a nest of air bubbles.

Training of producers

Male and female for a week before spawning is desirable to keep separately and during this period feed intensively including vegetable supplements. The temperature in the spawning tank is maintained with a temperature regulator at 23-25 °C. It is desirable in the prepared aquarium first start the female and give her a couple of days to get used to it.

Once in a properly arranged water body, the male starts building a nest. Periodically he chases the female, who hides from him in a thicket of plants. When the nest is ready, the female comes out of the shelter and settles down with the male under the nest. The male wraps his body around the female’s abdomen and squeezes the eggs out of her. The eggs are rich in lipids and therefore do not fall to the bottom, but rise to the surface. Lalius male picks them up with his mouth and places them in the nest.

When to remove the female from the spawning ground

After the end of spawning, the male begins to beat the female and may even kill her. Therefore, as soon as spawning is complete, the female should be removed. Do it carefully, as the male during this period pounces on everything that approaches his nest. So pounced on the net, he can jump out of the aquarium. Therefore, first you need to notice where the female hid and then, covering half of the aquarium glass quickly and carefully fished her out.

The male takes care of the nest himself. He adds air bubbles, removes spoiled eggs, and guards the nest. Incubation lasts about 48 hours. And after another three to four days, the fry swim. Now daddy from the spawning ground should be removed and start feeding the fry infusoria, nauplii crustaceans. In extreme cases, yolk.

The fry grow relatively slowly and unevenly. Therefore, they should be sorted periodically. As they grow, they are transferred to larger feeds. At about 1.5 – 2 months, males have stripes characteristic of adults.

Varietes lalius

In addition to the natural form described in this article, breeders have developed a number of variations. The changes were mainly in the coloration of the fish, without affecting the shape of the body and fins. Such “new species” are usually genetically modified objects.

To date, there are the following varieties obtained by breeders: cobalt, blue, neon red, coral, rainbow. Content and breeding of breeding forms of laliuses does not differ from those described in this article.

Despite the variety of coloration of breeding forms, the natural form of lalius will remain the most beautiful and perfect for a long time. Although it is of course a matter of taste for each of you.