Kalamoiht Kalabarsky - care and maintenance in an aquarium

By Kalamucht Kalabarsky is meant a snake-like creature with the head, fins and tail of a fish. At its core, the aquatic inhabitant is something between a full-fledged fish and a snake. The representative of the family looks very unusual, but it is necessary to provide these individuals with proper care in order to have a comfortable life in aquarium conditions. It is allowed to keep snake fish exclusively with sebaceous or other large subspecies. Because small fish will be immediately perceived as a snack.

Description

1. Despite the frightening external data, the calamoiht is rather cowardly. He may be frightened if a person comes to the aquarium abruptly, and then immediately hide in a secluded corner.
2. According to its natural features, fish live in African countries, they are met in the local rivers. They like standing or slowly flowing water, adapt to low accumulation of oxygen. Fish fill the deficit by breathing atmospheric oxygen.They stick their heads out of the water, getting their portion of air.
3. If the humidity is high enough, the fish can crawl out of the water and live on land. However, a long stay in such conditions is dangerous. In the natural environment, snake fish can reach 1.5 m in length. But in aquarium conditions, their growth does not exceed 40 cm. With a life span of 20 years.
4. Due to its decent size for one individual accounts for 200 liters. water. Therefore, buying a couple, take care of a spacious home for new pets. Fishes are awake at night, but, feeding them during the day, pets will get used and become more active.
5. You should not make sudden movements or thrust a hand in an aquarium, fish are cowards. If they suspect a persecution, then hide for a long time in a secluded corner.

Content

1. It is necessary to equip an aquarium in such a way that it repeats the biotope to a greater extent. The soil is chosen brownish, small and soft. It is important that there are no sharp edges, because pets can rub against stones and damage scales. It is unacceptable.
2. Since these representatives of the species can feel great on land, the aquarium should never be kept open. Do not even leave a gap so that the pet is supposed to breathe.Purchase a tank with a lid and close tightly. Fish are strong if they strain their body. In cases, if you choose to land, then crawl a sufficiently large distance.
3. Fish prefer water with a neutral acid balance. Therefore, the alkaline environment of water should be 6.5-7.5 units. Members of the family live at a temperature of 25-27 degrees.
4. It is advisable to implement in the aquarium natural habitat, that is, to install cobblestones, various snags, vegetation, pipes. You should also install lamps with diffusing light, not very bright.
5. It is important to remember forever that too salty water is poorly tolerated by the fish of this family. Therefore, measure your performance before running your pets in an aquatic environment. The norm is 1,005 units.
6. These fish predominate over the youngest in size. Therefore, they are not kept with those whom the calamoihts can swallow. It is better to settle with them large guests, for example, tsikhlazom, haratsinkov, synodontis. Snake fish will eat catfish, small cichlids, shrimps, barbs.

Feeding

1. Most often, representatives of this group are fed with moths. Since in these fish the mouth apparatus is arranged somewhat differently, it is not very convenient to collect small moths and artemia from the bottom.Speaking correctly, these fish do not have an oral cavity, but a mouth, since they are predators by nature. Fish go hunting only to those who can not stand up for themselves.
2. They can also be fed shrimp and squid, dry food for members of this group. Since the fish may be afraid of other guests, make sure that they still eat. Food should go to all.
3. When a snake fish searches for food, it does so through olfactory and tactile receptors. However, in the aquarium environment, this is of little help, because the pets literally do not see the food under their noses. They need to feel it, experienced aquarists advise giving a smell of food.
4. The fish may swim 30 cm from the fallen moth, but will not feel it until it is confronted with food "nose to nose". It is difficult for members of the family to look for food, because the sense of smell is highly developed, and the delicious smell spreads throughout the aquatic environment.
5. Since fish, by their characteristics, digest food for a long time, it is necessary to feed them every 30–40 hours. This is done when the pet swims around the aquarium in search of food and finds nothing.If you wish, you can purchase in the pet store a device designed to feed such snake-like ones.

Compatibility

1. It is better to keep these representatives separate from others. But if you are tempted to add someone else, then give preference to medium / large cichlid with a peace-loving character.
2. It is impossible to make the little aquatic dwellers live with pets, because the calamoiht will eat them at night. If this fish starts to eat the kindred, then it will continue all the time.
3. Loyally pets of this group belong to the scalar fish, clown fish, corridors. For a world without fights in the aquarium, provide all the inhabitants with food and ample water space.

Breeding

1. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to breed the fish in question under aquarium conditions. Such cases were rarely observed. Presented fish are caught in the wild. Alternatively, breeders have learned to breed individuals on special farms. The fish are purposefully injected with a special hormone.
2. As for the content, the unusual fish do not cause any problems in the freshwater aquarium.For the represented individuals can be observed for a long time. They have unusual habits and unique character. If they provide proper care to individuals, they can live up to 20 years in an aquarium.

Behavior and sex differences

1. If you decide to purchase an exotic individual, be sure to pay attention to the color. Completely healthy fish should have an olive olive color. In no case do not acquire individuals with a gray or similar shade.
2. Also do not forget that the damage on the body of the fish should not be. This criterion applies absolutely to all aquarium representatives. With regard to sexual differences, it is quite difficult to distinguish between individuals. It is believed that the male on the dorsal fin is located about 12-14 rays. If there are fewer of them, it's a female.
3. As mentioned earlier, breeding such individuals in an aquarium is an extremely complex process. Even experienced breeders do not always cope with this task. There are only a few cases where it was possible to achieve the desired. Unfortunately, there are no details.
4. Experts believe that breeding in an aquarium is simply unrealistic if individuals do not make hormonal injections.Separately, it is worth noting that the fish in question are most active in the evening or at night.
5. If an individual feels as comfortable and safe as possible, then activity is also observed during the daytime hours. Consider, fish does not belong to the cowardly. Therefore, it will easily swim up to you as close as possible. You can easily admire an unusual individual.
6. However, such fish are simply not interested in what happens outside the aquarium. Do not forget that you should not keep small fish in the same aquarium with calamoihtom. Otherwise, small representatives will be eaten soon.
7. The fish in question will hunt prey especially at night. It is worth knowing that the usual inhabitants of the aquarium in the dark can not see anything, they are disoriented. The snake fish is perfectly developed sense of touch and smell. That is how he hunts.
8. It is also interesting to watch an individual during feeding. You will notice atypical behavior for the fish. In search of a tidbit, an individual can search the entire aquarium. At the same time she will achieve her.

Snake fish is a very unusual inhabitant of a home aquarium.Individuals stand out not only by appearance, but also by behavior. For a pet is very interesting to watch. A special spectacle can be seen at the moment when the snake fish begins to search for food.

Video: Calamoicht Calabar (Erpetoichthys calabaricus)