Someone likes a fluffy, four-legged orfeathered pets, and someone with all my heart loves fish. Today in apartments, restaurants and other premises you can see aquariums of all shapes and sizes, inhabited by the most diverse and amazing types of aquatic inhabitants. Macrognatus ocellarum - one of them. This unusual representative of the aquarium inhabitants attracts the views of many visitors to pet stores. How to properly care for such a fish, you can learn from this article.
Habitat in nature
A detachment of perch-shaped fish contains a very unusualsubspecies, called trunk-fringed. It has only one family, subdivided into 2 genera and approximately 50 species. The main difference between the two branches is that the first consists of Asian species, and the second - from African. A less known difference between the two is the structure of the median fins. In macrognatuses they are separated, while in mastambelbelus they are connected.
The place where eels live is the backwaters of rivers and lakes with calm water and a bottom covered with silt or sand with dense vegetation.
Fish tend to be active at night.During the day, they hide in the thickets, hide under stones, or burrow into the ground. Fish safety is ensured by observing what is happening around. This helps a special proboscis, performing the function of the olfactory organ. At night, eels hunt fry, plankton, small crabs and spawn.
Appearance
In captivity contain, as a rule, macrognatusophthalmic. Despite its unusual appearance, the fish are distinguished grace. They have an oblong body, flat on the sides. Developing in an aquarium, the species reaches a length of 15–25 cm. The front part of the macrognatus torso is somewhat reminiscent of a fox's muzzle. The upper jaw is a small proboscis with tubular nostrils at the end. The color of the fish is pleasant, from soft beige to brown and olive colors. It is complemented by an unusual pattern of light transverse stripes and bright yellow dots. The entire body of the aquarium eel is divided by a stripe.
Dorsal and anal fins moved up tocaudal, thoracic absent. They are reddish or light brown in color. The fin, located on the back, is decorated with black spots with a golden border. They are very similar to the eyes, for which the fish and got their name. There are also spines on the back. Females are always larger and thicker than males.
Behavior
The first time after the relocation to a new aquariumthe fishes may hide and be intimidated by the environment, but soon they begin to get comfortable and can swim out of shelters even during the day. The group maintenance of oglated macrognatus at a young age is permissible, but it is important to remember that, as adults mature, individuals may become more aggressive towards each other.
Compatibility
Place this species in a single aquarium with smallfish is undesirable because they are easily perceived as prey. Best of all, ocular macrognatus compatibility is manifested with larger and more peaceful inhabitants.
The owner of the aquarium should also be careful: the pet may well bite the owner of the hand or hurt, having touched the prickles.
Aquarium
Макрогнатус глазчатый способен сосуществовать с other fish, but he can express himself in all his glory in a special species aquarium with darkened glass, the volume of which will be 100 liters.
The top can not be left open.It is necessary to close the glass, because this type of fish can get out through a small gap, if the quality of the water deteriorated or it did not like. Particular attention should be paid to the corners of the aquarium, as well as areas where there are wires, air ducts.
Наличие грунта необходимо, так как угри любят burrowing into it, leaving only the eyes and nose on the surface. It is important that there are no sharp stones in it, otherwise the fish will get hurt. If we neglect the soil, then macrognatus can begin various skin diseases. It is better not to use silt, and take the soft sand. Vegetation should not be easy to dig. A great option - pots. Eels like to hide and hide, and therefore in the aquarium you should definitely place various caverns, snags.
Поскольку вид активен в ночное время и ведет an underground way of life, fish produce a large amount of mucus so that they can quietly burrow into stones. If excess excretion is not removed, the skin becomes inflamed.
To the quality of water at the content of macrognatusthere are no special requirements in the aquarium. It is necessary to ensure only that it is clean. The most comfortable indicators: acidity - 7–8; temperature - + 21-28 ° С (reduction to +20 ° С is acceptable); stiffness - 6–15. Mandatory continuous aeration, as well as a change of a third of water every week. If desired, add 3-4 tablespoons of sea salt for every 100 liters of water.
Food
Most of all macrognatus ocelli loves livefeed. You can always try to introduce a dry or frozen look, but fish often refuse it. The larvae of mosquitoes, earthworms, small crustaceans and invertebrates will be a treat for them. Sometimes they can hunt smaller species of fish. There are examples of feeding such fish with finely chopped squid or cod meat.
Diseases
Under the wrong conditions of keeping acneMacrogatus mica can get sick. The reasons for this are poor-quality, dirty water, improper soil. In such cases, the fish do not get enough mucus, the skin becomes inflamed, ulcers appear.
Early treatment at an early stage canreturn eel to normal. The temperature of the water should be gradually increased to the level of +32 ° C, and also the salinity level should be increased to 10%. Then add erycycline and griseofulvin in the required dosage (agreed with a specialist), increase the number of water changes.
By following simple recommendations, you can populate the aquarium with a wide variety of fish species. The main thing is to know in advance how compatible they are, and whether the conditions of keeping some pets are suitable for others.
Observing the life inside the aquarium will givea feeling of calm and peace, as well as diversify your leisure. The glass structure itself with interestingly selected residents and decorations can be a highlight of the room interior.
