Special needs: high-quality water environment
Colorful angelfish, alias discus and colorful swallow, is native to the Amazon river basin in South America and belongs to the cichlid family of tropical fish. When tropical fish was first popularized more than ten years ago, people called it "multicolored angelfish", and there were only a few varieties, such as "green multicolored" and "blue multicolored". Later, with the continuous breeding and cultivation of the fish by "angelfish fans" all over the world, its varieties and colors became more and more abundant, and its name was gradually upgraded to "colorful angelfish", such as wild colorful, brown colorful, blue colorful, green colorful, Hegel colorful, royal blue colorful and royal green colorful. Some people even joked that maybe in a few years, it will be renamed as "nine-colored angelfish". Colorful angelfish are reasonably expensive, which seems to have become a * * * knowledge obtained by reporters after visiting all tropical aquarium shops in the ornamental fish area of Laitai Flower Trading Center. It is said by experts who often visit here that the price of colorful angelfish will be higher mainly because of its high investment cost, because this kind of fish belongs to high-temperature and high-oxygen fish, which has strict requirements on water quality and bait, and it is very difficult to raise it. As for pure breeding, it is even more expensive to use rare things. Even if enough money and time are spent, there will never be a few unsuccessful ones. However, some people think that colorful angelfish is expensive because of artificial hype, but for good fish species, everyone still agrees that it is worth the money.
According to some "colorful angelfish fans", in the same strain or even in the same fetus, colorful angelfish is definitely a species with price difference, so if colorful angelfish of the same species are sold in different stores, don't be misled by the price difference, because the two kinds of fish may have different grades or even different varieties, so you must not choose colorful angelfish by price.
One of the experts also said that it is best to buy 2-inch to 4-inch small fish to buy colorful angelfish, because the fish at this stage is cheaper and easy to raise in the future. Generally speaking, to buy fish, you should first choose an aquarium store with good reputation and good credit. After choosing the species you like, you should carefully observe whether the fish swims around healthily and lively, whether it will show a positive bait-seeking shape, and whether the ratio of eyes to body is normal. Here, it should be noted that the smaller the fish's eyes, the redder it is, which shows that there is no problem with its growth and care; In addition, pay attention to the first few fish in the whole group, because they are often the best buying targets.
Among all ornamental fish, it seems that colorful fairy pays the most attention to daily management. To raise colorful fairy fish well, you must establish good concepts and habits to maximize the beauty of colorful fairy fish. The chaotic management combined with wrong concepts will not only make colorful fairy fish disappear in your fish tank, but also make you stay away from colorful fairy fish at last. It's not that colorful angelfish are difficult to raise, but we should first determine the ideal goal in the future before raising, consult professionals or collect and understand relevant information before raising; In the process of feeding, we should adjust the breeding plan in time according to the colorful situation in the fish tank in order to achieve our goals smoothly.
To raise colorful angelfish, it is necessary to prepare fish tanks, filters, biochemical cotton, heating rods, fluorescent lamps, air pumps and other necessary equipment.
Fish tank: Generally speaking, 1cm fish needs at least 1 liter of water to keep them, so that they have enough room to move. It is not appropriate to be too big or too small. It is suggested that the length, width and height of breeding tanks for medium or adult fish should be 120×50×45(cm) respectively, and the length, width and height of breeding tanks for breeding fish should be 50×50×45(cm) respectively. These tanks are suitable for breeding, which can make rational use of space and facilitate management.
Air pump: colorful angelfish needs a lot of oxygen, so it is very important to ensure that there is enough dissolved oxygen in the water. In practical work, the air pump should be selected according to the fishing ground area, the number of fish tanks and the number and size of fish. Domestic pumps are cheap; Imported pumps are expensive, but durable and almost noiseless.
Heating rod: The water temperature for raising colorful immortals is generally 28 ~ 30℃, which is difficult to meet all the year round under natural conditions. Therefore, heating rods should be used, especially in the northern area, and it is almost inseparable to raise colorful immortals. When choosing heating rods, you must choose products with reliable quality, and you can't boil the fish tank without heating or continuously heating because of faults. No matter what kind of heating rod is used, always observe the change of water temperature to prevent accidents. The water temperature of colorful immortals should be 28℃. If the temperature is lower than 28℃ for a long time, the immunity of the colorful angelfish will be affected, and parasites and diseases will invade the fish quickly, causing harm to the fish.
Filter: The filter is one of the necessary equipment for colorful culture. It is very common to use colorful filters, such as upper filter, external filter, bucket filter, trickle filter and sponge filter.
The filter materials commonly used in general filters are: white filter cotton, biochemical balls, ceramic rings, activated carbon and sponge filter cotton (commonly known as water goblins) and so on.
Sponge filter cotton can be divided into two types: wall-attached and vertical sponge filters, which use gas-lift power, have small water output and strong ability to cultivate bacteria, and are most suitable for small-water fish tanks such as breeding tanks and fry.
Lighting equipment: colorful angelfish don't have high requirements for lighting. Generally, a 40W light bulb is enough for a fishing ground of15m2. However, a small light should be added to the breeding tank as an ever-burning lamp. First, it will prevent colorful fish from being frightened instantly by the switch. Second, it will help the young fish to attach to the breeding fish and prevent the big fish from hurting the young fish. Specifications ranging from10 to 40w can be selected.
Thermometer: There must be an accurate and easy-to-read thermometer in the aquarium where colorful angelfish are raised, and it should be placed in an obvious position, so that you can always observe the change of water temperature.
Oxygen device: colorful angelfish does not need high dissolved oxygen, and the fish tank should still have saturated oxygen at any time. The oxygenation device of the fish tank provides many functions, the most important thing is to ensure that the organisms in the fish tank can get enough dissolved oxygen, and the water temperature in the fish tank can also be prevented from layering. Therefore, the bubble stone should be placed near the heating device, so as to ensure that the heat source can be evenly dispersed to all corners.
Water quality test: the changes of pH value, nitrite and other indicators of water quality should be observed at any time, especially pH value. Theoretically, the suitable water quality pH value of colorful angelfish is between 6.0 and 6.5. In fact, due to the evolution of colorful angelfish and its strong adaptability, different regions and even the same region have different views on this index. The pH value of my fishing ground is between 7.9 and 8.4 (the water quality of my fishing ground is groundwater, which is filtered with cotton and activated carbon), and fish are still produced in the fishing ground. Our cities in Northeast China, such as Dalian, Anshan, Changchun and Harbin, have different grasp of pH value. This is not to say that the colorful angelfish is not strict with the pH value, but the requirements are determined by the same area, the same fishing ground and the same fish. This is "practice makes true knowledge" (let the fish adapt to you, don't adapt to the fish). It doesn't make sense in colorful theory to breed larvae with pH value between 7.9 and 8.4. Some aquarium experts in Hong Kong and Taiwan simply don't believe this reality. Whether it is better to breed colorful flowers in northern China at pH 6.0 ~ 6.5 or at pH 7.9 ~ 8.4 needs further analysis by experts before reaching a conclusion.
Water quality treatment: There is a famous saying in raising ornamental fish that "fish should be raised first", which is more important for colorful culture. There are two parts to nourish water, one is water treatment before entering the fish tank; The second is the water quality control in the fish tank, which is the filtration and management system.
The simplest water treatment system mainly aims to remove chlorine and other unnecessary impurities from tap water, and some equipment can be installed between the tap water and the water tank to raise water. The common method is to install center and pre-filter. With the development of industrialization, the water quality of tap water becomes more unsuitable for colorful cultivation due to environmental pollution, so it is very important to install center and pre-filter. In the northern region, electrodialysis was used to treat water in large quantities. In recent years, reverse osmosis technology has developed rapidly and is also widely used in colorful aquaculture. This kind of filter does not need to be equipped with a power device, but works by tap water pressure. It is mainly composed of coarse filtration, carbon filtration and ultrafiltration, which is convenient to assemble and disassemble. It has obvious effect in removing chlorine, heavy metals and residual pesticides in water. In the past, anion exchange resin and magnetic field processor were used to treat water, but the effect was not as obvious and fast as reverse osmosis.
Feeding and management at different stages
Small fish period (1~ 5 cm): The feeding period of small fish at this time is the most important, and it needs to be fed once every 2 ~ 3 hours. How much can a small fish eat in one meal? The calculation method is based on the principle of eating within 3 minutes. Therefore, when feeding, don't give too much, don't give more if you don't have enough food, don't be full, and being hungry will help your health. The food can be frozen shrimp or nematodes. During this period, the small fish were fed many times, so the water quality must be treated well. The water can be changed twice a day, and the amount of water changed is above 80%, and the water temperature is controlled between 28 and 30℃.
Mid-fish period (4 ~12 cm): At this time, the staple food is Hamburg, supplemented by red shrimp, and the feeding frequency can be reduced to more than three times a day. Because the color of the mid-fish is gradually expanding, it is necessary to give it a wide place, during which the growth rate of colorful fish is slower, and in terms of changing water, it can be half or one third every day.
Adult fish period (12~ 14cm): The colors of Qicai will not be formally displayed until the adult fish period 12cm or more. At this time, Qicai immortals will start to pair up, and their body colors will become more gorgeous, and the black halo contours of upper and lower fins will deepen, which will occupy the territory. At this time, adult fish can be fed twice a day, mainly hamburgers. In terms of changing water, it can be changed by one third every day.
Breeding fish: Since it is called "breeding fish", it means that the fish has begun to breed. It must be remembered that it is very exhausting for the parent fish to raise their young. At this time, a small amount of red worms or hamburgers should be fed to supplement their physical strength and reduce pollution. Changing water should be done by personal means. Don't listen to what others say. It's only right to experience it yourself.
Bait raised by colorful immortals
Hamburg: It is a kind of self-made colorful fairy feed. Each homemade hamburger is different, and each has its own formula. Its ingredients are mainly beef heart, shrimp meat, fish, squid, chicken, etc., plus a proper amount of vegetables, such as spinach, carrots, tomatoes, and some yeast tablets and spirulina powder. After being stirred and crushed, it will be frozen in the refrigerator for feeding fish at any time.
Red bug: Colorful immortals like this bait best, but the live bait is dangerous to cause disease. It is better to put it in the freezer and then feed it safely. However, it should be noted that red worms cannot be frozen for too long. If the time is too long, the red worm will turn black due to oxidation, and sometimes it will rot. Therefore, it is best to choose some high-quality red worms to freeze. If you feed some live red worms, they must be sterilized before use.
Earthworm (Nematode): This bait is an insect that grows in the sludge. Qicai likes to eat this bait, but this bait has low nutritional value and has a direct impact on the color of Qicai Fairy. It is recommended to use it in a small amount.
Coloring agent: At present, coloring agent has become a fixed part of colorful feed. There is no need to blame this unfair behavior, because even in the wild colorful in the Amazon valley, natural coloring agents can be found, and there are various coloring agents on the market. It has been prepared in feed particles or used as pure raw materials, and can be mixed with feed such as Hamburg. This coloring agent can be extracted from nature, such as spirulina, astaxanthin and so on.