Keeping clown fish in an aquarium. Clown fish. Lifestyle and habitat of clown fish. Habitats and lifespan

Aquarium fish Clown bots (lat. Chromobotia macracanthus, or macracanthus bots) are beautiful fish of the order Convolvulaceae. Popular due to their bright colors, unpretentious maintenance and relatively peaceful disposition. The character of these fish is characterized by pronounced individualism.

Caring for the clown botia bindweed requires a lot of space for movement - a voluminous aquarium will be just right for an adult specimen measuring 16-20 centimeters in length. Compatibility is possible with representatives of bindweed fish; they love to eat aquarium plants and snails. In one day, the clown loachfish is capable of destroying an entire brood of mollusks. This bindweed fish comes out at night in search of food and hides during the day. Although, having gotten used to people, he is not afraid to show himself in daytime. Unlike other bots, clown bots love representatives of their own species and are less likely to come into conflict with them.

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Habitat

On the island of Sumatra, in the cities of Kwanten and Palembang, the first specimens of macracantha were presented for aquariums. The first catch may have occurred in the Musi River and the second in the Indragiri River in Riau Province. The populations found in these places differ in genetic structure and morphological and behavioral qualities. Perhaps several more species of these bindweeds will soon be discovered.

The clown botsia fish received for the first time detailed description scientist Blekker in the 50s of the 19th century. Her homeland is the countries South-East Asia, biotopes in freshwater rivers, lakes, canals, where standing water and slow current. There are rice fields, dense vegetation, diffused light and peace. In 2004, scientist M. Kottelat classified bots as a separate species.

In nature, it lives in flocks; during the spawning season, it moves from the river to another place, often to flooded plains. Clown botia can live in water with different levels pollution - both clean and dirty. The main diet is insect larvae, insects themselves and plants.

Some sources indicate that the clown botia reaches sizes of 20-40 cm, mostly these are specimens from the natural environment. Aquarium conditions, where high-quality care and maintenance, and diseases do not occur, allow the fish to live up to 20 years. In Asian countries (Indonesia, Laos) it has industrial value, is a local delicacy.

Look at the large clown bots.

External characteristics

Aquarium fish, if fed well, become big and beautiful. The body of the clown bot is oblong, flattened on the sides. The mouth is low and has 8 antennae. The clown loach has protective spines under its eyes; when attacked by a predatory fish, they appear and cling to the skin of the attacker. This causes problems when catching fish; the spikes get caught on the threads of the net.

The bots have a yellow-orange body, on which there are three wide dark stripes, reminiscent of the color of a tiger. The first stripe passes through the axis of the eyes, the second - in front of the dorsal fin on the side, the third is located in the area of ​​the dorsal fin and beyond. The result is an unusual, variegated color. With age, the fish turns pale; if it is not cared for properly, skin diseases can occur.

If caring for your pet is constant, keeping a clown loach will not be so difficult. It is not recommended for beginners to buy it. Such pets require constant attention and constant parameters. aquatic environment, lack of stress. The scales of bots are thin and small, which carries a potential health hazard - fish diseases require serious treatment.

How to feed

You can feed macracantha in an aquarium with live, frozen and artificial food, although wildlife it eats worms, insect larvae, beetles and plants. The treat is sinking tablets falling to the bottom. That is, you can feed with high-quality food, which is available in the pet store; a variety of diet is important to maintain health. When the botia is satisfied with a meal, it makes sounds resembling clicks, this is a signal that it likes the food.

Macracantha readily eats snails - if you don’t already know how to get rid of them, then botia can help - quickly eat them all.

The most negative quality of a fish is its love for aquarium plants, eats even hard-leaved species. Eating plant foods will preserve aquatic plants. They love zucchini, cucumbers, and lettuce. The proportions of live-plant food are 60:40.

Aquarium conditions and character

Macracantha spends a lot of time lying at the bottom of the house, often on its side or back, which may seem as if it has died. In fact, the fish is resting. If they are used to their owners, they actively swim in the aquarium during the day, reaching the middle layers of water. Since the bots prefer a large company, the tank must be appropriate - at least 250-300 liters. Keep a minimum of 3-5 fish in the nursery, otherwise the fish will rarely appear in sight. A 400-liter aquarium is suitable for a flock of 5 individuals.

Soft water with a temperature of 25-30 degrees and a hardness of 5-12 o, with an acidity of 6.0-6.5 pH is an ideal place to live. Create plenty of hiding places in the container to avoid stress and conflicts between fish. The soil is soft, fine gravel or sand. Macracantha is not suitable for a new, newly launched aquarium. Clowns require stable conditions; a changeable environment will ruin their health. They feel great in water with an underwater current, where there is enough dissolved oxygen. The filtration is powerful, an external filter can create this effect.

Change the water regularly, the fish are sensitive to impurities of nitrates and ammonia, and due to their small scales they are prone to poisoning. To avoid jumping out of the nursery, it is better to cover it with a lid.

The aquarium can resemble a natural biotope, or it can be designed at your discretion. To design a biotope, you should put fine soil on the bottom so that pets do not damage their mouth and antennae. Shelters are caves, stones and large snags. Surprisingly, the loachia loves to hide in hard-to-reach places - sometimes they are completely invisible, and sometimes they will hide somewhere on the side of the gorge, where it is difficult to see it. Macracanthus are not averse to digging themselves a cave in the sand, where there are many stones and snags. In general, these are underwater builders. Floating plants will help create the effect of diffused light.

You won't notice right away, but clowns tend to do unusual things - everyone knows that they sleep on their side, or rest in a position on their side, or on their back. It may seem that the fish has gone missing or died, but after a few days it is back in place, or lying in a relaxing position.

Look how the clown boy sleeps.

Macracantha is not a small, but active creature, gnawing on long fins. Compatibility with small fish is poor. Let her company be the same clowns, preferably more than 5 adults. A special hierarchy will be established in the flock, and over time the dominant male will stop allowing weaker ones to eat. Make sure that some fish get their own portion; caring for each fish is very important.

Breeding

The male and female macracantha have differences, perhaps at first glance they are barely noticeable. It is important to know that sexually mature females have a rounded abdomen and a plump body. The male's caudal fin may be different; it is slightly pointed in shape than the female's.

For clown bots there is practically no opportunity to have offspring within the spawning area. In principle, there have been no reports of breeding in the aquarium. If eggs came out of the female, they were unfertilized. The fish sold are bred in South Asian farms, where they are supplemented with gonadotropic drugs. Such a drug is not available at home, so breeding at home is impossible.

In captivity, growing loachfish is problematic due to difficulties in the reproductive cycle of the fish. Sometimes the sexual maturity of a fish or its unpreparedness to reproduce is not noticeable. In rivers, fish migrate to the plains to spawn. It can be difficult to determine the age of a pet, these macracanths are so mysterious.

Breeds best in the wild, even in captivity there are a number of breeding problems. Very often, farmers simply catch the fry from the river and raise them. Those fish that live in home aquariums are children of nature.

Diseases and treatment

The most common disease of clowns is the so-called “semolina”. It looks like white dots along the fins and body. If timely treatment is not started, the fish will deteriorate and die from exhaustion. Macracantha has small scales, so diseases of this nature are common. Treatment involves raising the temperature in the tank to 30-31 degrees and adding medicinal drugs to the water. Some semolina strains are resistant to medications.

After purchasing a fish, it must be placed separately from everyone else for a week’s quarantine. Whether a fish is healthy or not is not always noticeable. Quarantine is also required during illness.

Another harmful disease is ichthik, or small rashes and sores. Sometimes the rash is noticeable, but not always. The fish is moved to a separate aquarium and treated with Baktopur or Kostapur. The advanced form of the rash takes a long time to treat. Symptoms of ichthyosis, in addition to a rash, are lethargy and slowness of fish.

The aquarium clownfish is one of the most elegant sea fish. In the article I will write and show you what it looks like. What conditions are needed for its proper maintenance? I’ll tell you which fish the clown gets along with well, and which fish it shouldn’t be housed with. What and how does she eat and how to properly breed clowns in community aquarium.

Clown fish can make sounds like clicking and grunting.

Clown fish are reef fish and have scientific name– amphiprion. The size varies from 5 to 15 cm. Typical colors for a clown are orange and yellow. There are individuals of dark brown, black and blue color.

The clown fish got its name because of its color.

A distinctive feature of the color is the presence of wide transverse white stripes. The normal number of them is 3: on the head, across the body and at the base of the tail.

Males are always smaller than females

The body of the fish is oval, flattened on the sides. The head is convex. Iris of the eye orange color. The fins are rounded and outlined in black. The dorsal fin tapers towards the middle, separating the hard and soft parts.

There are other color variations of amphiprion, bred artificially. For example, it is allowed to merge the white stripes of the “premium snowflake” and “black ice” clowns. “Naked” ocellaris has no stripes at all, while midnight ocellaris is almost completely black.

On this moment 30 species of these fish are known to exist

There are about 30 species of amphiprions in nature. These fish live preferably in shallow water, at a depth of up to 15 meters among the coral reefs of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Clownfish form a close symbiosis with sea anemones, which provide them with shelter and a nesting place.

The sea anemone's venom does not harm the clownfish.

One anemone serves as a refuge for several fish. As a rule, its inhabitants do not allow strangers into their territory. The union of the sea anemone with the clowns benefits it. First of all, the fish ensures the movement of water between the tentacles and cleans the sea anemone. In addition, clowns drive away crabs that like to feast on sea anemone tentacles.

Clown fish prefer to live among sea anemones

How does fish avoid getting burned? The fact is that it gradually gets used to the composition of the sea anemone mucus. Over time, a similar composition forms on the skin of the fish, and it is no longer perceived by the sea anemone as a threat.

In nature, amphitryon lives up to 10 years. In captivity, this period doubles due to the absence of external threats.

Keeping clown fish in an aquarium

Amphitryon, unlike other sea fish, is not difficult to care for. They keep it in a marine aquarium with a volume of more than 200 liters. The water temperature is maintained at 25-27 degrees. Water density: 1.022 - 1.025; acidity: 8.1 to 8.3.

For one couple aquarium clowns 60-70 liters of water are used.

Dimensions aquarium fish clown most often do not exceed 60-80 mm

Sea anemone – favorite place clown fish. The amphitryon feels comfortable in it. If desired, you can replace it with corals and sea plants. Before adding fish to the sea anemone, you need to make sure that it is healthy.

You cannot plant all clowns in an aquarium with sea anemones at the same time. Competition will provoke the fish to immediately occupy the anemone, which will lead to serious burns.

The water in the aquarium needs to be changed once a week, replacing 10% of the volume.

Compatibility with other inhabitants

The clown fish is a peace-loving creature. However, if there is not enough territory, it begins to oppress other fish, including its own kind. Conflicts can be minimized by providing all inhabitants with the necessary space and shelter. What kind of fish are kept in an aquarium with clowns:

• Butterfly fish;
• Goby;
• Chromis;
• Cardinal;
• Blenny;

In captivity, clownfish often become aggressive, so it is undesirable to introduce peaceful varieties to them

Neighbors of clowns should not be aggressive. It is allowed to add fish with an average level of aggression, provided that their size is smaller than that of amphitryons.

Nutrition

Adults are fed 2 times a day. Young animals - 4 times. The entire amount of food offered must be eaten within 3 minutes. Remaining food is removed. What foods are suitable for clown fish:

• Small shrimp
• Squid
• Shellfish
• Ready-made food for marine fish
• Artemia
• Small pieces of fish

A clown fish feeds an anemone. Perhaps this happens when the fish hides leftover food in the sea anemone.

Reproduction

Captive sea ​​fish-The clown is actively reproducing. The most difficult stage is to preserve the offspring by providing them with proper nutrition.

Aquarium artificial grottoes or corals can serve as places for spawning.

5 days before spawning, the male begins courtship of the female. At this time, eggs are formed in her stomach. The spawning area is thoroughly cleaned by fish. As a rule, this is a small area under sea anemones or corals.

The female spawns early in the day and produces up to 800 eggs in one clutch. The male fertilizes the eggs and removes the unfertilized eggs. After a week, the fry hatch from them. After two weeks, the young individuals look for shelter.

All fry, as a rule, become males. If necessary, the fish changes sex to the opposite one. In parallel with this, its size also increases.

For 400 fry you need from 300 liters sea ​​water. The water needs to be repopulated big amount plankton for feeding the young. After three days, you can give them larvae of leaf-footed crustaceans and crushed dry fish food. Typically, some of the offspring die or are eaten, both in captivity and in the wild.

The newly born fry should be placed in a separate small aquarium.

The fry are raised in a separate nursery aquarium. Water purification and aeration are carried out to a minimum. Filtered water is reused. This recommendation will help preserve the maximum number of individuals. Active reproduction of plankton (the main food for juveniles) cannot be maintained in water that is too clean.

Amphiprions are monogamous. A pair of fish is created for life, remaining in one sea anemone.

A school of clownfish consists of the main pair and several young fish of uncertain sex.

In general, the level of difficulty in starting and maintaining a saltwater aquarium is more difficult than a freshwater one. If the aquarist has experience keeping saltwater fish, purchasing a clown fish will not be difficult for him. You need to buy it from trusted suppliers who deserve trust.

The aquarium fish clown loach or macracanthus (lat. Chromobotia macracanthus) is one of the most beautiful loach fish that is kept in the aquarium. They love her for her bright colors and her pronounced personality.

For the clown bot you need a spacious aquarium, as it grows quite large up to 16-20 cm in length. She loves aquariums with a lot of plants and various hiding places.

As a rule, loaches are nocturnal fish, which are practically invisible during the day, however, this does not apply to the clown loach.

She is quite active during the day, although a little timid. They love the company of their own kind, but can also be kept with other fish.

Chromobotia macracanthus (formerly Botia macrocanthus) was first described by Blecker in 1852. Its homeland is in Southeast Asia: in Indonesia, on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.

In 2004, Maurice Kottelat identified this species as a separate species from the genus Botias.

In nature, it inhabits rivers almost all the time, migrating only during spawning. It lives in places with both standing water and currents, usually gathering in large flocks.

During the monsoons they migrate to the flooded plains. Depending on the habitat areas, macracanthus lives in both very clean and very dirty water. It feeds on insects, their larvae and plant foods.

Although most sources say that the clown botia grows to a size of about 30 cm, in nature there are individuals of about 40 cm, and it can live for quite a long time, up to 20 years.

In many regions it is caught as commercial fish and is used for food.

Description

This is a very beautiful, big fish. The bodies of the clown wolf are elongated and laterally compressed. The mouth is directed downwards and has four pairs of whiskers.

The clown loach also has spines that are located under the eyes and serve to protect against predatory fish. Botia exposes them at the moment of danger, which can be a problem when catching, as they cling to the net. It is better to use a plastic container.

It is reported that in nature, clown bots grow up to 40 cm, but in an aquarium they are smaller, about 20-25 cm. They are long-lived, with good conditions they can live up to 20 years.

The graceful clown bot has a bright yellow-orange body color with three wide black stripes, for which English language it was named Clown Loach.

One stripe goes through the eyes, the second just in front of the dorsal fin, and the third captures part of the dorsal fin and goes further behind it. All together, they form a very beautiful and eye-catching color.

True, the clown botia is most brightly colored at a young age, and as it grows older it turns pale, but does not lose its beauty.

Difficulty in content

If kept properly, it is a fairly hardy fish. Not recommended for beginners, as they are large, active, and require stable water parameters.

They also have very small scales, which makes them susceptible to disease and drug treatment.

Feeding

In nature, maracantha feeds on worms, larvae, beetles and plants. Omnivores, they eat all types of food in the aquarium - live, frozen, artificial.

They especially love tablets and freezing, as they feed from the bottom. In principle, there are no problems with feeding, the main thing is to feed it varied so that the fish is healthy.

They can make clicking sounds, especially when they are happy, and you can easily understand what type of food they like.

Since clown bots help by actively eating them. If you want the snail population to become significantly smaller, then just get a clown bot.

Clicking noises while eating:

And their negative skills are that they eat plants with pleasure, and even gnaw holes in echinodorus.

You can reduce cravings by adding significant amounts of plant foods to your diet. These can be either tablets or vegetables - zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce.

In general, for bots, the amount of plant food in the diet should reach up to 40%.

Macracanthas spend most of their time at the bottom, but they can also rise to the middle layers, especially when they are accustomed to the aquarium and are not afraid.

Since they grow quite large, and they need to be kept in a flock, a large aquarium is needed for clown bots, with a volume of 250 liters or more. The minimum quantity that needs to be kept in the aquarium is 3.

But more is better, since in nature they live in very large flocks. Accordingly, for a flock of 5 fish, you need an aquarium with a capacity of about 400.

They feel best in soft water (5 - 12 dGH) with ph: 6.0-6.5 and water temperature 24-30°C. Also, the aquarium should have many secluded corners and shelters so that the fish can take refuge in case of fear or conflict.

The soil is better soft - sand or fine gravel.

Never introduce macracanthus into a newly established aquarium. In such an aquarium, the water parameters change too much, and clowns need stability.

They love the current and a large number of dissolved oxygen in water. For this purpose, it is advisable to use a fairly powerful external filter, with the help of which it is quite simple to create a flow.

It is important to regularly change the water and monitor the amount of ammonia and nitrates, since the bots have very small scales and poisoning occurs very quickly. They jump well, you need to cover the aquarium.

The type of aquarium does not matter and depends entirely on your taste. If you want to create a biotope, then it is better to put sand or fine gravel on the bottom, since clowns have very sensitive whiskers that are easily injured.

Can be used large stones and large snags where the bots can hide. They really love shelters that they can barely squeeze into; ceramic and plastic pipes are best suited for this.

Sometimes they can dig caves for themselves under snags or stones, make sure that they do not collapse anything. Floating plants can be placed on the surface of the water, which will create more diffused light.

Clown boys can do strange things. Not many people know that they sleep on their side, or even upside down, and when they see this, they think that the fish has already died.

However, this is quite normal for them. As well as the fact that at one moment the battle may disappear, only to crawl out of some completely unimaginable crevice after a while.

Compatibility

Large fish, but very active. They can be kept in a community aquarium, but preferably not with small fish, and not with fish that have long fins. Botia macracanthus can tear them off.

They love company, it is important to keep several clown battles. The minimum quantity is 3, but it is better from 5 individuals.

In such a flock, its own hierarchy is established, in which the dominant male drives the weaker ones away from food.

Sex differences

There are no special differences between males and females of the clown bot. The only thing is that sexually mature females are somewhat plumper, with a rounded abdomen.

There are many theories regarding the shape of the caudal fin in females and males, but this is all in the realm of speculation.

It is believed that males have sharp ends of the caudal fin, while females have more rounded ends.

Reproduction

Botia clown is very rarely bred in home aquarium. There are only a few reports of spawning in a home aquarium, and even then, most of the eggs were not fertilized.

Individuals that go on sale are bred using gonadotropic drugs on farms in Southeast Asia.

It is very difficult to reproduce this in a home aquarium, apparently this is the reason for such rare cases of spawning.

Moreover, not everyone succeeds in breeding it in captivity; the most common practice is for the fry to be caught in the wild and raised to adult size.

So it is quite possible that those fish that swim in your aquarium once lived in nature.

Diseases

One of the most banal and most dangerous diseases for the clown boy this is a decoy.

It looks like white dots running along the body and fins of the fish. Gradually their number increases until the fish dies from exhaustion.

The fact is that fish without scales or with very small scales suffer the most from it, and the botia is one of these.

When treating, the main thing is not to hesitate!

First of all, you need to raise the water temperature above 30 degrees Celsius (30-31), then add medicinal preparations to the water. Their choice is now quite large, and active substances often the same and differ only in proportions.

But even with timely treatment, it is not always possible to save the fish, since there are now many resistant strains of semolina.

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The bright and colorful Nemo fish is familiar to many not only as an exciting cartoon character, but also as an unpretentious inhabitant of home aquariums. Buy one pet You can go to specialized stores and learn about the features of its content there. IN natural conditions(in the waters of the Indo-Pacific basin) fish can grow up to 12-13 cm, in aquariums - no more than 8-9 cm.

Nemo fish can be bred in aquariums

Features and description

Nemo the clown fish is a true symbol of all home aquariums, so every hobbyist is proud to acquire such a resident in his collection. The biological name is Amphiprion ocellaris, although it is less recognizable. It is difficult to confuse this sea creature with anyone else. In fish bright color, a red-orange body with vertical white stripes behind the eye line, in the middle of the body and near the caudal fin.

Nemo fish is similar to another biological species– percula

The color makes the Nemo fish very similar to another representative of ocean waters - the percula clownfish (Amphiprion percula), and biologists call these individuals brother-cousins. Recognize species by external signs can be determined by determining the number of spines on the back: ocellaris has 11 pieces, and percula - 9. Another color is found in nature - black with vertical white stripes. This is a black form of Ocellaris that can be found off the Australian coast. Specimens bred in captivity are identified by a middle stripe that does not run along the entire body, but only along the upper part.

The fish called Nemo prefers shallow lagoons, inlets with calm waters, as well as reefs and coastal bays. Maximum depth its habitat is up to 15 meters. The main diet of individuals consists of:

• tiny shrimp;
• crustaceans;
• amphipods;
• seaweed;
• plankton;
• detritus.

Adult fish prefer to stay close to their hosts (anemones), which provide these colorful inhabitants of the seas with protection from predators. The bright protective coloring of Ocellaris also serves as a warning to predators: if they approach too quickly, they risk being stung by the anemone's tentacles.

Variety of species

Almost all individuals of this species have an oval body with dorsal spines and a rounded caudal fin. The most common are the typical bright yellow and orange sea creatures with three distinct white stripes. Nature loves to surprise, so the fish is also found in other natural colors:

1. Snowflake- representatives of the classic orange color with extended and fuzzy stripes. It is believed that individuals with a predominant white color in color have the highest price.

Ocellaris Midnight - one of the varieties of Nemo fish

1. Snezhinka Premium- another expensive species, in which the first two stripes are connected, forming only a few yellow parts on the body.
2. Black Snowflake- the vertical white stripes of this species are located like those of the Snowflake, but instead of orange there is a black color on the body, turning into dirty yellow in the head area.
3. Black ice- the fish is similar in appearance to the Premium Snowflake species, but on the edges of its fins and at the junctions of yellow and white there are dark outlines.
4. Ocellaris Naked- has a solid bright orange color without inclusions of another color.
5. Ocellaris midnight- individuals of a dark brown color or an original caramel shade with black fins.

The colors of these marine representatives are quite varied, but the more unusual it is, the higher their cost in pet stores. They are no different in care and maintenance, easily adapt to home conditions and are very hardy, so they are recommended to be owned even by beginners who have no experience in caring for aquarium fish.

Proper care and maintenance

The period of its adaptation and life expectancy depends on which Nemo fish settles in the aquarium. If caught sea ​​creatures themselves and bring them home, they will need more time to get used to the new conditions. When placing a clown fish in an aquarium, you must:

• provide her with clean and prepared water (with the addition of malachite greens, which prevents disease);
• provide suitable food (consult the pet store).

Do not forget that in nature these inhabitants live with their anemone hosts, who protect them from nearby predators. It is recommended to keep the Nemo fish in the aquarium with peaceful representatives, but if it is possible to have an anemone, you can also combine it with predators.

One clown fish requires at least 30 liters of water in the aquarium

At first, new pets may experience stress, which develops into a disease and can cause the death of some specimens. It is recommended to keep clown fish in small aquariums (30-35 liters), but it is necessary to change the water frequently (4-5 times a month). For a pair of female and male, you will need an aquarium with a capacity of 70 liters. Suitable for proximity to Ocellaris:

• corals;
• live rocks;
• other invertebrates;
• sea ​​anemones (as anemones).

In the same aquarium, amphiprions can live with angelfish, gobies, zebrasomas, trachynots - non-aggressive and non-predatory species.

Optimal temperature clown fish content - 25-28 degrees with an acidity level of no more than 8.2. Individuals are unpretentious to lighting. Their lifespan is natural environment is 10 years, in an aquarium they can live up to 20 years with proper care.

To feed Nemo, you need to stock up on fresh finely chopped fish, small shrimp, caviar plankton, and fish larvae. This entire varied assortment can be purchased in specialized stores and does not require sea creatures to have a mono-diet with monotonous nutrition. Periodically, spirulina granules and crushed flakes should be added to the aquarium. The frequency of feeding is at least 3-4 times a day. So that the fish can calmly eat the food (in 2-3 minutes), it is necessary to limit the area in the aquarium where there is no strong current.

Pair cohabitation and reproduction

A pair of male and female is always a calm coexistence at home. Not everyone knows that at the moment of birth only males are born, and only after a while the dominant individual turns into a female. In order for fish to have the opportunity to reproduce, the aquarium must have water at least 28 degrees.

Clownfish breed easily in captivity

A few days before spawning, you can notice the courtship of the fish, and soon the swelling of the female’s abdomen from eggs becomes noticeable. The pair begins to intensively clean the surface of the stones near the sea anemone to lay eggs. The moment of spawning can be recognized by the specific movements of marine inhabitants - a “ritual” dance. There are up to three hundred eggs in one clutch. The fry hatch on the 8th day.

In 10-15 days, some of the fry will be eaten, and those that remain will become young clownfish and will begin to actively look for an anemone protector. In captivity, Ocellaris reproduces more easily and more actively than in ocean waters. Spawning frequency is 12-15 days. This allows their fish breeder to arrange for the sale of young fish every 4-5 months.

Let those living in the aquarium always attract attention due to their brightness and unusualness. An aquarium filled with bright algae, graceful fish and mysterious grottoes is sure to become the best decoration for your home. Among the inhabitants of a marine aquarium, clown fish are quite common. This nimble fish became especially popular after the cartoon “Finding Nemo”. Since then, many adults and children have been trying to increase their knowledge about aquariums in order to allow themselves to start a marine aquarium with this beautiful fish.

Habitat Features

Clown fish live in warm coastal areas of the Pacific and Indian oceans. This typical representative tropical fauna. The clown fish, whose life description can be found quite often, lives in the sea in the tentacles of an anemone. These anemones are poisonous, but they do not harm this fish. These two animals have a mutually beneficial cooperation: the clown attracts predators with its appearance. By rushing at the fish, predators themselves become prey for the sea anemone. What remains of the anemone's meal goes to the clown. Moreover, he feels protected among the tentacles. Clown fish in an aquarium also need anemones - if there are few of them, stronger individuals displace the weaker ones from the polyps. True, if the aquarium has grottoes and shelters, sea anemones are not so necessary.

Appearance

Among sea anemones, the clownfish stands out for its bright color. The entire body of the fish is decorated with white, black and orange stripes. The edges of the fins are decorated with a black border. The body is plump, the head is short. The dorsal fin is divided into two parts by a white stripe.

We must not forget that the aquarium clown fish is a marine fish. Caring for such aquariums is much more difficult. But all the effort is worth it. A well-designed marine aquarium is not the cheapest pleasure. Equipment for maintaining tropical sea ​​conditions together with a suitable container will cost about $600.

The minimum dimensions of an aquarium for keeping a clown fish are: 80 cm length, 45 cm height, and 35 cm width. This aquarium can contain up to three fish. It should not stand in a clear place, as the fish are afraid of being cold.

No matter how many fish live in your home, it is necessary to ensure reliable water filtration. The clown fish in the aquarium prefers clean water Therefore, all contaminants must be removed in a timely manner.

The ideal salt level for clowns is 1.021-1.023. It's best to have a hydrometer handy to be sure of the salinity. Ammonia, nitrates and nitrites should be kept to a minimum. A 20-25% water change should be done weekly. The optimal temperature for clowns is 25-26 degrees. Seahorses will be good neighbors for these fish.

Feeding

Clown fish are not picky eaters at all. These individuals will perfectly eat special dry food, but if possible, it is better to feed them frozen - brine shrimp or shrimp.

Reproduction

The clown fish has an extremely interesting system reproductions. The fact is that all its fry are males. Subsequently, after the formation of a school, one of the fish becomes a female. The most combative of the males becomes the sire. He is much larger than the others.

The female lays eggs next to the sea anemone. If they are absent, eggs may be deposited in a grotto or under a rock. Parents protect the eggs until they hatch. After 8-10 days the fry appear. The best thing to do is to plant them right away.

However, if for some reason it is not possible to transplant the fry, the male will take care of them himself. He will protect and look after the cubs until they reach full maturity.

The aquarium clown fish has interesting and unique abilities. If for some reason the female dies, her place is taken by the breeding male. He himself becomes a female and chooses a partner from a group of other males.

In addition to changing sex, these fish are able to control their growth. Thus, the breeding male is much larger than other males, who restrain their growth so as not to be persecuted. But if a manufacturer dies, contenders for his place begin to grow not just by the hour, but literally before our eyes. After the female chooses a partner, the others stop growing again.

Despite the fact that clownfish prefer to live near sea anemones, it is not necessary to keep one. But it is not recommended for beginner aquarists. The fact is that it is quite difficult to care for it, so it is better to put grottoes or rocks for the fish.

Not only beginner aquarists, but even experienced fish lovers often choose clowns for breeding, as they can bring a lot of joy to their owner.

Clown fish can get along with almost anyone sea ​​dweller. They are only incompatible with frogs, sharks, lion fish, monkfish and eels.

It is best to purchase clownfish that are born in captivity rather than wild caught. Such fish will quickly get used to new living conditions and will successfully reproduce in the aquarium.