Breeding fish at home for beginners

If you want to not only admire the fish in the aquarium, but also regularly increase their number, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the breeding conditions of these aquatic pets.

Breeding fish in a home aquarium is perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of aquarium farming. Here, desire alone is not enough; special knowledge and certain experience are required. This article will try to reveal the features of breeding aquarium fish at home.

How do aquarium fish reproduce?

There are several natural ways to reproduce fish:

Sexual method

The most popular method of fertilization. It involves the insemination of eggs that mature in the body of females with the seminal fluid of males. It can be both internal (when fertilization occurs inside the female) and external (the eggs are inseminated outside the mother’s body). At the same time, the process of the birth of babies depends on the method of bearing the eggs.

The sexual method of fertilization can be both internal and external

There are spawning, viviparous and ovoviviparous females. Approximately equal numbers of each sex hatch from the eggs.

Parthenogenesis

This method involves the development of eggs without fertilization by the male. This is how commercial fish, cyprinids, usually reproduce. It is extremely rare in aquarium conditions. Such offspring die at the egg stage; even with successful birth, the fry are weak and non-viable.

Gynogenesis

Gynogenesis involves the activation of spawning by seminal fluid of males of other fish species similar to the female. In this case, direct fertilization does not occur. The seed penetrates inside the female cell, but due to different species structures, the cell nuclei do not connect. With this method, only females are born.

Hermaphroditism

It is expressed in the fact that the same individual can alternately have either male or female genital organs. These processes occur at completely different times, so the animal does not self-fertilize.

Only in exceptional cases can stored eggs be fertilized by the same individual. For example, swordtails have this ability. Sex changes occur depending on living conditions and the sex ratio in the population.

The swordtail can alternately have either male or female genitalia

Features of egg laying

• The eggs are immersed in the substrate, which is concentrated in the tank. Killies use this method. It is important for them to correctly determine the type of soil and maintain the required moisture parameters.
• The eggs are placed in a nest that is formed from bubbles. This method is characteristic of labyrinth fish. The eggs laid in such a nest are carefully guarded by the female.

• Diffusion. In carp species, spawning takes place in schools. Therefore, future offspring are distributed throughout the entire perimeter. In order to prevent its spoilage, a spawning container is prepared in advance.
• Masonry. It is inherent in scalars. By the way, this species protects its own fry with special care.

Types of fish

Fish breeding activities depend on the type of gestation and birth of fry of a particular phenotype.

Viviparous

In viviparous breeds, fertilization of eggs occurs internally.
After this, a kind of placenta is formed, with the help of which the embryos are nourished at the expense of the mother’s body. There is no larval stage, and the fry are born ready for independent life. The process of fertilization occurs by introducing the seed using the gonopodium, the male genital organ. The seminal fluid enters the expectant mother in portions (in bags). The remains of sperm remain viable inside the female’s body for a long time. Thus, she can simultaneously carry within herself the seed from different males and give birth to offspring several times during her life without their help.

This method allows you to preserve the embryos, which are protected by the mother’s body. However, most livebearers are bad parents, prone to cannibalism. Therefore, the fry preserved inside the mother's womb can easily be eaten by their own parents.

Viviparous fish are the most popular aquarium fish, as they are unpretentious in maintenance and easy to breed. These are the well-known guppies, swordtails, mollies, formosas, platies, and gambusias.

Viviparous fish are easy to breed

Business technology

Finding clients for selling aquarium fish is one of the main tasks. There are a considerable number of ways to announce this area of ​​activity. This can be done through friends and work colleagues.

An advertising campaign through the media will allow you to find a considerable number of buyers for this product. To attract buyers, it doesn’t hurt to post leaflets, advertisements on poles, etc. Taking into account the fact that a huge number of people use the Internet, posting advertisements on its open spaces and creating your own website will provide indispensable help.

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Stages of fish development

Depending on the method of birth, there are several stages of formation of an adult individual:

1. In egg-laying fish, during fertilization, sperm enter the egg cell through the micropyle, an opening in the cell membrane. After the fusion of two germ cells, a zygote is formed, in which active cell division begins and the body of the embryo is formed. Elements of the yolk remain in the abdominal cavity, which will serve as food for the young during the first time after hatching.
2. When the time comes, the walls of the eggs are destroyed and larvae are born. Externally, they differ significantly from their parents: a teardrop-shaped body, huge eyes, and no scales or fins.
3. After the nutrients in the yolk sac are used up, the larvae begin searching for food. Unicellular organisms, plankton, and algae are suitable for them as food. If the future fry at this moment could not find food for themselves, then with a high probability they will die at this stage.
4. Gradually the larvae turn into fry. Their body is covered with scales, fins appear, their shape becomes elongated and in appearance they become similar to adult individuals, only much smaller in size.
5. After reaching sexual maturity, the fish is considered an adult. It has all the systems, external and internal organs, scales covered with mucus. Such specimens are ready for further reproduction.

Stages of formation of an adult, using the example of an angelfish

Livebearers do not need a larval stage, as they immediately give birth to fully viable offspring.

The longer the life cycle of a fish, the later it reaches sexual maturity. Large breeds are usually ready to breed at 4-5 years of age, while cichlids can become parents as early as 3 months. Males, as a rule, are ready for this process earlier than females.

Important aspect

Despite the fact that breeding aquarium fish cannot be called a complex process (especially if we are talking about common species), before engaging in such an activity, it is necessary to study a lot of relevant literature.

After all, you must know everything about your waterfowl in order to provide them with a suitable microclimate and optimal conditions for reproduction. In addition, you should have an understanding of the diseases to which fish are susceptible. This issue should be taken very seriously, otherwise you may be left without offspring, and therefore without profit.

What kind of development do fish have: direct or indirect?

Depending on the stages of fish maturation, direct and indirect development are distinguished.

Direct implies the birth of babies identical to their parents, having a similar appearance and structure of all organs. This development is typical for viviparous and ovoviviparous varieties.

With indirect development, the individual goes through several stages, and the hatched baby does not resemble its parents. This type of development is characteristic of egg-laying varieties and includes the larval stage on the way to adulthood.

Fish instincts

Fertilization is preceded by a series of events. They are a signal of readiness to reproduce.

Stimulation for mating

Many species approach reproduction very responsibly. Salmonids, for example, migrate from the salty ocean up to freshwater bodies to spawn. They can travel thousands of kilometers, making a dangerous journey up fast rivers, exhausting themselves to the end.

In many cases, males (such as guppies) are brightly colored to attract the female. In a mating dance, they circle around the gray females, trying to attract their attention. The lady will choose which male is the most colorful.

Males of other species can build “houses” from silt, mud and other bottom debris. If the female likes the house, the fish mate.

Certain conditions are required for mating

Changes to terms and conditions

Fish, like other living organisms, are subject to biological cycles. Mating occurs under certain conditions that occur with the change of season:

• change in daylight hours;
• change in water temperature (to be more precise, its increase);
• increasing the volume of food (fry need to eat a lot, for example, daphnia and single-celled organisms);
• increasing the concentration of oxygen dissolved in water.

The duration of gestation of eggs depends on the type of fish and can range from 12 hours to one and a half months. The age at which fish reach sexual maturity also varies greatly (from several months to 15-30 years). This depends on the species size and habitat conditions. The smaller the fish, the faster it reproduces and the faster it reaches maturity.

Differences between male and female

The main condition for the successful reproduction of fish in an aquarium is the presence of specimens of different sexes. Most of them have clearly distinguishable sexual characteristics, so it is quite easy to separate them outwardly.

Most of the fish have clearly distinguishable sexual characteristics

Males, as a rule, are more beautiful, bright, colorful, and have lush and large fins. Female specimens are usually more massive, have an inconspicuous appearance and a more rounded anal fin. Sex differences appear in all fish species as they approach their first spawning. It is extremely difficult to distinguish fry from the outside. Therefore, in order not to make a mistake, they immediately purchase a flock of 5-6 specimens. Among them there will probably be individuals of both sexes.

As for internal differences, the main differentiation is the development of germ cells. In the female, eggs (eggs) are formed in the ovaries, which have a thin membrane for the unhindered penetration of the male reproductive cell. When mature, the eggs are released through a small opening located next to the anus.

In males, milt is produced in the testes, consisting of millions of sperm located in paired sacs. The seminal fluid comes out through the vas deferens. In nature, the maturation of cells of both sexes occurs simultaneously.

Room equipment

As we have already said, aquarium business plans most often do not involve renting additional space due to the fact that it is possible to place all the necessary equipment in your own apartment. However, for such an activity it is recommended to allocate a separate room, which it is advisable to darken. Daylight in it will be replaced by artificial lighting.

The aquariums themselves should be located away from heating devices and radiators. It is also necessary to keep in mind that even a fish farm consisting of 10 aquariums will have a significant weight. To withstand it, the floors must be strong enough. In addition, you need to take into account that aquariums should never be placed in several tiers.

Matching

An important factor in the successful appearance of fish offspring is the selection of a pair. For some phenotypes, partners are selected by the owner, while other species mate only with those they choose themselves, for example, discus fish. Having formed a strong couple, they will remain faithful to each other forever.

In order for the union to be successful, it is recommended to purchase an established pair at once, or to populate a flock of fish, in which, with a high degree of probability, at least one couple will be formed. You can find out about this by the behavior of the pets: they always swim nearby, the male seems to be flirting with his partner.

In order for the union to be successful, it is recommended to purchase an existing pair immediately

Male African cichlids are very insatiable and will tirelessly chase females, forcing them to have intercourse. If the female is weak or not ready to mate, she should be housed separately, otherwise such persecution will end sadly for her.

Site selection and preparation

You have an aquarium of the required size, you already know who you want to put there. Where can he find a place in your home?

Choosing a location for an aquarium

You don’t need to constantly move it from place to place, you need to choose one. This should not be a window sill or a place where there may be a draft or direct sunlight. And also make sure that the place is not noisy and there is no indoor radiator nearby.

The surface of the selected location must be clean and level, capable of withstanding high pressure. The edges of the aquarium should not protrude. If the surface is unable to support the weight, the bottom may crack. For more uniform unloading, you can look for soft substrates or rugs.

It is advisable that there be an outlet nearby, since the necessary equipment to support life inside will be connected to it.

After choosing a location, you need to prepare the aquarium itself for launch. It is necessary to wash it without using chemicals (no soap or detergent), you can do this with baking soda or salt. Rinse the walls with water 4 times. And also, as an option, it is recommended to fill it with water to remove traces of sealant and other harmful substances. At the same time, you can check that it is definitely not leaking anywhere. Some people leave it flooded for several days to further wash away toxic substances, after which they rid it of water.

Stimulation for reproduction

Simple manipulations will help stimulate the awakening of the reproductive instinct. First of all, for the proper development of reproductive cells, pets need to be fed abundantly with high-protein food.

The animals are provided with conditions as close as possible to natural ones during spawning. They are specially studied for this purpose. For example, Amazonians begin breeding during the rainy season, when river levels are at their highest and flood water contains large amounts of live food. In captivity, spawning is stimulated by adding water and introducing live food.

Some species reproduce during drought, such as killifish. In this case, the water level is reduced and the temperature of the reservoir increases. Then all that remains is to wait for the first signs of the pets’ readiness to procreate to appear.

For killifish, the water level is reduced and the temperature of the reservoir is increased

Eighth rule - water quality

Whatever fish you purchase, any of them is very sensitive to the chemical composition of the water. And filling the aquarium should begin by checking the composition of the water. All water composition parameters can be checked using special tests for aquarium water. To do this you need to purchase such a test.

Then collect the required amount of water into a clean, well-dried test tube, glass, or glass. Add an indicator reagent to the water and shake the test tube with water. After 5 minutes, compare the result obtained in the reference map. Based on the results obtained, action must be taken. If the water turns out to be very hard, then it needs to be softened.

Determining readiness

The beginning of the mating season is determined by the intensity of the colors and habits of the fish. The color of males becomes brighter and more saturated, pigment spots appear. Goldfish develop tubercles on their gills.

The behavior of males is characterized by activity and sometimes aggressiveness towards rivals. Fights often occur between males.

Mating rituals and courtship of the female begin. Some males independently prepare a spawning area, where they then invite a female, swollen with ripened eggs, to lay eggs.

Tenth rule - aquarium farming is my hobby!

The most important thing in aquarium keeping is to work with fish with great passion, and without forcing yourself. Do it in a way that brings pleasure and enjoyment. After all, this is a real vacation at home. You can spend a lot of time near an artificial pond observing the behavior of fish.

In addition, scientists have proven that launching and observing fish normalizes blood pressure and calms the nervous system. And if there are small children at home, then this is also a very good educational moment. After all, from childhood, caring for fish will teach them to care and attention. After all, probably few people would want their first experience with an aquarium to be bitter and end in the death of the fish. After all, it often happens that novice aquarists, unable to cope with problems, give up on their dreams.

Don’t give up right away, and after a while there will come a period when an experienced aquarist will grow from an inexperienced beginner, who will help the same beginners, like him, who bought aquariums for beginners himself just a few weeks or months ago. Believe me - it's not difficult!

Reproduction of viviparous

In viviparous aquarium fish there is no need to stimulate spawning. If the process does not start, then gradually increase the temperature of the environment by 1-2 degrees. The duration of pregnancy also depends on it. For example, at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius, the “interesting position” of the guppies lasts 4 weeks, and at 32 degrees – only 19 days. However, it is not worth speeding up the birth process in this way. Overheating will cause the offspring to be born non-viable.

During the gestation period, the expectant mother's abdomen will increase and become rounded; a couple of days before the babies appear, it will take on more angular shapes. At this point, the female is placed in a spawning tank.

During gestation, the abdomen will enlarge and become rounded

Most livebearers are capable of breeding in a common tank, but in it the babies will become food for other adult neighbors and even their own parents.

To preserve as many fry as possible, use a spawning tank with a double bottom. It is equipped with shelters or algae in which the cubs can hide from the mother. A couple of weeks after birth, babies develop their first sexual characteristics and are sorted by sex and size.

Overpopulation

Overpopulation is an excess of fry per container. The larger the fry become, the more space they require. If there is not enough space in the tank for the fry, they develop poorly, and some representatives die. In an overcrowded tank, harmful microorganisms and bacteria accumulate, which lead to diseases in the offspring. As the fry grow, they need to be moved to a larger tank so that there is enough space for everyone.

Reproduction of ovoviviparous

Ovoviviparous include most cartilaginous species: shark, stingray, katran, sawfish, etc. With this method of reproduction, eggs with young are located in the female’s genital tract, but do not have direct contact with her body. Nutrition of embryos occurs due to the supply of substances in the yolk sac. Some species, such as sharks, feed their offspring with royal jelly, and stingrays with nutrient fluid.

Babies are first hatched in the mother's womb, and only then are born outside.

Babies first hatch in their mother's womb and only then are born

Due to the whimsical nature and large size of cartilaginous ovoviviparous species, keeping and breeding in captivity is extremely difficult.

Why is it worth doing this?

Here are several factors that make this business attractive:

— prices for aquariums, equipment, fish and algae are quite reasonable, so you won’t need a lot of capital to start;

- breeding aquarium fish as a business can be carried out at home, thereby not spending money on renting premises;

— there is no serious competition;

- the technologies for the breeding process are quite simple, so you do not need special training - it will be enough to read the relevant literature;

- if aquariums are your hobby, you have a real opportunity to do what you love and earn money from it.

Peculiarities of reproduction of popular fish

Each phenotype has its own reproductive characteristics, which the owner must take into account when breeding pets.

Veiltail

Having reached sexual maturity by 2 years, veiltails are ready to reproduce. The peak mating season occurs in the spring months. To help the fish show their natural instinct, the water temperature is gradually increased by 3-5 degrees.

The female releases about 2000 eggs at a time. Reproduction of veiltails occurs in a spacious spawning tank, on the bottom of which a net is placed. The eggs are incubated for 4 days, after which the small veil tails hatch into the light.

Guppy

The female guppy is ready to reproduce at 3-4 months. These representatives are completely unpretentious to living conditions and can reproduce even in a three-liter jar. When selecting a flock, you should carefully consider the ratio of female and male individuals. If there is an excess of the latter, the females will be driven, become exhausted and may even die.

Guppies are viviparous fish with internal fertilization. If fertilization is successful, the female avoids male attention and incubates the eggs. Pregnancy lasts on average 24 days. The “interesting position” of the guppies can be judged by the rounded abdomen and the enlarging dark spot next to the anus. Towards the end of pregnancy, the tummy takes on a square shape and protrudes from the sides.

Pregnancy lasts on average 24 days

At this moment, the expectant mother is placed in a container with holes so that she does not eat her babies. The babies slip through these holes into the spawning area, but the female, due to her size, cannot reach them.

During one litter, guppies give birth to about 20-100 babies. Over the course of a lifetime, one female can produce up to 2,000 new fish.

Danio

A few days before mating, the formed pair of zebrafish must be well fed with protein food. To prevent the fish from wasting their strength, the pair is divided into different containers.

At this time, the spawning ground is prepared. Soil is placed on the bottom and covered with a mesh with mesh sizes through which parents cannot reach their offspring. They equip the spawning area with tall plants and let the water settle for several days. After all the manipulations, the couple is released into a container prepared for reproduction.

gold fish

Goldfish are ready to breed at the age of 2 years. When checking in, take into account that for one “lady” there should be 2-3 “gentlemen”. During one litter, the female releases about 3000 eggs.

When setting up a spawning ground, first of all the water is cleaned, settled and disinfected. A mesh is placed at the bottom of the container, lighting fixtures and a compressor are installed. The height of the water layer should be no more than 20 cm.

Goldfish are ready to breed at the age of 2 years

sword bearer

Swordtails, like guppies, are viviparous and are fertilized internally. They reach sexual maturity by six months of age. A month before fertilization, swordtails are fed nutritious protein food.

If necessary (in case of a lack of one or another sex in the flock), swordtails are able to change sex to the opposite.

Incubation continues for 1-1.5 months, after which the female is placed in the spawning area to give birth. the container must be at least 25 liters; small-leaved vegetation is placed on its bottom. After successful delivery, the female is returned to the general aquarium.

Neon

Neons are tiny creatures that breed in soft, clean water. Avoid bright lighting in the spawning area.

A female neon lays about 200 eggs at a time. After birth, it is removed and the spawning area is shaded. The babies hatch within 1-2 days.

Neon babies hatch within 1-2 days

Cockerel

When choosing an alliance, take into account that the partners must be the same size. To successfully reproduce, they need time to get used to. Cockerels are ready for breeding at one year of age.

The pair is placed in a spawning tank with a partition so that habituation is gradual. a container with a volume of 50 liters is filled no more than 15 cm with clean, settled water. Tall and small-leaved plants that reach the surface of the water are planted in it, because cockerels are labyrinthine fish and they need to build a bubble nest. After giving birth, the female is resettled, and the caring father cockerel remains in the spawning area and protects his offspring.

Angelfish

Heat-loving angelfish form a strong pair for procreation. To induce them to mate, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature in the tank at 27 degrees and feed the future parents with high-protein live food. As a rule, angelfish do not require a separate spawning tank; they lay eggs in a common tank. Up to 800 eggs can be laid at one time.

Heat-loving angelfish form a strong pair for procreation

Catfish (aquarium)

In species aquariums, relocation of catfish to a separate area for spawning is not required. If other representatives of the fauna are adjacent to the catfish, then they are transplanted into a separate tank with a volume of at least 30 liters. The bottom of the spawning area is covered with soft moss and abundantly planted with vegetation.

For breeding to be successful, one female must have 3-4 partners.

What you will need

In order to successfully breed fish and not encounter problems in this entertaining activity, you first need to purchase a certain list of necessary items. And this list is not limited only to fish and an aquarium, because caring for pets will require many more devices with which you can provide comfortable living conditions for aquatic inhabitants.

Did you know? Goldfish have a real “girlish memory”! And it lasts only 3 seconds, after which the fish completely forgets everything.

Such auxiliary equipment includes:

• filter for water purification;
• heater to maintain a comfortable temperature for the fish;
• tube fluorescent lighting;
• equipment for saturating water with oxygen (aerator or compressor);
• thermometer;
• a lid to cover the “glass box”;
• equipment for caring for the aquarium and fish - bucket, sponge, scraper, net;
• decorative devices - plants, soil, driftwood, decorative “dwellings”: castles, shells, stone structures;

• background for the back wall;
• and, of course, a cabinet on which your “house” for fish will be located.

Let’s take a closer look at what exactly a beginner needs to breed fish in an aquarium, how to make the right purchases and choose the ideal conditions for your scaly pets.

Fish

In order to successfully start breeding fish, you need to remember that not all of them are suitable for a beginner. Many scaly creatures are quite picky about their habitat and lighting, others are demanding of their surroundings and cannot get along with every species, and still others feed only on certain specific food.

Some fish can be difficult to breed and are not suitable for beginners:

• large species that require a lot of space, more than 100 liters - for example, astronotus, which grows quickly and reaches 30 cm, or pterygoplicht, which also reaches quite large sizes and needs an aquarium of at least 200 liters;
• aggressive species - African cichlids, very beautiful, but kill their neighbors, or the axolotl, which is not really a fish, but has an unusual appearance, however, it can eat all the other fish in the aquarium;
• species that require complex care? - discus, very demanding of conditions, glass catfish, loving darkness and often getting sick, or otocinclus, very demanding of nutrition.

But no problem! After all, there are many very cute fish that are very easy to care for, they do not require specific conditions and are quite unpretentious. These types suitable for beginners include :

• guppies are an excellent option for a beginner, especially if a child asks to have fish. It is best to choose simple breeds that have not been bred by selective breeding, since selected species often suffer from reduced immunity. Simple species are very unpretentious and easy to breed. Cute appearance, small size, allowing up to seven individuals to be placed in a small 30-liter aquarium, and ease of care make guppies one of the most popular aquarium pets;

• swordtails , platies and molly - these fish, although very different in appearance, are extremely similar in caring for them. They eat whatever is given, do not tend to hide from view and always ask for attention. Their males and females, like guppies, need to be kept together. In addition, like guppies, they are also viviparous, which greatly facilitates the care of their offspring - the fry are immediately born capable of independent life: they swim, eat, hide;

• gourami - the only difficulty with this pet is its rather large size, which is why adult individuals require an aquarium of at least 80 liters. Otherwise, these scaly animals are unpretentious in food and conditions, although sometimes males can fight among themselves;

• mollies - especially black ones. It is less demanding than other species, does not need a very large aquarium and needs less algae and plant components in its diet;

• Bettas - these fish belong to the fighting species. They are perfect for a small aquarium and for keeping alone. And all because these scaly ones are fighters! They often beat not only other males, but also females, so it is better to keep only one fish, because it is completely unpretentious in care;

Zebrafish and ternetsia will be excellent neighbors for bettas. Males are strictly not compatible with barbs, astronotuses and discus!

• Tetras are very bright, beautiful and small “tailed animals” that have a peaceful nature. Their small size allows them to be kept in flocks. Their unpretentiousness to their habitat makes it possible for them to feel good even in an established and slightly neglected aquarium;

• Danios are schooling animals, small and graceful. They live in groups of up to six individuals. They are omnivores and very active, they can even jump out of the water, so it is better to cover their “glass house” with something.

Did you know? The record-breaking old-timer among aquarium fish is a goldfish named Fred, who lived for 41 years.

Aquarium

Selecting the right aquarium largely depends on what kind of “residents” you will keep in it. But there are several basic rules and prohibitions regarding the “glass house”:

• Everyone's favorite little round goldfish tank is a veritable torture chamber. The whole point is that in the process of life, fish release ammonia into the water, which is successfully neutralized by plants. If there are no plants, then ammonia accumulates in the water and poisons the fish, from which it will soon die. And round aquariums are usually very small and do not imply the cultivation of plant flora inside them, which is so necessary for scaly ones;

• the secret of a stable and fish-friendly microflora lies in the size of the aquarium - the larger it is, the easier it is to maintain the microflora in it and the easier it is to care for. If you do not yet want or cannot afford a large aquarium of 200-250 liters, then first take at least 60 liters, or better yet, 100-170 liters. The volume is not very large, but it allows you to comfortably accommodate “tenants”, create a plant “park” and even create a composition with a perspective. The fish will be comfortable and spacious there, and the plant flora, which can be easily grown, will effectively purify the water from fish waste products;

In the aquarium you can keep: crabs, red-eared turtles, trionics turtles, newts and snakeheads.

• As for the aspect ratio of the aquarium, the most fish-capacious is considered to be one in which the height and width (sometimes called depth) do not have much difference. This “box” is suitable for schooling fish or large individuals. The higher the aquarium and the narrower its depth, the fewer fish will fit in it. In addition, a narrow screen aquarium is quite unstable, has no perspective and is difficult not only for cleaning work, but also has poor water aeration. An aquarium that is too high, exceeding 60 cm, is also problematic, since the lighting cannot reach the bottom. The optimal ratio of width to height is 2 to 3;

• aquarium shape. It comes in round, rectangular and angular. I would like to say right away that the round shape is found only in small “cans” and is not entirely suitable for fish farming. The angular shape, rather, looks beautiful as part of the interior, but does not allow you to view the underwater world from all angles. But the rectangular shape is convenient if you want to create an underwater “jungle” and a panoramic view of every corner of the aquarium is important to you. Panoramic glass (slightly curved), unlike hexagonal glass, allows you to view aquatic inhabitants and flora without interference. Hexagonal glass, on the contrary, distorts perspective.

Important! Of course, you can take a small aquarium, only 20-50 liters, but be prepared for the fact that it may not be possible to stabilize its microflora right away, and the fish may die.

Optional equipment

Any aquarium needs additional equipment that will help purify the water, aerate it, illuminate the underwater world, maintain and measure temperature.

A filter is the first thing any aquarium needs. The filter should work constantly, without turning off. And all because a couple of weeks after moving in, colonies of bacteria beneficial for fish settle inside the filter, which contribute to the biological filtration of water. But these bacteria need a constant flow of oxygen, which the filter provides them with.

We advise you to learn how to choose the right filter for your aquarium.

If you turn it off even for a short time, the bacteria will die, and their place will be taken by harmful anaerobic bacteria, the waste products of which are hydrogen sulfide and methane.

It is best to take an internal filter, although there are also external ones. But, if you are a beginner, take the first one. The most important thing is that each filter is designed for a certain amount of water. And under no circumstances should you take one that costs less than what you will have in your aquarium. It is advisable to take a filter designed for even a slightly larger amount of water, for example, 50 liters more than your container.

One of the main criteria for keeping fish is optimal water hardness and temperature conditions.

A heater is necessary to ensure that the aquarium has exactly the temperature that your pets and plants need. Heaters are also designed for a certain volume of the aquarium, so choose one specifically for yours. A thermometer attached to the inside wall of the container will help monitor the heat level of the water.

Lighting is most often equipped with fluorescent lamps. In order for the flora to take root and grow well, the light must be very bright. The acceptable minimum is 0.6W per 1 liter, but it is best to take the brightness from 0.9 to 1W per 1 liter.

The length of daylight hours for fish is important. It should be the same. Therefore, in order to avoid mistakes and remember to turn off the lights when necessary, purchase a special timer that will control the switching on and off of the lamps.

a compressor immediately after purchase. Wait a couple of weeks until the bacterial microflora inside the underwater world has stabilized, and only then install the aerator.

As for the lid , it is advisable to buy an aquarium that comes with it. This will solve several problems at once - it has built-in lighting, there is a window for feeding the fish, and it will prevent them from jumping out of the water or getting into various objects.

background for the back wall , rather than a motley picture, which most often looks cheap and spoils the overall perception of the interior design.

If you get tired of seeing your own curtain or wall shining through the water column of the aquarium, you can get rid of this using the background of the aquarium.

The cabinet for the “glass box” can be purchased separately, but an excellent option would be the one where everything is included - an aquarium that immediately comes with a lid and cabinet. Then you will not have problems with design and size matching.

Number of offspring

The number of offspring depends on the phenotype, as well as on the living conditions of the fish. At one time, several dozen or several thousand young specimens can be born. For example, spawning creatures lay a huge number of eggs. Nature takes into account the fact that most of them will not be fertilized by milk, and some of the offspring will be eaten by their parents. Viviparous fish are less fertile because they carry their eggs inside their body. The fewer offspring are born, the more careful care parents show for their future babies.

The number of offspring depends on the phenotype, as well as on the living conditions of the fish

What are the best fish to breed?

If you decide to start an aquarium business, then use several useful recommendations:

1. First of all, it is necessary to analyze supply and demand in pet stores, markets, as well as advertisements in your city. Find out which types of fish are in greatest demand, and also find out which breeds are quite difficult to purchase.
2. It is advisable to abandon the selection of the most famous and widespread fish species. Of course, breeding them is the easiest, but selling them will be more difficult. After all, for example, goldfish can be found almost everywhere, not only in pet stores, but also in the homes of aquarists.
3. We also recommend that you avoid breeding very rare and little-studied fish, since it will be very difficult to find a buyer for such pets.
4. It is not advisable to choose imported fish (for example, whose habitat is in the coastal brackish waters of Asia, India and Australia). This is due to the fact that it is extremely difficult to get offspring from them.

According to the owners of such a business, breeding aquarium fish as a business will be profitable if you choose the following types:

— Barbus Denisoni (its cost ranges from 500 to 1500 rubles).

— Synodontis Petrichola (they can be sold at a price from 200 to 500 rubles).

— Knife-read (it sells for 800 rubles).

If you still decide to give preference to common species, then it makes sense to go after the same goldfish or parrot cichlid.

How to create conditions for reproduction and the necessary equipment

To breed fish at home, you will need not only a spawning tank, but also equipment:

• Filters for water purification. This can be either mechanical, chemical or biological treatment.
• Compressors. They are selected individually based on the phenotype requirements.
• Lighting. The intensity also depends on the individual characteristics of the pets.
• Heater and thermometer to maintain and control temperature levels.
• Automated feeding systems.

The aquarium must have a thermometer to monitor the temperature level

Rule two - aquarium care

Aquarium keeping is a very delicate matter. If you are purchasing aquariums for beginners, then it is best to focus on their equipment and only then think about launching. After all, everything requires maintenance and care, and the aquarium is no exception to the rule. In a new aquarium, the water does not need to be changed immediately, but only after several months. And the basic rules for caring for an artificial pond are replacing the water, but only partially. You also need to watch for algae. Don’t forget to change the filter and clean the soil. Don't forget to check your thermometer as well. And remember, you need to disturb the aquatic inhabitants as little as possible. Fish don't like this.

Possible problems

Breeding aquarium fish at home often ends in failure, especially for novice aquarists. To get the long-awaited offspring, you need to know about the possible problems that await the owner.

Overpopulation

It may happen that more fry are born than originally planned. The higher the number of young animals, the more labor is required to care for them. As they grow, they need to be housed either in different containers or provided with a larger tank. Otherwise, the young fish will begin to suffer from relocation. Oxygen deficiency, excess nitrogen and water contaminated with waste products will lead to pets growing poorly and having health problems.

The higher the number of young animals, the more labor is required to care for them

Display of aggression

Many males are ardent defenders of their territory. For example, Siamese fish and cichlids, when they reach maturity, begin to show aggression, start fights, and injure each other. Therefore, as soon as distinguishable sexual characteristics appear, male territorial fish are separated.

Population degeneration

In species aquariums, the problem of phenotypic degeneration often arises. The fact is that generations that appeared from the same ancestors are related. Mating between them leads to a deterioration in the appearance and viability of the fry. Each new generation should be separated into different tanks.

The same applies to closely related species. By crossing, they form mutating offspring that have pathologies and deviations.

Each new generation should be separated into different tanks

Death of the fry

Improper nutrition often leads to the death of fry. It should be remembered that the food must be finely chopped, otherwise the fish will not be able to eat it and will die of hunger. To make sure that the young animals are eating, you can examine the abdomen of one of their specimens under a magnifying glass. If food remains are clearly visible in it, then everything is fine with feeding. If your tummy is empty, you should be more careful about feeding.

It is necessary to monitor the purity of the water, in which not only food remains decompose, but also the excrement of residents. Insufficiently purified liquid may contain dangerous poisons that cause the death of small underwater inhabitants.

Lack of offspring

Sometimes fish do not reproduce even under ideal conditions. This can be caused by damaged gonopodiums in males or older fish that are no longer able to reproduce. In this case, the male is replaced with a younger one.

Not only the male can be the reason for the lack of offspring, but also an elderly female can lay infertile eggs. This can be understood by the whitish coating, indicating the spread of fungus. This can also be caused by inappropriate water parameters such as hardness and temperature.

An older female may spawn infertile eggs.

How to care for offspring

In different breeds, caviar is formed at different times. For some, it takes up to 20-36 hours to ripen, while for other representatives, the caviar matures in about 10 days.

The fry that are born are completely defenseless. They cannot withstand other fish or external factors. Many beginners simply do not notice the newborn translucent fry in the aquarium and throw away the water with the offspring.

In spawning fish, the larvae may attach to plants or decorations after hatching. They try to protect themselves as much as possible from other fish, hiding in secluded places. The larvae of spawning fish do not need to be fed.

After the yolk sac, in which the larvae initially live, is emptied, the offspring becomes more independent. They are already beginning to feed on substances in the water. The fry need to be given food after they have adapted to the aquatic environment.

If there is a lack of food, the fry will die, so you need to carefully monitor the behavior of the offspring so as not to miss the moment of their growth and need for food. A hungry fry will die within two to three hours.

Fry should not be given food intended for adults. They are given pond dust with nutrients. Food is given in portions, one time at a time. As the fry grow, their diet changes. Gradually they are supplemented with food for adult fish.

The tank with fry must be cleaned regularly and the temperature must be monitored. Turbid water will lead to the death of offspring. There must be a compressor in the tank with the fry. Water changes are done daily. The filter is installed only after the fry grow up, when they can withstand the flow.

Feeding and caring for offspring

As soon as a new generation is born from eggs, even the most caring parent fish leave their young. All care for the young falls on the shoulders of the owner.

The fry are kept in the same container in which they were born. If this happened in a common aquarium, then they are caught and moved to a separate tank so that they do not become an object of food interest.

Ideally, the first food for babies should be single-celled organisms, such as ciliates. However, not everyone has this opportunity. Therefore, they begin to feed them with specialized dry food ground into flour or with brine shrimp and daphnia ground into dust. Meal frequency: 2-4 times a day.

The first food for babies should be liquid. The ground food is mixed with water and dropped drop by drop onto the surface of the water, evenly distributed over the entire area so that all the kids get it.

As the young grow, they are moved to a larger container, separating them by size and gender. You should not allow both large and small specimens to be in the same jar, otherwise the latter may become live food for the taller ones.

Breeding fish at home is a labor-intensive process that is worth the effort of the aquarist. If you follow the rules and recommendations, your pets will definitely delight you with a large flock of young offspring. In addition, fish breeding, if desired, can not only be an exciting hobby, but also grow into a profitable business.

Have you bred fish in your home aquarium? How difficult did you find this whole process? Share your opinions in the comments.

Aquarium from scratch: step-by-step instructions

Before introducing the fish into their new home, it is necessary to carry out preliminary preparation, which includes several stages. Let's look at step-by-step instructions for starting an aquarium from scratch for the first time.

Checking and preparing the aquarium

So you have decided on the choice of container for keeping fish. The aquarium is in your home and ready for use. All necessary equipment has also been purchased.

First, decide on the place in the apartment where your underwater world will be located. If you purchased the container immediately with the cabinet, then many problems have already been solved. If not, then take care of the reliability of the place where it will stand.

The surface of the cabinet must be perfectly flat, otherwise the bottom of the aquarium will begin to sag over time due to uneven surfaces and may crack. To prevent this, place a rubberized covering under the container, for example, a rubber mat or oilcloth.

Try to choose a place that is not too close to the window, otherwise when airing the water may cool down too much, and a large amount of sunlight will cause it to bloom. Also avoid close contact with radiators and heating devices, otherwise the water will overheat.

Important! The weight of a 100-liter aquarium with soil and plants can reach 150 kg, so the cabinet must be strong and reliable.

Connect the electrical network to the “glass box”. Count on four outlet sockets, which is usually what is needed to power all the extra equipment.

Preparing the aquarium itself involves several steps:

• container needs to be cleaned. Soda, bleach or any other household disinfectant is quite suitable for this. The main thing is that the product is washed off well with running water. Make sure that there are no product residues left inside the container;
• Place the “jar” on the cabinet, install the lid with the lamps, check that the lighting is working properly. Of course, you will only start turning on the lights in a couple of weeks, but you need to make sure that everything is working properly now, otherwise it will be very difficult to move the aquarium later;
• check all equipment - it must work properly;
• When using a bottom water heater, install it now first;
• Place the soil in the container. Its layer should be at least three centimeters if you are going to plant plants in it;

• set the decorations, create the desired design;
• install a filter, compressor and thermometer;
• Gradually fill the container with water. To avoid soil erosion, place a saucer on the bottom and slowly pour onto it. You can use tap water, but if you have a friend with an aquarium, then ask him for aquarium water - it is much more fish-friendly, but it should be more than half of it. You can also use an old filter that contains microflora with bacteria. But you must be sure of the purity and reliability of the borrowed water and filter;
• After you have filled in the water, you can turn on the appliances: aerator, thermostat and filter. It is better to immediately set the latter to medium power. Set the temperature required for your type of fish;
• a few days later, after the water has settled, you can plant the plants;
• the fish start much later - after 2-3 weeks. Don't rush into this, otherwise the environment will be unfavorable for them for now and they may suffer.

Soil preparation

Before you add soil to the aquarium, you need to prepare it. It's one thing if you buy it in a store. In this case, just rinse it with running water.

But if you use river soil, then it needs to be prepared:

• First, check the soil for safety. To do this, just drop some household acid of any kind, for example, vinegar essence, onto a couple of pebbles. If the liquid foams, this soil is not suitable for use, but if there is no reaction, then we can assume that it is safe;
• it is necessary to thoroughly rinse the soil under running water;
• Boil it for a long time;
• Now your soil is ready to lay.

Important! When using fertilized soil, it should be laid as a bottom layer, and regular soil should be poured on top.

Pebbles and gravel of any size can simply be boiled for an hour in slightly salted water. But for sand this is not enough. It must be heated in a frying pan for half an hour and sifted through a fine sieve to remove large excess particles.

Setting up a fish house

In their natural habitat, many fish like to hide in peculiar houses. Therefore, it is advisable that they have a place in your aquarium where they can hide from view. To build a shelter, you can use driftwood, stones and store decorations - various castles, waterfalls and other mini-structures. In any case, no matter how the decorations came into your home, either from the bottom of the pond or from a store shelf, they still must undergo pre-treatment before being immersed in an aquarium tank.

Jewelry from the store - and this can be not only locks, but also the same driftwood with stones - has already been pre-treated, cleaned of pests and practically does not require treatment at home. It is enough to rinse such decorations thoroughly under running water and boil for 30-40 minutes. But you still have to tinker with stones and driftwood found independently in nature.

Stones for an aquarium can be natural, naturally processed (natural, processed in a store, for example, beautifully hewn or glued into some kind of structure) and artificial (for example, made of glass - the most inexpensive and attractive option).

The stones you find in nature should be as safe as possible. This means that their place of origin matters, because very toxic specimens can be found near mines and quarries for the extraction of any ore.

Important! The use of any ore to decorate an aquarium, even the most beautiful one, is strictly unacceptable due to its high toxicity to fish!

Also, you should not put stones in the container that have a very bright color, unnatural rusty or metal stains, or that have a clear characteristic odor. All this speaks of dangerous impurities.

You should not decorate the underwater world with limestone stones, too large pebbles with damage and chips. In general, you should not place stones with any damage or cracks, especially those that crumble easily. Heavy stones are also undesirable, since their considerable weight can lead to cracks in the glass.

Here are some decoration stones that can be used to create a beautiful composition and please the fish by simulating their natural habitat:

• stones found near places where stone is mined for making statues, tombstones and for construction;
• quartz, which are distinguished by the presence of transparent and whitish veins and inclusions;
• round, uniform, monochromatic.

Before placing stones of natural origin on the bottom of the aquarium, it is necessary to pre-treat :

• Rinse each pebble thoroughly under running water. But under no circumstances use any detergents;
• remove any contaminants on the surface, not only dirt, but especially lichens, mold, moss;
• Pay special attention to cracks, where the largest amount of dirt usually accumulates. Clean problem areas, for example, with a toothbrush;
• Boil the stones in water for about an hour and a half or heat them in a frying pan for at least a quarter of an hour.

After completing the steps, the stones are already ready for immersion; all that remains is to cool them.
Did you know? Schindleria prematurus boasts the smallest size among fish. This tiny fish weighs no more than 2 mg. If you put one in an aquarium, you won’t even be able to see it!

As for driftwood, they are also subject to mandatory processing - both those you found yourself and those bought in a store.

Preparation of driftwood is as follows:

• If the driftwood was purchased in a store, then it does not need to be boiled. However, it must be placed in salt water for some time. It is best if the wood is soaked for at least a week, but the longer the better. Salt from water kills all microorganisms remaining in the wood. In addition, due to the fact that wood sometimes stains water, prolonged soaking only helps ensure that the water in the aquarium is already clean;
• natural driftwood is subject to more painstaking processing. First, make sure you are using hardwood. Do not use softwood as it is very soft and resinous. It is best to use driftwood made from oak, willow, grapevine, beech, apple, alder and plum. The wood of these trees has hard qualities and a small amount of resins;
• rinse the driftwood under running water, thoroughly cleaning every crack and crevice of dirt, moss and insects;
• soak the wood in salted water for at least one week;
• Boil the driftwood in salt water for 6-8 hours. The wood container must be so large that the water completely covers each protrusion on the driftwood, otherwise microorganisms will remain in places that have not been heat treated;
• remove the bark, otherwise it will color the water in the aquarium in the future and will gradually fall off;
• After cooking, do not rush to immerse the wood directly into the aquarium, but make sure that it no longer stains the water. To do this, leave the “decoration” to lie in salt water for another couple of days. If the water is very colored, then continue to soak the driftwood, but if the coloring is very slight, then you can safely immerse it in the bottom of the aquarium.

Soaking in salt water not only kills bacteria and microorganisms, but also helps preserve the wood.
When all the preparatory work is completed, and you have already made a sketch of the landscape that you want to see in your underwater world, it’s time to sink all this splendor to the bottom.

Did you know? By observing the inhabitants of your aquarium, you can easily determine the atmospheric pressure: for example, at low levels, the fish eat poorly, rise to the surface of the water and often gasp for air. This is due to the fact that at low pressure, pets do not have enough air due to a decrease in the solubility of gases in water.

A few rules to make the aqua composition look organic:

• do not overload the space with massive piles;
• use a plain dark background;
• create a sense of perspective by layering the soil;
• It is possible to use ready-made scenery in the form of castles and sunken ships, but now all this is becoming a thing of the past. Objects that are natural for natural bodies of water – driftwood and stones – look most organic;
• combine decorations with plant flora containing plants of different types, from small creeping ones to large-leaved ones (the latter should be much smaller than the former to avoid a cluttering effect);
• and, most importantly, that you like the constructed composition.

Decorating and planting

The step-by-step instructions for starting an aquarium with plants is that it requires following a certain sequence:

• It is best to purchase aquarium plants in a store, since our natural ones are often unsuitable for living in the house;
• all plants must be cleaned of any contaminants under running water;
• disinfect with a weak solution of potassium permanganate (2 percent manganese per 1 liter of water). Keep the plants in this water for about 10 minutes;

• rinse again under running water;
• shorten too long roots;

Check out the TOP 10 plants that are used in the aquarium.

• you can leave the plants for four days in a jar of water, where during this time they will have time to create their own microflora, and only then transplant them into the aquarium;
• Do not place the plants too closely in the aquarium container, as they can grow significantly larger during the growth process and interfere with each other;
• place the roots in the soil so that the soil completely covers them, but does not lie too tightly, so that the roots are freely washed by water, but the growth bud should be on the surface of the soil;
• place large plants behind so that they do not block the view and create a sense of perspective;

• place medium-sized plants in the middle and on the sides;
• Plant low-growing plants in the center front.

Important! Maintain the correct ratio of plants and fish: there should be more flora than fauna, and the more, the better for scaly ones.

Filling with water

Before you pour water into the aquarium, it also needs to be prepared. Ordinary tap water is absolutely not suitable, as it contains huge amounts of chlorine and harmful metals. Therefore, it must first be left for 4-5 days. During this time, the water will also warm up to room temperature.

The best option is to use aquarium water. You can get it from a friend who is an aquarist, if you have one. The amount of such water should be 2/3 of the total volume. But, if you are not sure of the purity and quality of the water, it is better not to take risks, otherwise you may end up with harmful bacteria for your tailed pets.

The undoubted advantage of aquarium water is that it already contains a unique and necessary microflora for fish. But if you don’t have one, it doesn’t matter, you can use running water that has been settled in advance.

You need to pour water into the container immediately after laying the soil. The issue of planting plants in this case is quite ambiguous.

Firstly, you can add water in portions, planting plants in levels. First the low, squat ones, then the taller ones, and finally the large, distant and floating ones. Moreover, each stage of planting is accompanied by pouring water so that it lightly covers the new planted plant species.

And, secondly, you can simply fill in all the water at once. However, in this case it will have to be allowed to settle, which will take half a week.

Starting the system

When all the components for the underwater world are prepared and ready for installation, let's figure out how to properly launch the aquarium:

• on the first day we install a cleaned container, attach all the devices (filter, compressor, thermometer, heater), fill in the soil, install decorations (locks, stones, snags), it is possible to plant plants now (but better later, on the fourth or seventh day), and we leave the aquarium to settle for several days, while turning on the light for no more than 5-6 hours;
• From the fourth to the seventh day we plant the plants, if you did not do this on the first day. We turn on the light for 5-7 hours a day;
• on the tenth day you can already rinse the filter with aquarium water, but outside the container. The light can be turned on for approximately 10 hours. You can also introduce the first unpretentious fish (for example, zebrafish or gourami), but you need to feed them a little, no more than once a day and in a small portion;
• from the fourteenth day you can begin to fully feed the fish;
• from the twentieth day the aquarium can be considered to be functioning. You can already launch more fastidious fish if you planned. It is necessary to replace about 20% of the water and rinse the glass, as well as rinse the filter with aquarium water.

After this, every week you need to rinse the filter with aquarium water, if it does not work effectively, and replace a little less than half of the water.
But every two weeks you need to clean the soil using a siphon and wash the glass. Did you know? Fish can even be “trained”. Of course, this is not real training, but it is possible to develop a conditioned reflex. For example, if you knock on the glass with your finger for several weeks before feeding, then over time the fish will begin to swim just to the knock in anticipation of food.

Settlement of fish

Now we already know how to prepare an aquarium for stocking with fish - the container is filled with water, soil is filled, plants are planted and about 10 days have already passed. So you can also stock fish. Let's figure out how to properly launch them into a new home:

• first test the water for hardness;
• to improve and accelerate the formation of microflora, you can add a special product with bacteria to the water, which is sold in pet stores;
• populate the fish gradually - first the most unpretentious ones and in the amount of a couple of pieces, then gradually add roommates;
• since fish are usually sold in bags filled with water, you need to transport them home very carefully;
• dim the light in the container before moving in so that the new tenant is not alarmed by the bright light;
• lower the bag into aquarium water for a quarter of an hour so that the water inside and outside becomes the same temperature;
• Carefully open the bag and scoop some aquarium water into it;
• after a minute, carefully turn the bag over and release the fish into the aquarium;
• leave the lights dim for 10 minutes to allow the new tenant to get used to it;
• Now the light can be turned on.

Remember that overfeeding is much worse for fish than underfeeding.
Especially in the first days after moving in. Don't try to feed the fish right away! Did you know? The established expression “Mute like a fish” is actually erroneous, since these scaly animals are not mute at all, but are capable of producing various sounds over a wide range.