The most important thing is temperature followed by water quality ~ it requires water to be trapped for at least a week! The temperature is at least 22 to 24 degrees.
Raising and management of tropical fish
Raising and management of tropical fish is a comprehensive work. It includes water use, feeding, insulation, etc. It requires mastering the living habits of different species of tropical fish and improving the living environment of tropical fish in a targeted manner.
1. Breeding equipment
In addition to aquariums and water filters, tropical fish breeding equipment also includes water circulation filtration equipment, heating equipment, oxygenation equipment, lighting equipment, and water pumping equipment. wait. For a single aquarium, a small circulating filter pump, a 100-200W heating pipe, a single-hole and double-hole air pump, a fluorescent lamp, a small submersible pump, etc. can be used. For multiple aquariums, the equipment is more complex. There are two types of circulating filtration equipment for tropical fish: in-box filters and out-of-box filters. Small aquariums mostly use in-box filters or low-power circulating filter pumps, and large aquariums mostly use out-of-box filters. Heating equipment for tropical fish includes various electric heating tubes with different powers, such as 100W, 200W, 500W, 1000W glass or stainless steel electric heating tubes with automatic temperature adjustment. The heating equipment for large fish houses uses heating and air conditioning delivered by the boiler room. , electric heating, etc.
Aeration equipment for tropical fish includes single-hole air pumps, double-hole air pumps, four-hole air pumps and turbine oxygenators. For a single aquarium, a single hole air pump is available. For multiple aquariums, a two-hole or four-hole air pump is available. Single-hole, double-hole or four-hole air pumps are made of plastic materials, and they use the movement of the rubber stopper to complete the oxygen flushing work in the water. After long-term use, the rubber stopper will crack or age and must be replaced in time. For raising tropical fish in a large area, a turbine oxygenator can be used. It is made of metal materials, has a low failure rate and has a long service life. In addition, auxiliary oxygenation equipment includes air stones, oxygen pipelines, etc.
The lighting equipment for tropical fish is mainly fluorescent lamps, in addition to halogen lamps, mercury lamps, etc. For the lighting of a single aquarium, underwater colored light can sometimes be used. It is a small, fully enclosed glass lamp that can be placed directly underwater and adsorbed on the wall of the glass tank. The lamp can emit different colors. Such as red, blue, green, white lights, the landscaping effect is better.
The water pumping equipment for tropical fish mostly uses low-power submersible pumps made of all plastic materials. It is small and light, with power sizes of 200W, 500W, 1000W, etc., and its head is 5-10 meters. When used, it can be It is adsorbed on the tank wall and can pump out all the water in the aquarium in a few minutes, which is safe and reliable.
2. Feeding
(1) Foraging habits:
The water temperature of tropical fish is generally controlled between 24-28℃. Within the temperature range, tropical fish have a strong appetite and grow rapidly. They are not affected by changes in external temperature and remain in a relatively stable state. The food for tropical fish includes fish worms, water worms, fiber worms, mealworms, small live fish, pellet feed, etc. There are many varieties of tropical fish, varying in size, so the bait selections for different species of tropical fish are also different. For tropical fish with a body length of 3-12 cm, the main food is turtles and worms, supplemented by water earthworms, red worms and yellow mealworms. For tropical fish with a body length of more than 12 cm, turtle worms are small in size and have poor palatability. Slightly larger baits should be selected, mainly including red worms, water earthworms, mealworms, small live fish, etc. Most tropical fish feed mainly on animal feed, and small species can also be domesticated to feed mainly on pellet feed. However, there are very few fish that feed mainly on plant feed.
(2) Frequency of feeding:
The amount of feeding for tropical fish should be determined according to the size and quantity of the fish. Tropical fish raised at home generally only need to be fed 1-2 times a day, and the amount of feed should be eaten within 5-10 minutes. When raising tropical fish in large quantities, feeding is required 2 to 3 times a day; for breeding fish, feeding is generally 3 to 4 times a day. Since tropical fish are small in size and have limited food intake, it is appropriate to feed 70-80% of the food each time. Increasing the number of feedings will help the turtles grow rapidly. Most species of tropical fish feed mainly on turtles and insects.
When the bait is mainly worms, the feeding amount should be controlled to be eaten within 10-30 minutes. When the feed is mainly water earthworms, the feeding amount should be controlled to be eaten within 5-10 minutes, and each person should feed 2-3 times. The water earthworms fed should be rinsed clean. When the bait is mainly small fish and shrimps, in principle, it should be fed more often and less frequently. When tropical fish are replaced with new bait, the amount of feed should be gradually increased from small to small. Before transporting tropical fish, bait should be stopped for 1 to 2 days.
3. Water
(1) Watering:
Watering refers to partial water change, which is a simple and effective method often used in raising tropical fish. Before adding water, turn off the heater, air pump, circulation filter pump and other electrical appliances in the aquarium, then use gauze to wipe off the moss on the glass or scenery on the walls of the aquarium, and wait for the water to stand for 15 seconds. After a few minutes, all suspended matter in the water will sink to the bottom of the tank, and use a rubber tube to gently suck out the dirt at the bottom. - Generally, the amount of water sucked out accounts for about 1/4 to 1/3 of the total water volume. Then slowly inject the prepared new water of the same temperature along the cylinder wall.
(2) Water change:
Water change refers to changing all the feeding water. It is the simplest and most effective way to change the water quality, but the workload of water change is relatively large, especially When the aquarium is small and has scenery, the process is complicated and cumbersome. Before changing the water, turn off the power to all small electrical appliances in the aquarium, take out all the fish and scenery, and drain the water. After the aquarium is rinsed, put all the scenery away and put in new water for later use.
The first choice for raising tropical fish is guppy
Guppy is a small tropical ornamental fish, generally 3 to 5 centimeters in length, with a petite body, agile and lively swimming, and beautiful body color. Colorful. It is mainly produced in Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana and the West Indies in South America. According to its different characteristics, it is divided into ordinary guppies, swallow-tailed guppies, long-tailed guppies, fiddle-tailed guppies and yellow guppies.
It should be said that among the many tropical ornamental fish species, guppy is not a noble fish species, neither in terms of its price nor its requirements for the surrounding living environment. However, it is popular because of its liveliness and Beautiful and well-loved. Especially the male fish is more beautiful. Its green-brown body is mixed with various colors of red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue and purple, just like a rainbow in the sky, so it also has a nice name - Rainbow fish. At the same time, because there are several small blue round spots on its abdomen, there are lighter-colored rings around the spots, which are very similar to the eye-shaped spots on a peacock's tail, so it is also known as "guppy fish".
Some fish buyers told reporters that the popularity of guppies is largely due to its gentle and lively temperament, which does not fight with other fish and is suitable for some non-aggressive fish. Polyculture; and it is not very selective about food. Egg yolks, steamed bun residues, etc. can be fed, but it is best to feed live bait such as fish worms, nematodes, etc. in artificial breeding; at the same time, it does not have high requirements for water quality and water temperature. , very easy to raise and survive.
Generally, purebred guppies are larger in size, with large and stretched tail fins and dorsal fins. Their colors are relatively pure, their characteristics are more distinctive, and their prices are higher. The quality of their strains is about 10 yuan per pair. It ranges from 50 yuan to 50 yuan; on the contrary, hybrids or degraded varieties are relatively cheap, and can usually be purchased for only a few yuan per pair. However, for those who are new to raising tropical fish, it is more cost-effective to buy hybrids and degraded species, because this way they can accumulate a lot of fish farming experience.
In addition, it is best to determine whether the purpose of buying fish is for viewing or breeding. If it is just for viewing, you can choose individuals with bright colors, long tail fins, and normal development of each fin; if you want to cultivate a good guppy species, it is best to choose young and energetic guppies, because although fully mature guppies The tail fin is large and the patterns are bright, but it is not suitable for breeding.
Generally speaking, the principles for choosing guppies are not much different from those for other fish. They only require that there are no abnormalities on the body surface, no wounds, no damage to the fins, no tightening of the fins, and no white spots on the fins. Growths such as hairs and white spots, a desire to eat, quick reactions, and it is best to choose individuals that are not injured or dead in the entire tank.
However, one of the key points when purchasing guppies is the selection of male guppies. You should try to choose males that are larger in size, have larger and stretched tail fins, and are active swimmers. Generally buy guppies that are two to three months old.
In addition, when buying guppies, don’t forget to buy an aquarium. It is best to keep the aquarium for guppies not too big, usually 60 centimeters long, 30 centimeters wide and 40 centimeters high. You should also test the water before purchasing to make sure there are no leaks before purchasing.
After selecting guppies, the next step is the issue of bait. Guppies do not have high requirements for feed. Generally, water fleas, water worms or compound pellet feed can be used.
The "forbidden zone" of raising tropical fish for the first time
After the fish you just bought get used to the new environment, you can start feeding. Generally, after putting the fish in the water tank for half a day, if you find When the fish begins to peck at the sand on the wall or bottom of the tank, it means that feeding is ready. Some fish refuse to eat when the environment changes. Therefore, you need to feed the fish the feed they like. You can feed artificial feed and living feed in a balanced manner. Pay attention to the portion and avoid leftover residue, as the residue will rot and damage the water quality.
Several reasons leading to illness and death of tropical fish:
1. Dramatic changes in water temperature - the optimal temperature for tropical fish survival is 25°C, but the temperature requirements of different species vary. There are differences, some want to be as high as about 30℃, and some prefer 20℃. Therefore, on average, 25°C is a generally acceptable temperature. In addition, drastic changes in water temperature must be avoided. The generally allowed temperature range is 2 degrees.
2. The stocking density is too high - many people see that aquariums can put many cute fish in one In fish tanks, so many fish are kept in fish tanks at home. With this method of raising, no matter what kind of fish they are, they will die. If you are raising many different types of fish, you must consider the suitable space for each fish and reduce the number of fish. Regardless of the species, having too many small fish in the tank is never a good thing. The principle of raising tropical fish is very similar to that of raising goldfish. The water surface is required to be relatively wide and in a normal proportion to the number of fish to ensure that the tropical fish have sufficient oxygen supply.
3. Types of feed—The feeding habits of tropical fish vary by species and can be roughly divided into three categories: animal, plant, and omnivorous. Therefore, we must understand the type of fish in the tank, what kind of food they like to eat, and keep them in different categories.
4. Diseases - There are many reasons why tropical fish get sick, including infection from diseased fish bought, white spot disease caused by too low temperature, and water quality deterioration due to food decay or fish feces decomposition. Caused by etc.
Newly purchased tropical fish often carry germs or parasites. Because the disease is mild and there are no obvious symptoms yet, it is not easy to detect when purchasing. If you put it directly into the fish tank without drug treatment, it will quickly dissipate. It may take 2-3 days, or it may occur in 1 to 2 weeks, or even cause death. Even if the newly purchased tropical fish is healthy, the fish may be injured and cause bacterial infection through catching and transportation. Therefore, disease prevention and disinfection of newly purchased tropical fish is a very important task.
There are two commonly used anti-disease and disinfection drugs. The first is table salt. Table salt is relatively safe, effective and conveniently sourced. Add 100-300 grams per 10 kilograms of water to prepare a 1-3 concentration of salt water. Disinfect for about 5-20 minutes. The length of the bath depends on the water temperature. It can kill most germs and parasites.
The second type is potassium permanganate, which can be added directly to the fish tank. The dosage concentration is 0.03 grams of potassium permanganate for 10 kilograms of water. It is inconvenient to weigh 0.03 grams of potassium permanganate. Therefore, first weigh 1 gram of potassium permanganate and fully dissolve it in 1 kilogram of water, that is, prepare a solution with a concentration of one thousandth, store it in a Coca-Cola bottle for later use, and then use a straw or syringe to absorb 30 ml of potassium permanganate. The solution is added to 10 kg of water, and the water is changed 24 hours after administration. However, please note that for small tropical fish. Potassium permanganate is highly toxic. After using the drug, you should pay attention to the activity status of tropical fish. If any abnormalities are found, rescue them immediately, that is, change a large amount of water or fish out the tropical fish.
The accumulation of organic matter such as residual bait and excrement in the fish tank will cause the deterioration of water quality. Organic matter exists in two forms in water bodies. One is granular solid organic matter that has not been dissolved, and the other is organic matter that has been dissolved in water. Dissolved organic matter will become toxic ammonia nitrogen and nitrite when decomposed by bacteria. If a sufficient number of beneficial bacteria (such as nitrifying bacteria) grow in the water body, the toxic ammonia nitrogen and nitrite will be decomposed into non-toxic substances ( nitrate). Therefore, water purification has two purposes: ① Filter and discard undissolved solid organic matter; ② Cultivate a sufficient number of nitrifying bacteria to decompose toxic ammonia nitrogen and nitrite in the water body.
There are two specific treatment methods:
The first is to use water treatment recycling equipment. Large and medium-sized fish tanks use circulating filtration equipment, and small fish tanks can use biochemical cotton. There are many types of commercialized water treatment circulation filtration equipment, including built-in type, external type, etc. You can also make your own. The general structure consists of three parts. ① A cylindrical shell made of stainless steel or plastic; ② Put filter cotton, quartz sand, plastic biochemical balls or biochemical ceramic rings in the cylinder; ③ Small water pumps and pipes. The function of filter cotton and quartz sand is to intercept large particles of organic matter in the water body, so they often need to be cleaned.
The role of biochemical balls and ceramic rings is to serve as a carrier for cultivating beneficial bacteria. In professional terms, it is to cultivate biofilms. It mainly cultivates a sufficient number of beneficial bacteria and removes toxic ammonia nitrogen and nitrates in the water body. Nitrates break down into non-toxic nitrates.
Small fish tanks can be equipped with 1-2 pieces of biochemical cotton and an air pump. Biochemical cotton has the functions of filtering solid organic matter and cultivating bacteria.
The second is to add beneficial bacteria regularly. There are many types of beneficial bacteria, common ones include photosynthetic bacteria, nitrifying bacteria, Bacillus, etc. Most of the products sold on the market are compound bacteria. For example, a product called EM produced in Japan consists of more than 80 strains of bacteria in four categories.
Some people have done experiments and regularly added beneficial bacteria, so that the water in the fish tank can not be changed for a year
Some necessary conditions for raising tropical fish
1. Water
1. Water quality
All water in nature contains more or less different chemical compositions. Some chemicals will directly affect the growth and survival of fish. Tropical fish have different effects on water. The requirements are relatively high. Tap water, river water, well water, lake water, etc. can be used to directly raise goldfish, but they cannot be used to directly raise tropical fish, otherwise the fish will get sick and even die.
The so-called water quality mainly refers to the hardness and pH of water.
The hardness of water is determined by the content of calcium, magnesium, and iron salts in the water. It is divided into hard water, soft water and neutral water. Well water and spring water are mostly hard water; tap water and river water are mostly neutral water; rainwater is soft water. Neutral water should be used to raise tropical fish. However, although the pH of tap water in cities basically meets the requirements for tropical fish life, because water plants often add some chemical disinfectants and purifiers when treating water, this water often contains ⒘ health Mu Rao? Tu Wan Mou Sha Zheng? Mei Chim? Trance Guo Guo? Write? Hate? S Mi罴軻サMO旆ňfaded sled dog ǎ? Lip? Su pancreatic barrier law?/spangt; 2~3 days, or It needs to be dried in a cool and dark place for a week before use.
2. Change the water
Fish must continue to metabolize and excrete feces during their survival. The food fed to fish is also constantly oxidized and decayed, which will affect the water quality, so The water in the fish tank should be changed frequently and timely to keep the water quality fresh. Water changes include partial water changes and complete water changes. Partially change the water and also exchange water. Watering means adding as much water as you take out from the fish tank. There is no need to take fish and aquatic plants out of the tank. Generally, the amount of water added should not exceed a quarter of the total water volume of the fish tank each time. When adding water, pay attention to the temperature of the newly added water and make it as consistent as possible with the water temperature of the original fish tank. The frequency of watering is once to twice a week in autumn and winter, and two to three times a week in spring and summer. The specific number of times depends on the turbidity of the water in the fish tank. If the water quality is good and the filtering conditions are clear, the number of times can be reduced appropriately. If it is bad, you can increase the frequency appropriately, but not too frequently, otherwise the fish will get sick.
2. Temperature
Temperature is the most important condition for the survival of tropical fish. Fish cannot survive without suitable water temperature. Tropical fish have strict requirements on water temperature. Tropical fish have strict requirements on water temperature. Also extremely sensitive.
The water temperature for tropical fish to live is generally 20~30℃. However, different types of tropical fish also have different water temperature requirements. Fish species such as guppies, red swordfish, and black marlies can tolerate water temperatures of about 10°C without dying, while swallowfish, tiger fish, and other species will die when the water temperature is lower than 18°C. The vast majority of tropical fish are extremely sensitive to water temperature. If the water temperature changes ±2℃, they will catch a cold. If the water temperature fluctuates unstablely for a long time, the fish will suffer from various diseases. Therefore, the water temperature should be kept as constant as possible. The water temperature should not be too high. Fungi in the water will multiply too quickly and affect the water quality. The normal temperature for most fish to live is 20~24℃, and the suitable breeding water temperature is 25~28℃. There are two commonly used ways to control water temperature, which are divided into natural control and artificial control.
Natural control is to place the fish tank in a sunny room and allow the fish tank to receive sunlight to increase the water temperature. Some water temperature changes in the volume of the fish tank are relatively small. On the contrary, a small fish tank has less water and the water temperature changes are large. If the room conditions permit, it is better to make the fish tank as large as possible.
Manually controlling the water temperature mainly uses heating measures such as stoves, hot pots, and heaters. In recent years, the number of electric heating appliances on the market has been increasing, which is a better heating method. Most products have With automatic temperature control function, this type of product should be preferred.
3. Oxygen
Any living thing needs oxygen to survive. Without oxygen, there is no life. Tropical fish also cannot survive without oxygen. The oxygen that fish need to survive is obtained by absorbing dissolved oxygen in the water through the capillaries of the fish's gills, and then brought to and from the body through the blood circulation system. The discharged carbon dioxide is also carried out through the capillaries of the gills. The amount of dissolved oxygen in the water directly affects the growth of fish, so it is necessary to ensure that there is enough dissolved oxygen in the water. In addition to obtaining dissolved oxygen in water by mixing and changing water, aquatic plants in the water can also be used to produce oxygen through photosynthesis.
There is a special oxygen-adding appliance on the market - an air pump. It is convenient and simple to use an air pump to add oxygen. You can choose the appropriate air pump according to the size of the fish tank. The price is relatively cheap.