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How to raise tropical fish
Essential equipment for raising tropical fish
(1) Fish tank: It is a place where tropical fish grow and move. The fish tank for raising tropical fish must use a slightly larger rectangular glass fish tank.
(2) Suction pipe: used to suck out the dirt from the bottom of the fish tank when changing water. It is connected with a soft rubber tube and a glass tube. The length depends on the height of the fish tank. Generally, it is 1.2 to 1.5 meters.
(3) Thermometer: Used to measure and adjust the water temperature of the fish tank.
(4) Fish net: used to catch and transfer tropical fish.
(5) Glass lamp bucket: Put the light bulb into the glass lamp bucket and sink it into the fish tank for heating and lighting purposes. The mouth of the glass lamp bucket must be 100MM above the water surface to prevent fish from jumping in.
(6) Electric heating tube: used to increase the temperature in the fish tank in winter.
(7) Air pump: expel carbon dioxide in the fish tank and increase the oxygen capacity in the water.
(8) Filter: Filter out the dirt in the fish tank, keep the water clean, and play the dual role of increasing oxygen and purifying the water.
(9) Thermostat: Used to automatically control the temperature in the fish tank and maintain a constant temperature for a long time.
(10) Food bucket: It prevents fish food from floating on the water surface, which is conducive to fish predation. It can also prevent fish food from falling to the bottom of the water and burrowing into aquatic plants, causing the sand of aquatic plants to turn black and damaging the water quality.
(11) Decontamination liquid: made of plastic board. Used to scrape away dust and oil from the water surface of the fish tank.
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, a key point 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.
After everything is properly purchased, it’s time to start the process of breeding guppies.
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 them. 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 their 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 different species have different temperature requirements. 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, it is necessary to avoid drastic changes in water temperature. 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 place. 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 draw 30 ml of potassium permanganate solution. 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 abnormality is found, rescue it 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 there are a sufficient number of beneficial bacteria (such as nitrifying bacteria) growing 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 Gao 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 frequency depends on the turbidity of the water in the fish tank. If the water quality is good and the filtering conditions are clear, the frequency 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 market has seen an increasing number of electric heating appliances, 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 oxygenating device 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.
4. Fish food
Although there are many types of tropical fish with widely different habits, their feeding habits can be roughly divided into three categories: carnivorous fish, which account for The vast majority of tropical fish; omnivorous fish, which account for a small part of tropical fish; vegetarian fish, which account for a very small part of tropical fish. Here is an introduction to common fish foods for carnivorous fish:
1. Water fleas (also known as red spider mites)
The fish worms are bright red in color, medium in size, and can be found in the water. They swim in groups and are rich in protein, fat and calcium. It is widely distributed in various places, but this fish insect has a short life span and generally only lives for one to two days after being retrieved. Before feeding fish, fish and insects should be washed before feeding.
2. Water flea (also known as green jumping)
This kind of fish and insect is small in size, has low nutritional value and is easy to die. They jump and stop in the water at a relatively fast speed. Fast, slow-moving tropical fish, especially young fish, are often unable to catch up and are poor bait.
3. Red worms (also known as water earthworms and thread maggots)
This kind of fish worm has a slender body and dark red color. It lives in blisters and ditches with dirty water. In shallow water, half of the insect's body is in the mud, and the other half is swinging in the water. Red worms are rich in nutrients and contain more protein and fat, making them an ideal food for adult fish.
5. Light
Light is very important for the survival of tropical fish. Tropical fish cannot survive without light. Light has three main effects on raising tropical fish.
Light is the most important factor for photosynthesis in all plants. Without light, aquatic plants cannot carry out photosynthesis, cannot absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, and plants cannot maintain their own survival. However, plants also have certain requirements for light. If the light is too strong or the light time is too long, the aquatic plants will grow green moss, which will affect the photosynthesis of the aquatic plants; but if the light is too weak or the light time is too short, the branches and leaves of the aquatic plants will be affected by the Too little photosynthesis and the plants turn yellow or even die.
Reasonable lighting should be: do not accept direct sunlight in a sunny room, and do not place it on the windowsill or under the window. Just use morning and evening sunlight for 1 to 2 hours. Of course, use the window. The scattered light time can be appropriately lengthened. In rooms where there is no sunlight or insufficient sunlight, you can also use artificial light sources. You can use a 60-watt incandescent lamp or a 40-watt fluorescent lamp for about 6 hours a day.
Tropical fish also need light to grow and reproduce. Fish with light will grow faster, their bodies will be more gorgeous, and their breeding cycles will be shortened.
The third function of lighting is to facilitate viewing. If you are in a dark room or a room with too little light, people will not be able to see the scenery in the fish tank clearly. If you can't see clearly, you will not be able to enjoy it.
The key to raising tropical ornamental fish is water quality and feed. The selection and processing are based on the understanding and simulation of the natural ecology of the source of the fish species to be raised. That is to say, when raising tropical fish, you must pay attention to the characteristics of the water areas in the hometown of the fish species you raise. Experience has repeatedly shown that to raise tropical fish well, especially expensive and high-end species, you must create an environment in the aquarium that is the same as or close to the natural ecology and conditions of its place of origin.
1. Water quality treatment
Freshwater tropical fish are generally born in tropical freshwater waters on both sides of the earth's equator. Among them, the Amazon River in South America, Thailand and the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia, and the Congo Basin in Africa are the world's three largest treasure troves of tropical fish. The vast majority of tropical fish can only survive when the water temperature exceeds 20°C, and generally like water temperatures around 26°C. The soil in Africa is slightly acidic red soil, and the surface water contains more humus. The general water pH value is slightly acidic at 6 to 7. Therefore, tropical fish from Africa prefer slightly acidic water. Most species that grow in South American waters also like to live in slightly acidic water with a pH value of 7. Fish species growing in the waters of Southeast Asia and South Asia, including those growing in the waters of southern North America, mostly prefer neutral water with a pH value of 7. Ovoviviparous fish such as guppies, swordtails, mollies, and moonlight fish that grow in Central and South America also like to live in weakly alkaline hard water. Tropical fish from Central America require slightly alkaline water because the water quality in their birthplace is slightly alkaline. Other semi-marine fish, such as bat pomfret, yellowfin pomfret and the colorful golden phoenix of Oceania, prefer slightly alkaline water quality. In fact, some fish that like neutral or slightly alkaline water quality, such as bat pomfret, elephant trunk fish, etc., can also live well in slightly acidic water quality. However, fish that like acidic water generally have difficulty surviving in weakly alkaline water.
my country’s freshwater resources are generally slightly alkaline, but the north is more alkaline, while the water quality of some lakes, reservoirs, and rivers in the south is slightly acidic. For example, the pH value of drinking water in places such as Guangzhou in southern my country is less than 7, which is ideal water quality for breeding colorful gods; while the pH value of water in Beijing is around 7, which is neutral. On the other hand, the water hardness of rivers in the rainforest belt in southern my country is low and mostly soft water; in the north, there is less rainfall, the soil has high saline-alkali content, and the water hardness is also high. In addition, surface water generally has low hardness, groundwater and well water have high hardness, while rainwater and snow water are soft water. In southern cities in my country, such as Guangzhou and Foshan, the water quality is relatively soft, which provides unique breeding conditions for petite fish species native to South America such as the colorful fairy and red lotus lantern. The water quality in northern cities such as Beijing and Tianjin is slightly hard, making it difficult to breed such fish species.
Therefore, in order to successfully raise and breed tropical ornamental fish, you should first find out the origin of the fish species (you can check the relevant professional books and periodicals through the scientific name), and know its suitable pH value, hardness, The range of water quality factors such as water temperature and salinity is then tested, and the local water quality can be tested. This can be done with a commercially available simple water quality color comparison box. If some items are found to be inappropriate, artificial adjustments must be made. In cities, tap water is generally used to raise fish. This requires neutralizing residual chlorine first: adding sodium thiosulfate or vitamin C (ascorbic acid), and then testing. When the water quality is alkaline, add acidifiers: phosphoric acid, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, place sunken wood, or add activated carbon to the water filter to filter for 24 hours, etc. When the water quality is acidic, you can add alkali-increasing agents: baking soda, i.e. sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate substances (coral sand, shell sand or powder) or silica sand, medical stone, and strengthen aeration. When the water quality is too soft, lime water (quick lime or calcium chloride) can be added. However, it is relatively difficult to soften hard water. You can add an appropriate amount of rainwater, distilled water or deionized water to the aquarium. If "mud moss" is placed in the aquarium or filter, it has ion exchange function and releases humic acid, so it can soften the water quality and lower the pH value. Grass mud also has this effect. In addition, magnetizers can also soften water, and ion exchange resin filters and reverse osmosis water treatment machines can produce water of different hardnesses. Among them, residual chlorine, pH value and hardness can all be tested by simple colorimetry. As for salinity, it can be measured with a floating tube hydrometer, a pointer hydrometer or a refractometer. If you need to increase the salinity, you can use commercially available "artificial sea salt" to prepare it. After the above water quality treatment, aeration can be carried out. At the same time, in order to accelerate the maturation of the new breeding water, microbial water purifiers such as "nitrifying bacteria", "photosynthetic bacteria" and "dentobacteria" can be artificially inoculated. In this way, the new water can be added in a few days. fish. If the new fish are expensive, you can also put 1 to 2 "tank trespassing fish" first. It is safer to put new fish after testing the water.
In the process of fish farming, while regularly changing a small amount of breeding water, a small amount of microbial water purifier should also be added to maintain excellent water quality, so as to achieve the purpose of raising water first for fish farming. Not only is the water quality required to be suitable and stable during the fish farming process, but also the fish tank rotation requires that the water quality between the old and new tanks should not be too different, especially the pH value. For example, when changing water or changing tanks for colorful angelfish, the pH difference between the old and new water should not exceed 0.5 and the temperature difference should not exceed 1 to 2°C. For breeding water quality, hardness should also be considered. For egg fish in some estuaries, do not ignore the salinity issue.
2. Feeding
In raising tropical ornamental fish, if the water quality is well handled, more than half of the success is achieved. The remaining main problem is feed. At present, commonly used fresh food include water earthworms and water fleas. The more expensive and ripening foods are bloodworms (chironomid larvae) and artemia nauplii and adults. More convenient is artificial feed, which is available in flake and granular forms. There is also a category of freshly prepared feed "artificial hamburger". The main ingredients are beef heart, shrimp meat, vegetables, multivitamins and drugs. They are crushed and mixed into a slurry with a household meat mixer, spread into thin slices, frozen and cut into pellets for feeding. Hamburger Feed has become the staple food of colorful and discus angelfish.