Aquarium fish minor - care and maintenance

We will talk about aquarium fish, which will be ideal for beginners. In Latin, its name sounds like Hyphessobrycon minor. We know it as a minor. This small fish is very popular among owners of aquariums. After all, it is quite easy to care for her, you do not need to create any particularly strict conditions. The flocks of these fish are very playful, it is interesting to watch them. But this does not mean that you can let the state of the aquarium drift. If you do not look after it, the minors may grow more slowly, their color will fade. The deterioration of the conditions leads to the fact that the fish will reproduce worse, and their life expectancy will be shorter.

Living in nature

Representatives of this species in nature live in South America. They live in the waters of the Amazon, in the middle and in the north of the continent. Basically, they live in forest ponds, in slow or completely stagnant waters.

Appearance

Minors are small. Usually an adult fish is 4-5 centimeters long. They live about 6 years. The body of these fish is flattened from the sides, it is slim. The main difference between this species and others is the shape of the dorsal fin. They have a quadrangular shape. It is located vertically, can be elongated.

A dark strip runs across the minor body. The upper body of these bright fish is olive brown. Their belly and sides are red. Dark spots are found only on the dorsal fin.

There are individuals in which the tip of the dorsal fin is colored white, but most often the dorsal fin is black, sometimes framed by a white border. Minor's adipose fin is transparent. The rest are bright red. There are no scales at the base of the tail. Females are paler than males, but larger in size.

Compatibility

Minors have a peaceful disposition. In nature, they live in small flocks of at least 4 minor. If they are alone, they begin to show aggression. Minors can attack small fish and even their own kind. To veil fish, they bite off the tail and fins. Therefore, they must also be kept in a flock.

You can add any fish to the minors. The main thing is that they be as peaceful and active, and also have similar dimensions.

Conditions of detention

The best conditions for representatives of this species will be as close to natural as possible. What is needed for this?

1. Minors are allowed to be kept even in a small aquarium. Its volume should be at least 30 liters. But best of all, they will feel if each individual will have 10 liters of water. Minors, like all heratsins, can jump out of the water. Therefore, the aquarium should always be covered. It is important that the aquarium is long.
2. Minors will dwell at the bottom of the aquarium, as well as in its middle part. It is necessary that there was enough vegetation in it, but at the same time there was a place for swimming. Algae land directly in the ground. If it is floating algae, then they are placed on the surface. Plants such as Javanese moss, as well as Thai fern, are very good for these fish.
3. It is important to provide the aquarium with an aerator and a good filter. Lighting in the aquarium should be medium in intensity. Every week, one-fifth of the water needs to be changed.
4. The acidity of water is from 6.8 to 7. The most suitable temperature for representatives of this species is 22-26 degrees. But if the water is sometimes cooler, the minors will tolerate it normally.
5. It is desirable that the soil is dark. It can be made of gravel or sand. Fancy driftwood and caves will serve not only as good decorative elements, but also as a shelter for these small fish.

Minor Feeding

These fish are unpretentious in food. But when feeding them, it is important to consider several points.

1. The feed should be small, as the fish themselves are small in size. They simply will not capture large feed.
2. It is also very important that a varied diet is present in the diet of the minors. They need to give different types of feed in turn. This will ensure the flow of necessary substances. As a result, the fish will be healthy, which means they will delight you with their beautiful color and activity.

In the wild, minors usually feed on insects that are collected from the surface of the water. Also, small aquatic inhabitants become their food.

With an aquarium content, they can be given almost any kind of food. Crustaceans, bloodworms, small insects. From dry food, they will eat flakes and granules. It is also important that they eat vegetation. Great for this salad, dandelions and spinach.

Breeding

If you decide to breed minors, first of all it is necessary to organize a spawning for them. To do this, prepare a small capacity tank. An aquarium of about 10-20 liters is suitable. At the bottom of the tank it is necessary to lay the separator grid. This is necessary so that the parents themselves do not eat caviar, which will be postponed. This behavior is characteristic of this species. The light in the spawning should be weak and scattered. There is no need to equip any kind of soil, but plants are needed. It is best if they are plants with small leaves and a long stem.

Then you need to pour water into the aquarium. A small layer of water about 10-15 centimeters high is poured into such a spawning ground. For successful spawning, the following conditions must be created:

• The temperature should be quite high - 24-28 degrees.
• The acidity level of water is from 6.2 to 7.
• Hardness - not higher than 15.

The water in the container may be peat or fresh. To prepare peat water, you need to add a decoction of peat of high concentration. Such water is infused from a week to one month. During cooking, it is very important to monitor the acidity of the water.

Sometimes a female can lay eggs later than after a few days. Until this happens, the fish does not need to be fed.

If she still does not lay eggs, the fish is returned to the aquarium. After a while, you can try again.

If the caviar is nevertheless delayed, then fry will hatch after 24-48 hours. They hang on the vegetation and glass of spawning. They need to be fed with ciliates, cyclops and rotifers. Every 15-20 days you need to replace them with water. At the age of 8-10 months, the fish become adults and can be used for breeding.

Keeping and breeding minors is easy. The main thing is to observe the basic conditions and maintain cleanliness.

Video: keeping and breeding minor