Labeo two-tone - care and maintenance in the aquarium

Labeo belongs to the family of cyprinids, bicolor representatives, otherwise called bicolors. The fish is quite popular, has won the recognition of domestic and foreign aquarists. The format of the body resembles a shark, famous for its interesting color and behavior. There are many opinions regarding the one with whom labeos get along best. Some successfully keep them with parrots, while others insist on keeping one individual. We will not look ahead, we will analyze the most important aspects in the order of priority.

Description

1. Fishes of the represented family were first discovered in Thailand back in 1936. Since then, mass extermination has begun, that is, the catch of this breed group. Until 1965, it was believed that the labeau no longer existed. But then they were resurrected, the natural population was partially restored. It is believed that there are very few fish, so they can disappear at any time.
2. If we proceed from known, but at the same time, unconfirmed data, we can conclude that Labeo live in streams and rivers. When heavy rains begin in Thailand, fish sail to the flooded plains and forests. But migration is sometimes disturbed, fish die along the way, and they are becoming smaller. However, this does not prevent breeders from raising bicolors on farms, and then putting them on sale.
3. When a person first sees a labe, he instantly falls in love with him. This is due to the beautiful color of individuals of this group. The bicolor has a black matte body that resembles velvet, and the tail fin is red. It looks impressive against the background of the remaining fish in the aquarium. The body format resembles a shark, some foreign breeders have given the labeo another name - a two-color shark.
4. Since the fish looks favorably in the aquarium due to its special color and behaves actively, it is difficult not to notice it even in a spacious tank. On sale you can find albino fish, in which the fins with eyes are red, and the whole body is white. Albinos differ from black and red labeos only in color, in everything else they are the same.
5. Under bicolor refers to fish belonging to the category of large and medium format. Labeos grow up to 15 cm in size, but with the provision of a spacious dwelling, growth can reach up to 20 cm. They can not be called long-livers, the average lifespan in aquarium conditions is 6 years. But there were cases when two-color sharks lived for 10 years.
6. Experienced or beginner aquarists are interested in how to distinguish a female from a male, if you plan to purchase for the purpose of further breeding. In fact, it is very difficult to do this, because individuals are not immediately sold sexually mature. Adult females are famous for their round abdominal region and fullness. On this, the signs by which sexual dimorphism can be detected end. Young animals are completely indistinguishable.

Content

1. Since the fish belongs to the category of large-sized, for its maintenance it is necessary to equip a spacious dwelling. A minimum of 150 liters is relied on per individual. water. Depending on which neighbors will be settled, these indicators increase. Labeos become aggressive if kept in a small tank with a bunch of roommates.
2. Two-tone sharks jump high, so take care of the tank with the lid. If you provide a pet with quality food, it will not be careless about plants. Therefore, vegetation is necessary, but not at the expense of free space for swimming.
3. The fish quickly adapts to the aquatic environment, but do not run it in the aquarium prepared today. You need to wait at least a day.As for the weekly substitution, 25-30% of the total volume merges. Also adhere to temperature conditions (22-26 degrees), hardness (5-12), acidity (6.5-7.5).
4. By its natural characteristics, the fish eats vegetation, insects and their larvae, worms. Labe contained in the aquarium, it is necessary to give food with a large accumulation of fiber.
5. As a complement, the fish are treated with zucchini, cucumbers, lettuce, spirulina. Fish eats animal feed, but the basis should still be plant foods.

Compatibility

1. In this case, it is worth considering some subtleties. Often, such a fish is found on sale as an individual suitable for almost any aquarium. In fact, with a two-color labe, things are a little different. This does not mean that the fish should be kept alone.
2. You must be especially careful in selecting neighbors for the individuals in question. Otherwise, there will be constant skirmishes and conflicts between the inhabitants of the aquarium. At a young age, the labeos are quite shy and avoid any conflicts.
3. But as soon as the fish reach puberty, they become territorial and very aggressive. Labeos have a special dislike for fish with a similar color. In this case, the presented individuals will constantly drive other inhabitants throughout the aquarium.
4. Among other things, a lot can depend on the nature of a particular individual. Also important is the volume of the aquarium. Often, a labeau in a spacious tank gets along well with other individuals. But some fish may have to endure.
5. Keep in mind that it is not recommended to keep a couple of labeos together, even despite a spacious aquarium. The problem is that such individuals at a meeting will constantly conflict and fight. Also, do not hook fish into a common aquarium that have a similar size and color. Labeo will be constantly attacked.
6. Even the fish that inhabit the bottom will be subject to constant attack. The problem is that the labeo almost always feeds from the bottom. The ancistruses will be able to withstand the labeos, since they have rather solid armor. But the catfish will have a hard time.
7. Carp, haracin, small and rather fast individuals can get along with labeos. Among these, mossy, fiery and Sumatran barbs, zebrafish, Congo and thorns should be distinguished. These fish have impressive speed. Labeo simply does not catch up with them.
8. In the wild, the individuals in question live almost alone. Only during spawning fish meet each other. The character of the Labeau begins to deteriorate only with time. For this reason, it is not worth keeping even 2 individuals in the aquarium. That there were no conflicts, one labe is enough.

Breeding

1. To create natural conditions for spawning at home is a difficult task. To do this, you need an aquarium with a volume of at least 500 liters. For spawning, a female and two males are needed. Up to two weeks, individuals must be kept separate, abundantly feeding live food.
2. Further reproduction will be carried out by injection. Hormones are injected into the fish back. As soon as the female spawns, a part will fall and will be eaten by fish. Surfaced eggs remain unscathed. After a day, fry will appear.

Two-color labeos are quite interesting representatives of aquarium fish. They have a peculiar temperament. This factor should be taken into account when sharing neighbors. It is not worth keeping two or more of these individuals in one aquarium. Constant conflicts are inevitable.

Video: two-color labe aquarium fish