The flattened body, the extended lips with suckers, skin outgrowths are "mustache", a bright coloring - all this signs of antsistrus, popular inhabitants of modern aquariums. These kolchuzhny som not only decorate an artificial reservoir, but also clear it of excess seaweed. For the manufacturer it is important to define a sex of small fishes. It is possible to make it only after the entry of pets into puberty, otherwise it will be extremely difficult to distinguish a male from a female.
It is required to you
- - existence not less than four adult individuals;
- - spacious aquarium;
- - aerator;
- - siphon for water change;
- - thermometer;
- - artificial shelters from ceramics.
Instruction
1. Buy not less than four whitebaits of antsistrus. Usually in the nature the ratio of males and females of som happens 1:1 or 1:2 therefore in the presence of several copies of a look the chances of creation of marriage couple increase.
2. Wait when fishes mature. From eight-months age at aquarian somikov-cleaners sexual distinctions begin to be shown. By a year they become rather bright.
3. Try to define a sex of catfishes on external signs. If all fishes of one dung contained in identical conditions, females and males will differ with the sizes. At good leaving and feeding of an astsistrusa grow very quickly, however a limit for adult individuals in a spacious aquarium – 14-16 cm. At the same time "men" are longer, larger and more slender than the girlfriends.
4. Consider the structure of som. One of sexual differences of astsistrus – their fins. Those that are located on a back at mature females have smaller height. Tail fins at "women" considerably already.
5. Important sexual character of a catfish male are long, branched "short moustaches" - leathery outgrowths above the head and on its edges. "Moustached" females meet infrequently; sometimes at some representatives of this sort kolchuzhny somoobrazny it is possible to see small "horns" at the edges of the head.
6. Observe behavior of astsistrus which can prompt you their sex. Usually cleaners differ in quiet temper, show activity only in twilight and at night. However in a close aquarium the males often fight among themselves. Females have more peaceful temper.
7. Create conditions for spawning – then it will be easy to define a sex of a catfish during reproduction. Replace water in an aquarium with 30% of volume, reduce water temperature a little (to 24 degrees), simulate natural rains – you carry out strong aeration.
8. Put various shelters (hollow ceramic tubes and vessels of the extended form) on a bottom. If in an aquarium there is a heterosexual couple, the result will not keep itself waiting long – antsistrusa breed to six times in a year.
9. You watch som during spawning especially vigilantly. Usually the male the first occupies the ground shelter and begins to clean it with a sucker carefully. The female makes the way in a nesting ground in the second turn and throws a game in the form of a yellow-orange cluster. Having made the business, she immediately leaves "apartment" and does not take part in reproduction any more. The careful father impregnates berries and begins work: brushes away future whitebaits with fins, driving fresh water. It vigilantly protects the posterity. Only after appearance of whitebaits (approximately for the fifth or sixth day) antsistrus-dad comes up on freedom.