The content of the article
Gambusia is a rather rare fish that is small in size. Individuals of this species are viviparous fish, they are extremely rare today, especially in aquariums. To date, there are two varieties of gambusia: eastern and western. The first option is the most rare and today is no longer found on sale. The second option can still be found in pet stores.
Subsistence
Ordinary gambusia is a fish that lives in North America and is found on the shelves of pet stores. For these individuals, small rivers in the state of Illinois, streams of the state of Indiana, as well as the Missouri River are the natural habitat. It was from these places that individuals began to gradually spread throughout the world. Such amazing reproduction and movement to other territories of the fish owes their unpretentiousness to the living conditions.
In a number of countries, gambusia belongs to the category of invasive fish, and therefore it is prohibited for sale, as well as for keeping. In Australia, gambusia significantly damaged the ecosystem of many water bodies, and therefore its content and breeding was also banned.
It is important to note that in many other countries, gambusia is an assistant, as it is able to fight against the larvae of malaria mosquitoes by eating them. Thanks to this process, mosquitoes become much smaller in these countries. The effectiveness of the fish is so high that it even put several monuments in different countries. For example, the most famous monuments are in Israel, in Corsica, as well as in Adler.
View characteristics
Gambusia, which lives in an aquarium, does not grow to large sizes. Females usually reach a maximum of 7 centimeters in length, and males - 3 centimeters. The appearance of fish of this species is quite inconspicuous. Females can be compared with guppy fish, as they are similar in appearance. And males have a gray color, complemented by black dots. Representatives of this species do not live too long, the average duration is only 2 years. Traditionally, females live longer than males.
How to contain gambusia?
Gambusia are extremely unpretentious in the care and maintenance of fish. These individuals can even live in cold water, which for many species of fish becomes life threatening. In addition, gambusia is able to survive even in very salt water.
Fact! Representatives of this species are calmly experiencing low water quality, a small amount of oxygen in the liquid, and sudden changes in temperature. Such characteristics are most suitable for beginner aquarium fish breeders.
Not only do they require little care, they are also quite difficult to bring to death. The only problem is that representatives of this breed are very rare.
Despite the fact that traditionally gambusia live in ponds, they can easily exist in an aquarium. At the same time, it is not necessary to buy a large-sized container, only 50 liters will be enough. However, they will not be opposed to larger options.
It is not necessary to use filters and equipment for water aeration in this case, since the gambusia has no strict need for this. But, if it is possible to purchase such equipment, the fish will not mind at all. However, it is important to remember that gambusia belong to the category of live-bearing individuals. For this reason, filters for external placement should not be placed in the aquarium, as they can become a trap for fry.It is better to buy indoor equipment without a casing and with one washcloth.
The most suitable conditions for gambusia is a water temperature of 20 to 24 degrees, although individuals calmly withstand temperatures up to 12 degrees. The pH should be in the range of 7 to 7.2.
How is sex distinguished in gambusia?
To understand which of the individuals is male and which is female is quite simple. First, you can do this by size. Females in fish of this breed are larger than males. In addition, males can be determined by the presence of red color near the caudal fin. In females, in a state of pregnancy, a black spot can be seen near the anal fin.
With whom in the aquarium can gambusia live?
Gambusia are quite aggressive fish that can handle other fish very hard. For example, they can easily tear off fins from representatives of other species. For this reason, it is not recommended to keep gambusia in one aquarium with fish that have long fins. In addition, it is undesirable to have gambusia in the neighborhood of slow individuals. For example, the neighborhood with guppies or goldfish will be wrong. The most suitable neighbors are Sumatran barbs, cardinals or fire barbs.
However, representatives of these species behave rather evil in relation to each other, therefore it is better not to put many individuals in one aquarium. If the gambusia experiences severe stress due to the presence of neighbors, they may begin to dig into the ground. In nature, fish do this when they are afraid. You should monitor the behavior of the fish and, if necessary, reduce the number of neighbors to relieve the fish from stress.
How to feed gambusia?
In vivo, gambusia feed mainly on insects. In addition, they also periodically eat plant components. In one day, one individual can eat several hundred insect larvae. In order to destroy several thousand larvae, gambusia only two weeks is enough.
Feed the gambusia living in the aquarium, you can live, as well as frozen food. In addition, representatives of this species can feed on artificial varieties of feed. In general, gambusia are almost omnivorous, however, Artemia, Daphnia and moths are most loved. Under the conditions of our climate, it is unlikely that it will be possible to get the larvae of a malaria insect, but moths can easily. From time to time, you need to add dry food containing fiber to the fish diet.
How do gambusia breed?
Also, problems can arise when females begin to delay delivery. This can also occur due to the actions of males. Under natural conditions, females of gambusia resort to such measures when they feel danger from the outside. In the aquarium, the main danger for them is just the males. In order for a female to give birth in due time, her safety should be ensured. To do this, you can place it in a separate container or organize a space inside the aquarium into which the males cannot penetrate.
Submit