Among aquarists there are lovers of the exotic and all unusual. They are not touched by the usual fluttering fish with bright fins and veiled tails.
Give them something unusual and even shocking. For such – fish kalamoiht (erpetoichthys calabaricus).
Brightness of emotions provided.
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During the first acquaintance it may seem that this creature has no resemblance to the fish. This is a real snake, with a long, covered with coarse scales body, a triangular small head and a typical greenish-gray-yellow color.
Despite this, biological characteristics confirm that it is a fish. Its feature – the presence of gills and lungs at the same time.
A kind of natural amphibian, able to live fully under water and a certain time on its surface. Reservoirs with dirty, oxygen-poor water are not terrible.
Namely such cases, exposing the head above the surface of the water, she breathes oxygen from the air and is quite happy with it.
Despite its rather ominous appearance, the character of erpetoichthys calabaricus is timid and indecisive. At the slightest danger, he prefers to sit out in the undergrowth and wait for a more suitable moment for his exit.
In addition, nature is destined to him nocturnal, although life in the aquarium has left a definite imprint: during daytime feeding, he is not able to stand aside.
Ichthyologists have reason to believe that this is one of the most ancient versions of fossil fish, about which tales and legends are composed. The rudimentary structure of the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems is a clear confirmation of this.
Especially interesting and original such an individual, familiar to many, but unknown to the end to anyone.
A descendant of the fauna of West Africa, the Calabar Kalamoiht requires to pay attention to its content in the aquarium. Water should be neutral or slightly acidic.
The average pH is in the range of 7.0. Its temperature is not lower than 24 °.
Heating at two to three degrees is not a big deal.
In nature, its dwelling in standing reservoirs with brackish water is often noted. However, salt concentrations should not exceed 1.005, otherwise the behavior of the fish changes for the worse: it is nervous, changes color, hides in stone piles. The presence of artificial fortifications and thickets in the aquarium welcomes.
His favorite place of stay – not open areas of water, but rather, the mysterious labyrinths. Interest in what is happening around the aquarium is not excluded.
Sometimes you can see two brilliant eyes watching from the aquarium what is happening in the room.
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Particular attention – the settlement of neighbors. Simultaneously with erpetoichthys calabaricus it is impossible to settle small peace-loving fish. They risk being eaten on the first night.
Guppies, barbs, swordfish fry and mollies, small catfish species and others will not work. Suitable neighbors will be cichlids (far from small options), large gourami, noble veils.
Such an unusual snake fish needs a lot of water – at least 200 liters per individual. But even in such conditions it will not grow to its natural, natural size: aquarium variants usually do not exceed 60 cm.
- Kalamoicht has poor eyesight. Count on him fish do not have to. But nature has awarded him a well-developed sense of smell. Even he recognizes food by smell, which leads to his being late for a meal. Well, when in the aquarium live fish that prefer food in the upper and middle layers of water. Then the particles settled on the bottom will be found and eaten by them. A plus is a developed tactile function. For their performance there are special short, but sensitive whiskers.
- As a snake, a predator prefers live food. I will gladly eat meat or fish mince, chopped shrimp or squid. You can feed the worms or bloodworms. Do not miss the slightest opportunity to swallow small fish or fry. Do not refuse from the specialized dry feed, especially intended for multi-feed, which refers to the classification. It should be noted that his big mouth has teeth, so do not take an individual in his hands. In addition, the body has from 8 to 15 spines located closer to the tail on the dorsal half. These are protective organs and you should beware of them.
- Do not worry if the pet crawls out into a bright light and sit under a bright electric lamp. He likes to bask in the warm rays, even electrical appliances.
Kalamoiht: content does not affect the desire to multiply. Unfortunately.
To stimulate fertility, hormone injections are required, the implementation of which requires skill and experience. If the stimulation is successful and the breeding is relevant, neither the male and the female are not caring parents and do not care for the eggs, and later fry.
The breeding process ends with the deposition of eggs and their fertilization. However, the cases of breeding offspring in aquariums are practically not described.
Today, pet stores almost always have a wide selection of underwater inhabitants. However, kalamoihta offer to buy is unlikely. First, the specific appearance, and secondly – the features of the content.
But to those who understand and appreciate the specificity and originality of such an individual, it will be easy and interesting to her. And most importantly, never boring and positive!
