Among aquarists, a fish called akantophthalmus Kul is quite popular. To some, she is known by the names of acanthus, pangio and even "traffic cop". Fish is an interesting object to observe. By the way, all of her behavioral features have not been solved so far, the more interesting it is to identify them.
The pedigree of the "traffic cop"
In wildlife, acanthophthalmus of Kul (photos are presented in the article) is quite widespread in the south and east of Asia. It is often found on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo, mastered the reservoirs of Thailand and Singapore. In natural conditions, the fish prefers mountain and forest rivers, characterized by a muddy bottom. The open, steppe spaces of acanthophthalmus are not interested - he needs a thick layer of deciduous leaves.
Fish Description
Outwardly, it looks like a brightly colored worm. The body is elongated, spindle-shaped, slightly flattened on the sides, reaching a length of 10-12 centimeters. The main color background is light, along it are transverse thick strips of different intensities of brown color. Their number and density are individual for each individual. On the upper part of the body, the scales are completely absent, the lower one is covered with very small, almost indistinguishable by the eye scales.
Antennas grow near the mouth, three in each corner. Small spines grow under the eyes (one per eye).
Behavioral Features
Acantophthalmus Kul - bottom and night fish. She begins to show activity at dusk. No schools of fish were noticed, however, if one or two individuals are kept in the aquarium, they constantly hide and leave their shelters only deep at night. Therefore, it is recommended to keep 4-5 individuals in a home reservoir.
In acanthophthalmus, the air bubble is closed into the bone membrane. This "design" allows the fish to change the buoyancy and greatly affects their behavior. If atmospheric pressure drops sharply, Kul's acantophthalmus becomes much more mobile, and the acceleration of movement can be very sharp. If you follow the behavior of the fish, you can fairly accurately predict the weather.
Acanthophthalmus is very shy. In the room where the aquarium stands, it is undesirable to make noise or turn on too bright a light. Frightened, the fish quickly turn pale, tend to hide, often burying themselves in the sand. And if acanthophthalmus is in the upper layers of water, it can jump out of the aquarium.
Living conditions
If you liked the acantophthalmus of Kühl, the content of his particular troubles will not deliver: the fish is quite unpretentious. However, certain rules will have to be followed.
- Due to the fact that acantophthalmus belongs to bottom fish, it is not the height of the aquarium that is important, but the bottom area. Even for one individual, a home pool should be taken with low walls, but at 50 liters. For an average flock, the volume should be at least 80 liters.
- In the water "house" there are always stones, driftwood and shards in which its inhabitants will hide. It is also recommended that you plant the aquarium fairly tightly with plants, which also serve as shelter. Moreover, all shelters should be wide enough so that the fish do not get stuck in them.
- The bottom is covered with fine sand for at least 3-4 cm. Coarse or sharp inclusions should not be present in it, which Kul's acantophthalmus could hurt.
- The water filter must be covered with a net so that a curious fish does not get in there, as well as the top of the aquarium so that it does not jump out of it.
- The temperature is maintained in the range of 24-28 degrees Celsius, the acidity is not higher than 7.4 pH.
- Lighting is poor and diffuse.
Water changes weekly to a third of the aquarium volume. If acanthophthalmus constantly keeps closer to the surface, carry out an unscheduled cleaning and check the filter: the water may be dirty.
Acantophthalmus Kühl: compatibility with other aquarium inhabitants
Some aquarists advise keeping traffic cops without outsiders. However, these are not definitive recommendations. Akantophthalmus Kul is a peaceful and accommodating fish. It’s absolutely not worth it to settle it except with predators: either your population will be eaten, or acanthophthalmus will always hide. All types of haracin and labyrinths will be quite compatible with loaches. Roses, medium-sized cichlids, spawning cyprinids are suitable as neighbors. It is not necessary to hook corridors with which the acanthophthalmus of Kul will compete for shelters.
Feeding
In food, "traffic cops" are also picky. The main diet includes tubule and bloodworm, almost all dry and frozen feeds are suitable. Snails of small, fry and caviar are eaten by acanthophthalmus, so it is better to plant them in a separate pond during the reproduction of other fish. The only condition observed during feeding is lowering food to the bottom.
