The Mosquito Fish (Gambusia Affinis) looks very much like a female guppy except it doesn't have any color. They will even grow to the same size as a guppy.
Setting Up The Tank
You don't need a big tank for these fish. However, they are somewhat dominant so you don't want to keep them with a delicate finned tank whose fins will get ripped and may even become infected. Filtration also isn't very important. In fact, if you have either an Aquaclear or an Emperor filter, you'll need to cover the intake tubes with nylon stockings so that if your fish gives birth their young won't get sucked into the filter. The pH does need to stay between 7 and 8 without extremes. Lots of plants are a great addition. Temperature is another thing that's unimportant as these fish can stand cold water up to warm water. In fact, a basic community setup will be within a 10 to 12 gallon, 2 ft. tank with an air driven corner box, lots of java moss and about 10 fish.
Behavior
These Livebearer fish interact socially by chasing one another around the tank. Usually the biggest male is the most dominant and will chase other males away from the females. Sometimes they will set up as many as three different schools within the same tank for this reason.
Feeding
The Mosquito fish has gotten its name because of the large amounts of mosquito larvae that it will eat (why they've been introduced into so many bodies of water today). While in captivity you'll want to feed them tropical fish flakes but you can also give them a treat of mosquito larvae, which will give them all the nutrients that they need. Brine shrimp can also be good but they are expensive.
Setting Up The Tank
You don't need a big tank for these fish. However, they are somewhat dominant so you don't want to keep them with a delicate finned tank whose fins will get ripped and may even become infected. Filtration also isn't very important. In fact, if you have either an Aquaclear or an Emperor filter, you'll need to cover the intake tubes with nylon stockings so that if your fish gives birth their young won't get sucked into the filter. The pH does need to stay between 7 and 8 without extremes. Lots of plants are a great addition. Temperature is another thing that's unimportant as these fish can stand cold water up to warm water. In fact, a basic community setup will be within a 10 to 12 gallon, 2 ft. tank with an air driven corner box, lots of java moss and about 10 fish.
Behavior
These Livebearer fish interact socially by chasing one another around the tank. Usually the biggest male is the most dominant and will chase other males away from the females. Sometimes they will set up as many as three different schools within the same tank for this reason.
Feeding
The Mosquito fish has gotten its name because of the large amounts of mosquito larvae that it will eat (why they've been introduced into so many bodies of water today). While in captivity you'll want to feed them tropical fish flakes but you can also give them a treat of mosquito larvae, which will give them all the nutrients that they need. Brine shrimp can also be good but they are expensive.
No comments:
Post a Comment