Chameleon fish. Why a chameleon? Badis Badis or Chameleon Fish (Badis badis) Chameleon Fish

Badis are contained in a small aquarium with a volume of 40-50 liters. Lay out soil from sand or gravel at the bottom, establish a sufficient number of shelters. You can create a semblance of a natural biotope by wrapping a reservoir in Javanese moss, Anubias, or Thai fern. Twigs, driftwood, leaves will help create natural scenery.

Badises do not like bright lighting and open space, so it is recommended to plant floating plants in the aquarium, and add shelters in the form of coconuts and clay nests to the bottom. Permissible parameters of the aquatic environment: water temperature 20-25 degrees Celsius, acidity 6.0-7.5 pH, water hardness is average. Badis badis is a heat-resistant species that gets used to temperature extremes. A rise in water temperature by several degrees and a large number of shelters are an incentive for spawning.

Badis fish is a timid creature, slow and shy. It is better to keep them in a separate aquarium, in a calm and stable environment. If shrimps live with them, then their badis can eat their fry. Within the family, aggressive behavior is also manifested, it is better to settle several females on one male. Their temper is calmed by soft light and "houses" where it is possible to hide from vanity.

Breeding

To breed Badis, you need a 20-liter aquarium densely planted with plants, put a pot or flat stone in it. Lighting should be dim. The temperature of the water in the aquarium should be at 26 ° C, pH 6.5, dH up to 7 ° .. In the aquarium should be only one pair of manufacturers. Some males build holes in the sand before spawning. Spawning occurs either in a pot or on a stone.

Males behave aggressively and protect the territory. The male takes care of the eggs and in the future about the fry. Therefore, immediately after spawning, the female can be deposited. Larvae appear after 48 hours. After 7 days, the fry can be fed with Artemia larvae. The juveniles are inactive and constantly kept at the bottom.

In fact, this type of fish is very prolific, and you can breed them continuously.

Feeding

Wild badises feed on worms, insects, larvae and zooplankton. Aquarium fish badises are unpretentious, they eat live and frozen food: daphnia, coretra, artemia. Artificial feeds are not particularly welcome, although some pets get used to it. The more diverse the diet, the stronger their health and the brighter the color of the body.

It is important to ensure that the neighbors do not take away food, because the badises are shy. They can become infected with gastrointestinal tract inflammation if they feed with a tubule or bloodworm. Small catfishes as neighbors will not take away food, but rather eat the undernourished.

Chameleon fish: description

The nickname "chameleon" is a small freshwater fish received because of its ability to change color under the influence of external conditions. It can change its color from orange to dark blue and even purple.

Often, metallic shades are also present in the coloration. This quality allows the aquatic animal to adapt to the basic color of the natural aquatic environment and objects in the bottom layer.

• The fish is small in size: from 6 to 8 cm long.
• The body of the individuals is oval, flattened on the sides, the line of the body smoothly passes into the head with small black eyes and a small mouth.
• The dorsal fin is dense, long and rather high; it stretches along the entire back, only slightly reaching the tail.
• The pectoral fins are small but powerful.
• The tail of the fish has a semicircular fan-shaped shape, which helps the "chameleon" to move quickly.

Sexual characteristics of individuals of the species are expressed quite distinctly.

Females are much paler than males, their fins are transparent, and in males they are painted the color of the body. In addition, females are slightly smaller than their partners.

Chameleon fish in aquarium

Badises are considered unpretentious when living in captivity. In principle, they can be successfully maintained by a novice aquarist. Since the fish is small, it can even live in a nano-aquarium (unless, of course, it is planned to contain other aquatic decorative animals).

Alone, the "chameleon" is unlikely to be fun, but in the company of 2-3 females, he will feel great. Therefore, for such a flock you need an aquarium with a capacity of 40 liters or more. Naturally, it is required to maintain appropriate fresh water parameters, namely:

The bottom of the aquarium should be decorated with driftwood, convex fragments of clay cups or pots, small stone grottoes, coconut shells.

All items listed will be places suitable for subsequent spawning.

Chameleon fish do not like bright light, so floating plants can be placed on the surface of the aquarium, providing partial shading. If there is no vegetation, then the light should be dimmed.

Biofiltration is a necessary condition for maintenance. It is also necessary to organize moderate aeration and weekly water changes in the volume of ¼ of the total amount. It is also necessary to siphon the soil carefully about once every 2 weeks, cleaning it of the remains of fish activity.

Compatibility

Many experienced badis owners strongly recommend keeping these “Asians” in species aquariums. This circumstance is associated with increased aggression of males in the spawning period.

However, if the aquarium is large enough and it has a place for its own territory, then Badis badis can quite get along with decorative fish of about the same size.

There is a positive experience of coexistence of badises with small catfish, neon, some haracin.

Gender differences

It is very easy to distinguish a male from a female, females are smaller, paler colored, and noticeably fuller than males. Unfortunately, they import more often than males, as they are bright and sell better.

It comes from Southeast Asia from the territory of modern India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand. It lives in shallow rather muddy sections of rivers with a slow course and plentiful vegetation. The bottom is usually viscous, silty littered with numerous branches, foliage and other woody remains.

Brief information:

• The volume of the aquarium is from 50 liters.
• Temperature - 20-24 ° C
• PH value - 6.0–7.5
• Water hardness - soft and medium hard (3–15 dGH)
• Type of substrate - sand and gravel
• Lighting - dim / moderate
• Brackish water - no
• Water movement - weak or absent
• The size of the fish is up to 5 cm.
• Food - any food
• Temperament - relatively peaceful
• Content alone or in a pair male / female

Description

Adults reach a length of up to 6 cm. Coloring is variable and depends on the environment, it can vary from orange to blue or purple. A similar feature is reflected in the name of the fish - "Chameleon". Males are somewhat larger than females and are colored brighter, especially in the mating season.

Nutrition

They belong to carnivorous species, however, the breeders managed to accustom Badis to dry food, so there will be no problems with feeding in the home aquarium. It is recommended to include live or frozen meat products (bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp) in the diet, which contribute to the manifestation of a better color.

Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium

The size of the aquarium for one or a pair of fish starts from 50 liters. The design uses sand and gravel substrate, shade-loving rooting and clusters of floating plants, as well as shelters in the form of branches and roots of trees, various driftwood. As future spawning grounds, you can use decorative objects forming grottoes, caves, or simple ceramic pots, overturned on their sides.
  Optimum conditions of detention are achieved with low or medium levels of lighting and a weak internal flow. The water temperature should be no higher than 23-24 ° C. The equipment is configured based on these conditions, in some cases you can do without a heater. Hydrochemical indicators of pH and dGH have wide acceptable values \u200b\u200band are not so critical.
  Maintenance of the aquarium is reduced to regular cleaning of soil from organic waste, weekly replacement of part of the water (10-15% of the volume) with fresh.

Behavior and Compatibility

Calm and slow fish, so you should avoid sharing with active and / or large species that can intimidate Badis. But miniature cyprinids such as Rasbora Harlequin, Rasbora Espes and the like, as well as small flocks of haracinovy \u200b\u200bcan become wonderful neighbors.
  Intraspecific relationships are based on the dominance of an alpha male in a particular territory. In a small aquarium, it is worth keeping only one male mated to a female. If there are several males, they can arrange fierce battles among themselves.

Breeding / breeding

The appearance of fry is quite possible in a common aquarium, Badis chameleon has well-developed parental instincts, like other labyrinth fish, therefore it will take care and protect future offspring.
  Spawning occurs in shelters like caves, under the arch of which eggs are located. The ceramic pots overturned on the side are very suitable for this role. With the beginning of the mating season, the male acquires a more saturated dark color, the behavior becomes quite belligerent if someone violates the boundaries of his territory, the center of which is the spawning ground. The male attempts to literally drag the female to his shelter, if she is ready, then succumb to his requirements.
When eggs are laid, the female leaves the cave, and the male remains to guard the clutch and fry until they swim freely. This is not required from one to one and a half weeks. Then the male loses interest in them and it is advisable to transfer the young to a separate tank with identical conditions.

Fish disease

The main reason for most diseases is inappropriate conditions and poor quality food. If the first symptoms are detected, you should check the water parameters and the presence of high concentrations of hazardous substances (ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, etc.), if necessary, bring the indicators back to normal and only then proceed with treatment. For more information on symptoms and treatment, see “

Badis badis (Badis badis) or chameleon fish - not a very common pet in home aquariums.   Despite its miniature size and beautiful color, few people know about it. Can be kept in nano aquariums. Badis is a fish that belongs to the Nandidae family and is its only species. Three subspecies are known: Badis badis, Badis burmanicus, Badis siamensis. They all differ in color, the former have a bluish-brown and bluish-gray body, the latter has a red color of scales. All badises are able to change color, not just because they were called "chameleons."

Previously, the fish of the Nandidae family lived all over the world, but they remained only in the water bodies of Africa, Asia and South America. They prefer rivers and streams with a slow course, where they are well camouflaged. Most of their lives are spent in fallen leaves and snags. They are difficult to meet in nature due to the excellent disguise for the environment. The body of males has a size of 5-7 cm, females are slightly smaller. Sexual dimorphism is expressed - females are small, with a pale color of scales, more rounded than males. Aquarists prefer to buy males because of the brighter color.

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Conditions of detention

Badis are contained in a small aquarium with a volume of 40-50 liters. Lay out soil from sand or gravel at the bottom, establish a sufficient number of shelters. You can create a semblance of a natural biotope by wrapping a reservoir in Javanese moss, Anubias, or Thai fern. Twigs, driftwood, leaves will help create natural scenery.

Look at what Badis badis looks like.

Badises do not like bright lighting and open space, so it is recommended to plant floating plants in the aquarium, and add shelters in the form of coconuts and clay pots to the bottom. Permissible parameters of the aquatic environment: water temperature 20-25 degrees Celsius, acidity 6.0-7.5 pH, water hardness is average. Badis badis is a heat-resistant species that gets used to temperature extremes. A rise in water temperature by several degrees and a large number of shelters are an incentive for spawning.

Badis fish is a timid creature, slow and shy. It is better to keep them in a separate aquarium, in a calm and stable environment. If shrimps live with them, then their badis can eat their fry. Within the family, aggressive behavior is also manifested, it is better to settle several females on one male. Their temper is calmed by soft light and "houses" where it is possible to hide from vanity.

Feeding

Wild badises feed on worms, insects, larvae and zooplankton. Aquarium fish badises are unpretentious, they eat live and frozen food: daphnia, coretra, artemia. Artificial feeds are not particularly welcome, although some pets get used to it. The more diverse the diet, the stronger their health and the brighter the color of the body.

Look at the badises in the same shrimp aquarium.

It is important to ensure that the neighbors do not take away food, because the badises are shy. They can become infected with gastrointestinal tract inflammation if they feed with a tubule or bloodworm. Small catfishes as neighbors will not take away food, but rather eat the undernourished.

Breeding rules

Breeding is possible in a separate breeding ground with a volume of 20 liters, where there are dense plants and dim lighting. Water temperature rises to 28-30 degrees, the acidity of water is acceptable 6.5 pH, hardness 7 dH. A female or several females are hooked to him.

At the beginning of spawning, males become active, show their colors in front of females, and invite them to their territory. The body takes on an almost black color, the fins sharply turn blue. Male and female touch each other with their lips, hiding in shelter.

Young females lay 30-100 small and sticky eggs, after laying they are planted. Badis male takes care of the offspring. Enhances the flow of water, fanning caviar with fins. Larvae of fry appear in a day, and begin to swim in a week. When they begin to swim on their own, it is better to drop them off from their parents, otherwise they will be eaten. The body of the fry is almost transparent, black spots on the head and tail stand out. The initial food for badis' babies is microworms, food for fry, later naupilia of brine shrimp can be added.

Homeland - clean rivers and standing reservoirs of the Indian Peninsula.

Description

They reach a size of 6 cm, females are smaller. The body is relatively short, laterally compressed, the back is slightly convex, the abdomen is somewhat concave, the head is relatively small, and the dorsal fin is long. This species has many geographical forms.

The fish got its name for its ability to change color (especially males differ in this), which depends on mood, physiological condition, environmental conditions and can be gray, gray-yellow, brownish, bluish, greenish or black with a violet-blue tint and a mosaic pattern from silver, blue-black and reddish scales. The fish is either completely invisible on the ground, then suddenly darkens to the color of coal, then transverse stripes are suddenly marked. Hiding in a cave where he guards the offspring, the male periodically comes up literally every time with a new brilliant color. The back is from olive to black and blue, his belly is greenish or bluish. On the back, a dark spot in a light fringing is sometimes visible. The fins are yellowish green, bluish or dark blue. The caudal fin is with a red or green stripe and a pinkish edge. A large head with a deep mouth cut. From the mouth through the eye to the beginning of the tail there is a black thin stripe. The color of the male is characterized by an iron sheen and the frequent alternation of a wide range of colors. Its fins are more powerful than those of females and have elongated ends of the dorsal and anal fins, the old males are somewhat curved in an onion shape, their abdomen is hollow. He is especially beautiful during spawning: dark brown, almost black, with shiny red, blue, green alternating dots. The fins are bright blue with a pearly shimmer. On the side of young fish, 6-10 dark transverse stripes are often visible. Females are smaller, faded, they have no blue color in the fins, the abdomen is distinctly convex.

Get along with any non-predatory species. While the females snoop back and forth all the time, exploring the aquarium, the males very quickly determine their small area around one of the shelters and leave it only to feed themselves. The males are territorial and aggressive in relation to each other, fierce fights between them often end in suicide. A single male in a common aquarium is very aggressive, it is better to keep one male and several females, arrange several caves from halves of a coconut. You can combine it with similar, territorial inhabitants of the bottom only in a large aquarium. Fishes lead a hidden lifestyle, do not like societies of other species, it is better to keep them separately in aquariums with diffuse lighting, with plenty of shelters and plants.

If the shelters are too deep, then you are unlikely to be able to see your pets. Dense plants and small grottoes of Badis give a feeling of complete safety, and also do not completely hide from view, which is natural for these fish. Needs soil of thin sand. Stone structures and driftwood, providing many shelters and at the same time designed to delimit the territory.

Water is replaced gradually, in small portions. They eat exclusively live food.

Breeding

They become sexually mature at 4-6 months. Spawning can take place in a common aquarium. Eggs are laid in the cavity of the flower pot or on its surface, as well as on stones covered with plants. Some males prepare spawning grounds in the sand in the form of small pits. Male takes care of eggs and fry. If the brood is completely left in the aquarium, then, depending on the capacity of the aquarium itself, only some, stronger males who have allocated their territory develop normally. dH 5-20 °; pH 6.0-7.5; T 20-26 ° C.

Today, chameleon fish is widespread in amateur domestic ponds because of its relative unpretentiousness. It belongs to the Badian family (Nandidae) and the perch-like squad, has the nickname “chameleon fish” because of the ability to quickly change body color in stressful situations, when breeding or depending on the environment that surrounds it. There are 3 subspecies of badis-badis, differing in color: badis is simple and Siamese (with a brown or gray-blue hue), Burmese (reddish).

Sources say that earlier the badis-badis fish was distributed throughout the world, but now it lives in South America, Africa, Thailand, Pakistan, Nepal, as well as in a huge number of tributaries of the Ganges.

Chameleon fish love ponds and streams with slow flow or stagnant water. The bulk of their lives are disguised. The fish hide under the fallen leaves and driftwood lying at the bottom of the pond, and also due to the natural ability of badis-badis changes color and mimics the environment.

The body length of the male fish reaches 6 cm, the female has a slightly smaller size.

Appearance

A chameleon fish is able to dramatically change the color scheme of its body from bright orange to dark purple or blue. In its color, a metallic shade can be observed, which allows the aquatic individual to adapt to the environment, and successfully hide from predators.

Distinctive features:

• a small body length is 5-6 cm, however single representatives of this species can reach 8 cm;
• the fish has an oval shape, oblate in the lateral parts. The body goes directly to the head, on which are located small black eyes and mouth;
• the fish have a high fin, almost to the tail;
• strong pectoral fins of medium size;
• fan-shaped and semicircular tail, allowing individuals to quickly move in the water column.

Badis-badis fish will be very comfortable living in aquariums with a volume of at least 40 liters with a gravel or sandy bottom, where shelters are located. It is also recommended to plant biotope plants growing to the decor, such as:

• anubias
• thai fern;

To create maximum conditions for aquatic chameleons, it will be necessary to additionally establish the attributes that bring a home reservoir to your favorite, natural habitat of Badis Badis:

• dried leaves;
• driftwood;
• coconuts
• branches
• floating plants;
• pots.

It is also recommended to pay attention to the following water parameters: average and 6-7.5 with a temperature that can freely fluctuate for a short time period from 15-25 ℃, without creating discomfort. In warm water, fish will breed offspring.

Badis badis in the aquarium:

Compatibility

By nature, chameleon fish are slow and shy. They regularly hide behind foliage and snags, and also change their body color, so they are best off in a separate aquarium, without neighbors. They can eat small shrimps and fry, because of this it is better not to let them into a container with miniature inhabitants.

If nevertheless the aquarist has expressed a desire to place neighbors to them, then it is recommended to choose peaceful fish:

• characins;
• neon
• erythrosonuses;
• small catfish.

But it is better to refuse from outwardly similar or with similar habits of fish. Badis will not get along with neighbors with apistograms and the like.

How to distinguish a female from a male

Females and males of chameleon fish have their own distinctive features. Females have a pale color, a small fullness, they are smaller in size relative to the opposite sex. They also have transparent fins, while males have flesh-colored ones. However, more males are subjected to import, because their brightness and colorful colors attract buyers better.

Nutrition

In nature, badis badis fish eat zooplankton with pleasure: insects, worms, and larvae living in water, so when they get into a domestic pond, they can refuse store food, but some individuals get used to it over time.

• daphnia;
• coretra;
• artemia.

The more varied food for fish of this species, the brighter will be the color of its body. It is also worth paying attention to the choice of neighbors for them, because they are shy, so some fish can take food from chameleons.

Chameleon fish are prone to inflammatory processes inside the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), so it is better not to use complementary foods: tubule, bloodworms, or qualitatively wash them before serving.

Breeding

The incentive for throwing eggs is a slight increase in the temperature of the aquarium fluid, and an increased amount of live feed. Chameleon fish spawn freely in domestic waters with a large number of shelters, hiding their offspring in them. They are able to breed both as a couple and as a whole family, therefore they are easy to breed. Each male before spawning will prepare a separate shelter for himself, because he, as a male representative, protects his fry.

The survival rate of small badises is quite high, regardless of the temperature of the water and the fish living in the neighborhood, however, to increase survival, it is worth transplanting them to another container.

If the male is ready to spawn, he becomes aggressive and invites the female to his territory. At this moment, the fish changes color to an unforgettable black color with blue, luminous fins. For chameleons in the mating season, lip-coupling is typical, where the male practically absorbs the female and drags her into a prepared place for spawning.

For 1 spawning, the female is able to lay up to 100 eggs, then she can be transplanted into another container, and the male will continue to take care of the cubs. After 2-3 days, the fry begin to hatch, and after a week they will swim. Naturally, the first 7 days they do not leave the shelter, and starting from 2 weeks, it is recommended to transfer them to another aquarium so that adult badis-badis do not eat them.

The initial food for the Badis Badis fry is commercial food and microworms, and after a few weeks you can pour on them naupelia of brine shrimp.

Chameleon fish hiding:

The mobile and vibrant chameleon fish are easy to care for and maintain, so they deserve a place in domestic ponds. They will give it an unusual look and will delight with colorful bodies. However, it is worth observing them and noticing the appearance of offspring in time so that the calves do not become live food for adults, and it is also recommended that you carefully consider the choice of nutrients and the neighborhood, because shy fish are prone to gastrointestinal diseases and eating any zooplankton placed in the oral cavity.