A beautiful aquarium fish of the akara, its specific name, translated from Latin as a "stream", was received thanks to a wavy pearl-turquoise color of stigmas and gill covers. For a long time this species was referred to the genus Aequidens, but the difference between green, blue and turquoise akars is so obvious that they were isolated in a separate genus. However, until now there are reports of new types of cancer, so it is likely that another new genus may appear.
The historical homeland of the cancer is the basin of the Rio Esmeraldas River, the waters of the extreme north-west of Peru. Today, the akars are one of the most common cichlids in aquariums, which they began to contain since the 70s of the last century.
Description
Akars are big beautiful fishes with complaisant, peace-loving character. Their length sometimes reaches 30 centimeters. Taurus of diamond acary is powerful, with flattened sides, high. Fish are painted in silver with a turquoise tint, and in the center of the body there is a spot of dark color and irregular shape. Males are slightly lighter in color than females. His head is large, with expressive eyes. Caudal and dorsal fins are edged with a strip of yellow or orange color. There are individuals with pale yellow and even white color, as well as black-banded akars, which have received the nickname "zebra".
They are not timid, they get used to the master quickly enough and even distinguish it from other people. There are cases when the akars, which were kept in the aquarium for a long time, even allowed themselves to be stroked by hand. Adult males are distinguished by long anal and dorsal fins elongated into the scythe, and a fatty growth occurs on the forehead.
Content
In the content, bluish-spotted silvery akara is not demanding. All that is necessary for a comfortable life for these fish is aeration, regular water substitution (not more than 30%) and filtration. It's better if you get an aquarium with a capacity of at least 150 liters to contain a pair of cancer. It should be equipped with stones, pebble shingles and driftwood. When the akars spawn, they begin to dig holes actively. You should be prepared for the fact that even plants with a powerful root system will be excavated. To prevent this situation, you can overlay plants planted in pots, large stones. Many experienced aquarists prefer to decorate the dwelling of fish with plastic algae.
It is not recommended to keep cancer and astronotus in the same tank, since fighting in this case can not be avoided. How many live akara, you can not say for sure, because it depends on the habitat and the size of the fish. There are cases when the akars in the aquarium lived 10-12 years.
Like the more tender species of tsekhlid, the akars are prone to certain diseases. So, most often there are such diseases in cancer as fin rot and dropsy. To avoid this, water must be replaced at least once a week. Dirty water is the cause of dermatomycosis, ascites.
Reproduction
At a cancer the maturity comes in five-seven months. A group of young individuals easily creates strong pairs. Principal values of water for breeding cancer do not have. These fish can spawn both in spawning and in a common aquarium. A couple first selects a suitable substrate (ceramic pot, snag or flat stone), carefully cleans it. Even if it was not found, the fish will clear the bottom and spawn on the glass. During the spawning period, the akars are very aggressive and constantly guard their territory from uninvited guests. A female can throw up to three hundred eggs. For the offspring, both parents are carefully looked after, flapping the fins with a fin. Then the larvae are transported from place to place in pits more than once,