Fish Knife (family apteronotovyh) got its name from the flat tapered shape, reminiscent of the knife.Habitat of these fish - slow-moving and overgrown ponds of the Amazon Basin (Bolivia, Peru, Brazil, Colombia).The aquarium apteronotus can reach a length of 30-40 cm, and in nature - 50 cm.
Apteronotus belokaymovy (black or knife) has an elongated body, without scales, with a sharp line of the belly.In the area of the tail they located the body emits weak electrical impulses that allow the fish to protect themselves from enemies and at the same time to navigate the troubled waters.Ventral and dorsal fins had not, but well developed anal, which runs from the head to the tail.Making these undulating fin and adjusting their breast, fish-knife can move in any direction, and at the same speed (forward and backward as well as up and down).The caudal fin is fairly small.Color - velvet black, with a white line going back.On the caudal peduncle - two transverse yellowish-white stripes in the form of ribbons.Females differ from males smaller and more convex belly.Males may be present on the back of his head a little fat lump.
Black knife - fish peaceful, even timid, characterized activity at night.The peace-loving character, however, is not an obstacle in the hunt for smaller fish.Fish Knife - predator and prey to it are but trifles fish, tadpoles, worms, crustaceans.Fish species that live in muddy water and navigate it, and even at night, they can be due to electrical impulses as well as receptors located along the length of the body.When moving fish knife creates an electromagnetic field, which allows her to feel the prey, which is in any direction.
aquarium fish knife for its contents requires an aquarium of 200 liters or above with strong aeration peat filter, water temperature 24-28oC, with a pH of 6-7, stiffness of 2-10o.They like privacy, so they need a private shelter in the form of snags, decorate tubes or pots.Water change should be carried out once a week, up to 35% of the aquarium.Apteronotus belokaymovy susceptible to ich.Please be aware that the treatment of this disease in any case is not recommended to use drugs, which include zinc.
When the content of the aquarium fish is desirable to create conditions close to natural.Between males there are often clashes, so cover for them should be sufficient.Keep in mind the size of the fish knives and commensurate with the size of other species of fish: small fish are taken for food, and too mobile and aggressive neighbors give them inconvenience.For apteronotus absolutely incompatible with the barbs that may cause them irreparable harm, gnawing their fins.
Fish knife prefers to feed on live foods: insects, Tubifex, fry of other fish, squid, shrimp, or larvae.It can be given small pieces of meat.By the artificial feed accustomed reluctantly, but with some effort to achieve this is possible.The best time feeding the fish - in the evening.
apteronotusy reach sexual maturity at the age of one to one and a half years.Spawning collected 2 males and 1 female.Spawning usually occurs at the jet of water created by the pump with the spray (especially their set at the time), in the morning, in the hours before dawn.Fertility can be up to 500 eggs.The eggs are relatively large, yellowish, slabokleykaya.Spawning occurs in the crevices between the stones, driftwood or decorations.The larvae emerge from the eggs after two or three days, and after 5-6 days can already swim and eat on their own small plankton.From the second month of fry are encouraged to provide a sufficient number of individual shelters, or they may chew off the caudal peduncle at each other during a fight.
