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Cuirass – information about aquarium fish

Fish from the clubhouse fish occur naturally mainly in freshwater, in free-flowing or stagnant reservoirs. Kirysy inhabit areas of South America. The exception is the type of cuirass Hoplosternum punctatumwhich occurs in the waters of Panama, Central America. Currently, they can also be found in many home aquariums. Check out what makes them so liked.

Cuirass – characteristic features

Particular species and varieties of fish from the Cuirassa family can vary greatly in size, color or even shape. Nevertheless, most of them have common, distinctive features:

  • instead of the scales, cuiras have a special armor made of bone plates that run along both sides of the body;
  • have one or two pairs of whiskers by their mouths, thanks to which they can better orientate themselves in their surroundings;
  • the dorsal and fatty fins and the pectoral fins are equipped with a beam that creates a characteristic spike;
  • most of the cuirassi have an intestinal respiration mechanism – fish can take in the atmospheric air, which is especially useful in poorly oxygenated waters;
  • all cuirassians live at the bottom, which they often dig in search of food.

Kiryski – sexual dimorphism

The difference between males and females is quite visible in cuiras. It includes not only the size but also the shape of the fish. Males are smaller than females, but have a slender shape, and their dorsal fin is even twice as long as that of females.

Cuirass – behavior

The social preferences of the cuirass depend on the subfamily to which a given species belongs. Fish Callichtyinae most of them lead a solitary life and stay in a group when they are young, most often in order to reproduce. In turn, kiryski from the subfamily Corydoradinae prefer herd life.

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Kiryski fish – types, species and varieties

The clubhouse family consists of about 200 species of fish. Most of them (around 150) are of the genus Corydoraswhich is part of one of the two subfamilies – Corydoradinae.

The common cuirass species in aquariums include:

  • kirys nakrapiany;
  • Colombian kirys;
  • kirys lamparci;
  • kirys Sterby;
  • triple cuirass.

Kiryski – reproduction and breeding

The method of reproduction of cuiras

Kiryski fish – fish with a rather interesting method of reproduction – reproduce best in groups in which males outweigh females quantitatively (2: 1). The fish build their nests from air bubbles, in which they then spawn. The eggs are stuck to the plants as close to the water surface as possible.

During breeding, the females touch the anal fins of the males and collect and then swallow the sperm found there. The latter is expelled with the help of pelvic fins into the sacs, from which the fertilized eggs are released later. Roe remains rather unattended, although in the subfamily kirysks Callichthyinae males guard the eggs.

Breeding of clubs

The cuirass, a fish that is easy to keep, requires some skill from the breeder to breed in captivity. Fish not only have to be of the right age and condition – it is also important to provide them with optimal spawning conditions. In addition, many people who breed cuirass advise to carefully observe the farms in which we buy fish – the breeder should be able to determine what they were fed, under what conditions they reproduced and what was the water temperature in the aquarium.

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Kiryski fish – aquarium conditions

Aquarium size, water temperature and pH

The minimum length of the wall of an aquarium tank for a small herd of cuiras should be from 80 to 120 cm (the greater the larger cuiras are in it). The optimal water temperature in an aquarium for cuiras is usually between 22 and 26 degrees. However, the Sterby cuirass should be provided with slightly warmer water, from 24 to 28 degrees. Its hardness should be approx. 2–12 ° n, while its pH should be approx. 6.0. The water should be changed regularly and its condition checked, as well as cleaned with a good, strong filter, because the cuiras are sensitive to any contamination.

Lighting and substrate in the aquarium

It should be remembered that the cuirass, a fish that is not fond of bright lighting, should not have a very bright aquarium. For this reason, it is worth using a slightly weaker fluorescent lamp or keeping a lot of floating plants in the aquarium. In addition, fish must be provided with plenty of hiding places, such as roots or large stones. The most important thing is that the fish have a suitable substrate in the aquarium. Due to the fact that the cuirass “dive” into the bottom, it cannot contain sharp stones and gravel. The best solution is coarse sand, which the fish will not cut themselves on.

Society for Kirysków

Any fish with similar requirements as to the water temperature, the type of substrate and the size of the tank can live with cuirass. They are non-aggressive creatures that most of the time do not pay attention to other fish.

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Cuirass is one of the most popular farmed fish. Remember, however, that due to its specific behavior, it needs an appropriate arrangement of the environment. It will be best if you decide to buy it from a proven and reputable breeding farm.