It's not a fish, it swims. The main reasons why the fish in the aquarium lie at the bottom, and how to deal with it

3.01.2020 at 19:07 · VeraSchegoleva · 370

10 Interesting Fish Facts You Might Not Know

The earth is covered with water by 71%. - the indigenous inhabitants of these expanses of water, which, over billions of years of evolution, have fully adapted to the conditions environment. They learned to get oxygen from the water, to hunt and find food, to live in various types reservoirs, attack and disguise.

On the this moment scientists know more than 35 thousand species of fish. But this is not the limit, because every year more and more new species are discovered, surprising with their diversity. A whole branch of science called ichthyology is devoted to the study of these creatures. Today's rating is dedicated to the most interesting facts about fish.

10. New species are constantly emerging

Thanks to ichthyologists, every year mankind discovers about five hundred inhabitants of rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. The great work that scientists do every year and every day is bearing fruit. Around the world, there are reports of the discovery of previously unknown species of fish.

For example, in Tasmania alone, in 2018, one hundred new underwater inhabitants. In addition to new ones, the list of existing ones is also expanding. So, in the Gulf of Mexico found the new kind sharks, and found a variety of puffer fish.

9. Sizes from 7.9mm to 20m


In addition to diversity, fish are able to surprise with their size. Everyone knows how huge they can be ferocious predators seas - sharks. The largest individual reaches twenty meters. We know this giant as the whale shark., she loves to bask in tropical waters and does not pose a danger to humans. Her diet includes only plankton and she is indifferent to human meat.

Despite its formidable size, it is a fairly friendly fish and will even allow an impudent diver to ride on its back.

The smallest fish, whose body has a modest size of 7.9 mm in length, lives in Indonesia.

8. More than half of vertebrate species are descended from fish


Evolution is a very long, mysterious and complex process. Living beings adapted to new living conditions, acquired or lost abilities. It is known that more than half of vertebrate species are descended from fish. Most likely, this happened in the Paleozoic, which began 541 million years ago. This era lasted for almost 300 million years.

Fish have learned to “walk” for seabed, under water and, coming out on land, only continued a long evolutionary path.

7. Three types of reproduction


Reproduction is characteristic of all living beings on the planet. The simplest formulation of this complex process is the reproduction of one's own kind. Usually, a species has one specific type of reproduction. But the fish surprise us in this too, having three different kind self-reproduction.

The first type, familiar to us, is bisexual reproduction. With it, it is easy to determine who is male and who is female. The roles are distributed clearly, each sex performs only its reproductive functions.

The second type is hermaphroditism. In this case, more surprising things happen to us and the sex of the individual changes during life. Having been born, for example, as a male, a fish, by a certain age, is rebuilt and then lives and functions as an absolutely full-fledged female.

The third type is called gynogenesis. This is a process in which the spermatozoon performs only the function of starting reproductive system, and is not a prerequisite for reproduction.

6. Some fish can change sex


Pisces do not need to change sex surgical intervention. Some species have a special body structure in which their sex changes throughout life.. Such a system prevails, for example, in sea ​​bass and wrasses.

5. The seahorse is the only fish that swims vertically.


Skates are small marine fish, whose genus includes up to 57 species. Seahorses got their unusual name because of the resemblance to a chess piece. lovers warm water live in the tropics and are afraid cold water which could destroy them.

But their most remarkable feature is that they do not move like everyone else. If all fish swim strictly horizontally, then seahorses stand out from the general mass, moving exclusively vertically.

4. Patty - long-lived eel, age 88


Another amazing fish that looks a lot like a snake is called the European eel. This snake-like fish is even capable of covering short distances on land.

For a long time, the eel was considered a representative of viviparous fish because of the inability to find fry and spawning grounds. One of the representatives of this species was caught in 1860 in the Sargasso Sea and placed in a museum aquarium in Sweden. The approximate age at capture was three years. This living exhibit was even given a very cute name- Patty. The most surprising thing in his biography is that he died only in 1948, becoming longest-lived fish, living as long as 88 years.

3. The sailboat sails at speeds up to 100 km/h


fish with beautiful name the sailboat lives in tropical and temperate waters of all oceans existing on Earth. It got its name thanks to the dorsal fin, very similar to the sail of a ship. The fin can be twice as high as the fish itself.

sailboat reaches three meters long and weighs up to 100 kilograms. The fish is a real speed record holder, gaining up to one hundred kilometers per hour. Streamlining of the body, coupled with a retractable fin and vigorous tail movements, helps to achieve such high values.

2. Piranha is the most dangerous fish


Fish, terrifying on many people and became the hero of horror films and thrillers. Piranha is considered to be the most dangerous fish living on earth. The name comes from the Indian language and literally translates as sawfish. These monsters have more than 50 varieties, but all live only in the waters of South America.

Exactly imitating sharks, piranhas are able to feel the blood in the water. even if it's just a drop at a great distance from them. The powerful jaws of these monsters are capable of tearing out pieces of meat from the victim, and a flock of such fish will tear apart a large cattle within minutes. But alone, the fish are very shy and can lose consciousness from a loud and sudden noise.

1. One of the early symbols of Christianity


One of the earliest symbols of Christianity was the familiar fish.. The fact is that, translated from the ancient Greek language, the fish sounds like "ichthys", which is an abbreviation. “Ichthys” is deciphered as a phrase, the approximate translation of which means “ Jesus Christ God's Son Savior”.

The appearance of such a mysterious message is associated with the persecution of early Christians by the Romans. The laws of that time prohibited the promotion of Christianity, the open practice of this religion, the creation and wearing of symbols that indicated belonging to the faith.

The image of a fish was a secret sign indicating a person's religion. The symbol was applied to clothes, body and dwellings, and was also depicted in caves where secret services took place.

The fish is often featured in scripture and in many stories. The most famous story, related to fish, tells how one fish ate great amount hungry people. In that era, Christians were also compared with fish, who followed the stream of faith in the waters of eternal life.

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There are many in the oceans amazing creatures that can turn our understanding of the animal world. Some of them are fish from the bat family, which swim poorly and reluctantly, but instead can walk along the bottom, using their fins as legs.

Bats are small heat-loving fish, whose size does not exceed 35 centimeters. The appearance of these fish is quite unusual: a huge head compared to the body, eyes looking forward and a mouth with fleshy lips, which in some species have a very bright color. On top of that, their pectoral fins I have an uncharacteristic appearance for fish. The dorsal and caudal fins of these fish are quite ordinary, but the pairs of pectoral and ventral fins serve to walk along the bottom. The posterior ventral fins of bats are somewhat reminiscent of the paws of frogs.


Bats, and there are more than 30 species in total, live in tropical and subtropical latitudes of the oceans. They lead a benthic lifestyle and live at a depth of 30 to 1000 meters, depending on the species. Bats are predators that prey on small fish, crustaceans and marine invertebrates. But they are passive predators that prefer to hide or burrow into the ground, waiting for their prey at the bottom. Many species have an unusual growth on their heads that secrete special substances and serve as bait for small fish. Bats are solitary bats that rarely venture beyond their habitat on the seafloor.


Ternetia have good resistance to various diseases, but poor care and improper living conditions adversely affect their health.

The owner needs not only to know how to cure the fish from a particular disease, but also to understand what caused the unpleasant misfortune.

To get rid of a particular disease, it is necessary to establish an optimal environment for the fish or apply certain medicines.

Floats sideways or tumbles sideways

Sometimes aquarists notice that one of the fish cannot stay in one position for a long time: it seems to fall on its side on its own. During swimming, incomprehensible deviations are also observed, it can swim sideways or make unnatural movements.


To prevent the disease, it is necessary to carefully monitor the sanitary treatment of plants, soil and shelters.

New fish should be placed in a quarantine tank first to rule out the possibility of infection.

In some cases, Ternetia fall on their side with tuberculosis. As a rule, it is useless to treat the affected individuals - they should be immediately removed from the aquarium.

Growth on the lip

If a black dot appears on Ternetia's jaw, which soon turns into a noticeable tubercle, then this may be a sign of various diseases. If the fish behaves as usual, does not lose appetite and mobility, then the growth is most likely a tumor that is best left untouched. If desired, the growth can be cut off and cauterized with betadine, but doing this at home is problematic.

If black dots began to pour out all over the body, then Ternetia is affected by a fungus(often this is how ichthyosporidiosis manifests itself). The diseased individual should be deposited in a separate container and treated with fungicides, for example, parachlorophenoxytol. Its dosage is about 1 gram per 1 liter, and the treatment solution must be added to the water at the rate of 40 ml per 1 liter of the aquarium. The solution is poured several times within 3 days, after which all the water is replaced and the condition of the fish is observed.

A preventive measure, as in the previous case, is the processing of all foreign objects in order to prevent infection from entering the aquarium.

Growth on the head

Growths in Ternetia can appear not only on the lips, but also on the head, sometimes they affect the change in the shape of the fish as a whole.


An outgrowth on the head at the veil thorn.

If the individual behaves normally, eats well and swims actively, then the reason may be a banal overpopulation of the aquarium: at least 10 liters should fall on one fish. In this case, it is worth unloading the container, or providing more thorough care.

If Ternetia are contained in good conditions, then the growth is most likely of a fungal origin. In this case, the fish must be placed in quarantine and treated with special baths. For 1 liter of settled water add 1 tsp. soda and 2 drops of iodine, after which they let the fish in there for a couple of hours. This procedure is recommended to be carried out every other day for a week, after which Ternetia, as a rule, recovers and can be in a common aquarium.

Floats upside down

This behavior often indicates hypoxia - oxygen starvation. It is also worth considering the population of the aquarium and the quality of care. If there is a bad situation, then more strong fish damage the weak, and those, in turn, lose their sense of balance. Accordingly, the owner needs to resettle the fish or take better care of them.


Floats upside down

Some bacterial diseases cause the fish to swim unnaturally: in jerks, in a circle, twisting and leaning down (usually at an angle of 45 °).

Such individuals must be deposited in a separate container, where half of the water is taken from the aquarium, and the other half is topped up.

For treatment, the drug "SERA baktopur direct" is used (take 1 tablet per 50 liters, dissolve in a small amount of water and add to the container).

After a couple of days, half of the volume of water is changed to a new one and the medicine is added again, while for 2-3 days the fish do not need to be fed. After a few days, the symptoms should disappear.

red gills

Sometimes fish from birth have too red gills, which has nothing to do with various diseases. If the gills have changed their color with you, then this clearly indicates some kind of violation in the Ternetius habitat. First of all, you need to make sure that the water is well oxygenated and changed regularly.


It is also worth testing the water for nitrate and ammonia (testers are sold at pet stores).

Red color of the gills often indicates ammonia poisoning, so the aquarist needs to get the water readings in order.

Hexamitosis (thin filament of feces)


On the example of a gourami fish, you can see a thin thread of feces.

In addition, sores and wounds often appear on the body of the fish, and the individual itself loses its appetite, becomes lethargic and loses weight.

If the fish has suffered greatly from the disease (it almost stops swimming, refuses to eat, there are many ulcers on its body), then it is necessary to take medicines, for example, metronidazole (it can be added immediately to the general aquarium and not quarantined).

The dosage is 250 mg per 35 liters, and the drug is added every day with a simultaneous change of 15-20% of the water volume. To avoid relapse, the duration of treatment should be at least 12 days.

White dots on fins

White dots that appear on the fins and body of fish are quite common. infection(ichthyophthyroidism, "semolina").

If the disease was detected at the initial stage, then these measures are enough: after a couple of days, the tubercles disappear. In a more difficult situation, fish should be removed, salt baths should be carried out, or bicillin should be added to the water.

bulging eye

Eye bulge is another common disease in aquarium inhabitants. As a rule, it occurs due to overpopulation, which leads to rapid water pollution and an increase in the level of nitrites and phosphates.


The aquarist needs to test the water parameters and reconsider his views on the conditions of keeping the fish. If bulging eyes are accompanied by other symptoms (plaque, growths, dots), then we are talking about infectious diseases.

In what cases can it be treated in a common aquarium, and when is it better to plant a sick fish?

After any disease, the common aquarium, in any case, must be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Pathogenic bacteria can remain in the soil or on other surfaces, as a result of which relapse often occurs.

What general prophylaxis should be done to prevent the disease?

Ternetia are very resistant to diseases, however, poor care and improper conditions of detention can cause many diseases. The aquarist should avoid overpopulation and water pollution. It is also important to disinfect all foreign objects, plants and soil, and new fish must first be kept in another aquarium in quarantine. Such actions will help to avoid most diseases, and Ternetia will please its owner for a long time.

Researchers from Australia have discovered another habitat for the red shovelfish. Until recently, there were only eight such individuals in nature. It is unique in that it does not swim, but walks along the bottom with the help of its fins and does so very reluctantly. On the Internet, when they saw a fish, they fell in love with it and were a little scared of its superpowers.

AT ocean depths there are many creatures, and all of them, like people, different tempers. Someone, and someone is modest and therefore. Another embarrassment of the seabed is red spade fish.

The animals do not look very happy, and all because among the fish they are a little stranger, because they do not swim, but walk. To do this, shovel fish use their ventral fins, which they sort out along the bottom, moving quite slowly, writes the Guardian.

Until recently, scientists believed that only 20 individuals remained in the world, and they were all found in one place near the coast of Australian Tasmania. But keen eyes and a bit of luck helped the world find at least eight more of these fish.

First unusual resident The sea was noticed by an amateur diver, about which he told the University of Tasmania. The researchers immediately rushed in search of fish to the place indicated by the diver. But hours of searching went on, and they never managed to find anyone.

I already told my colleagues that now we will go up, and then, swimming through the algae, I noticed her, one of the scientists Antonia Cooper told the Guardian.

The researchers knew that spadefish lived in schools, so they searched for two more days and found eight individuals, although they suggest that there may be more in total.

It is interesting that we found them in a new habitat (a few kilometers from the known one), which means that shovel fish adapt well to changing environmental conditions and are more likely to survive.

When Internet users learned about the discovery, they first admired the beautiful fish with unusual crests, but then they got a little scared.

But so far there have been no signs of transformation into land creatures in fish, and no particular activity either. As scientists say, fish swim very little.

They swim only when they are disturbed. Then they make a dash, swim about 50 centimeters, and then stop. It is very difficult for them to move.

The fact that shovel fish really do not like to be disturbed can be seen from their face (more precisely, muzzle).

But now their worries are just beginning. The researchers want to take a few shovelfish for themselves to breed in captivity and then release them back into the ocean. Only now it is not known whether the red spade fish themselves, who have hidden their dwelling from human eyes for so long, will like it.

Every novice aquarist is faced with the problem when the fish ends up at the bottom of the aquarium and breathes heavily or does not show signs of life at all.

Why do the fish in the aquarium lie on the bottom - on the abdomen or on the side? We will tell the main reasons for this behavior in fish and consider the necessary methods to eliminate this situation.

Why did they go down, lie on their belly or on their side?

If the fish lie on the bottom, then it is possible that the volume of the aquarium is too small for them.. Very often, beginner aquarists give their preference to newfangled aquariums, without thinking about how the fish will feel. This situation can lead to poor health in the pet.

Also, the reasons for this behavior may be such circumstances:


Consider other reasons:

Change in water quality

If the fish lies at the bottom, then you need to conduct a test that will determine whether there are compounds of ammonia, nitrates, ammonium in the water, and what is the general condition of the liquid.

Water parameters to be measured:


If testing showed a deviation from the norm, then first of all it is necessary to ensure the inflow clean water by making a partial change.

You can also refresh the water with a special reagent., which quickly neutralizes harmful impurities. You can buy this reagent at any pet store.

temperature violation

Violation of the water temperature is another strong reason causing the fish to sink to the bottom. If the water has changed its temperature by about 5 degrees Celsius, then the fish receives the so-called temperature shock, which disrupts the immune system.

Sudden changes in temperature can adversely affect the fish, so it must be constant. Temperature fluctuations during the day are allowed within 2 - 4 degrees Celsius.

The water temperature in the aquarium should be around 24-27 degrees.

Diseases

If the fish sank to the bottom, but the living conditions are not disturbed, then this indicates that the fish has undergone injury or infection.

Signs of infection:


If the fish in the aquarium is not alone, then it should be removed from there and moved separately to prevent infection of the rest of the fish.

New house

One of the most common reasons for this behavior in fish is when they enter a new aquarium. where there is no required balance of the aquatic ecosystem.

Early launch causes shock in ornamental fish. In a new aquarium, the nitrogen cycle is not functioning, so the nitrite concentration often rises.

If the fish is at the bottom, you should immediately check the temperature of the water, the main parameters of the liquid, and carefully examine all the fish.

Water parameters to be tested:

  • rigidity;
  • acidity;
  • ammonia concentration;
  • ammonium concentration;
  • concentration of nitrites and nitrates.

Bottom representatives

In nature there is a kind aquarium fish, which are called bottom. For such individuals, it is normal to be at the bottom of the aquarium.

Types of bottom fish:


If the above species live in your aquarium, then you should not worry if the fish lies at the bottom, because this is its direct behavior, and everything is in order with it.

What to do?

With fish

To begin with, take a closer look at the fish: maybe it does not lie at the bottom, but studies it, is engaged in digging the soil, or, as mentioned above, this is her direct behavior.

But if the fish does not belong to the bottom and does not explore the bottom, then watch it physical condition and pay attention to the condition of the water.

If the fish at the bottom is dead, then it must be removed quickly, otherwise the process of decay will begin.. This situation can pollute the water, and this will endanger the rest of the healthy fish.

With an aquarium after the death of the inhabitant

In an aquarium where there was a dead fish, it is recommended to do a 30-40% water change, clean the filter, and wait for the restoration of the aquatic ecosystem.

If the cause of death of the fish was an infection, then it is necessary to drain the water from the aquarium and wash it, and then fill it with fresh water.

In the early days, the water may become cloudy, but this phenomenon goes away by itself. The fish can be launched in two weeks, when the water becomes clear.

Useful video

Why the fish in the aquarium lies at the bottom and what to do, the video will tell:

Conclusion

There are many different reasons why fish sink to the bottom.. It is very important for beginner aquarists to study in detail not only them, but also the rules of action in such a situation.

The most important thing is to notice problems in time, so that later it will not be too late, because the life expectancy of a pet depends on the attentiveness of the owner.