Pond Fish Encyclopedia › Sterlet
The sterlet is a small sturgeon with a slender, upturned snout, often adorned with light-colored bony plates. It is the sturgeon best suited to medium-sized garden ponds.
Aquifood Sturgeon Sinking Food
Fact Sheet: Sterlet
| Scientific name | Acipenser ruthenus |
|---|---|
| Family | Acipenseridae |
| Adult size | 40 to 60 cm in a pond (up to 1 m in the wild) |
| Lifespan | 20 to 30 years |
| Hardiness | Hardy |
| Recommended pond | From 5,000 litres, highly oxygenated |
| Behaviour | Peaceful, swims at the bottom and along the walls |
| Diet | Sinking food for sturgeon, worms, larvae |
| Reproduction | Not in a pond |
| Good companions | Koi, goldfish, roach |
Our advice for keeping it
- Like all sturgeon, it needs cool, highly oxygenated water.
- Feed it in the evening, at the bottom, when the other fish are less active.
- Avoid nets or grates where its snout could get caught.
The equipment that makes the difference
Whatever the species, healthy water depends on three pillars: filtration suited to the volume, good oxygenation and regular water testing. In summer, oxygen is the leading cause of mortality in pond fish: an air pump is an inexpensive safeguard.
Would you like to see them swimming before choosing? Our pond fish are presented in real conditions at our aquatic garden centre near Brussels. Availability, acclimatisation, cohabitation: the Aquifarm team will answer your questions.
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