The comet fish belonging to the Karpov family is considered to be the decoration of any aquarium. In addition, this peaceful creature coexists perfectly with many equally calm neighbors.
Comet fish, the photo of which you can see below, will appeal to all lovers of underwater inhabitants with a bright color. The comet is beautiful and also unpretentious in care. This species was bred by breeding, and today it is well known throughout the world.
Species history
Until now, the birthplace of fish has not been exactly established. The comet, according to one source, appeared in the United States in the early eighties of the XIX century thanks to the efforts of the breeder Moulette. But in the book Aquaria, which was published in 1898, the comet is called a Japanese fish. It also explains that she came to America in 1872. Moreover, Mullet in his book, which was published in 1883, also confirms its Japanese origin.
Nevertheless, the Japanese do not claim to be the developers of this type. Therefore, experts are inclined to believe that Mullet derived the American species from individuals brought from Japan. Today there is no exact data on the question of which fish participated in breeding in the USA.
External features
Comet fish (aquarium) has a striking and memorable appearance. Her body is slightly elongated, with a luxurious forked tail, which is usually several times the size of the body. The price of this fish depends on its length - the longer it is, the more expensive the cost of the individual.
The elegance of the comet's appearance is added by the elongated lower and dorsal fins. The length of the fish is 18 centimeters. It belongs to the centenarians of the aquarium. With proper care, she lives 14 years. The comet fish can have a different color - from light yellow with small white spots to very dark, almost black. The color is influenced by:
- illumination of the aquarium;
- feed;
- species and number of plants;
- the presence of shaded areas.
And although the color can be quite diverse, of particular value are the fish, in which the color of the fins differs from the color of the body. Today, yellow, silver or gold individuals are common. Silver comets on the body have orange spots.
A silver comet with a bright red tail is considered very valuable. More often, this species has a red-orange body interspersed with yellow or white. Interestingly, due to lighting or nutrition, this fish is able to change its color. To keep it in its original form, you must follow the simple rules of its content. We will talk about them further.
Comet fish: contents
The comet feels quite comfortable in the general aquarium (in the presence of calm neighbors). The favorite pastime of these beauties is to dig in the ground. Despite the unpretentiousness in the content of these fish, there is one peculiarity of their behavior that can cause problems for the owner - they often jump out of the aquarium. Otherwise, the content of comets is simple. They can be kept even in small artificial ponds in the country.
Comet fish at home is contained in aquariums with a volume of at least fifty liters. The size of the tank largely depends on the density of its population, which must be taken into account. The larger the aquarium, the more comfortable your comet will feel. When increasing the number of underwater inhabitants, do not forget about aeration of water. The soil in the aquarium may be coarse sand or pebbles.
Plants
Comet fish needs large-leaved plant species. More precisely, any, but more delicate comet varieties quickly spoil them. In addition, natural waste accumulates on their surface, giving the aquarium an untidy look. Therefore, it is better to use plants with hard leaves and strong roots. The most suitable are sagittaria, egg capsule or elodea.
Lighting
Comets prefer natural lighting. At the same time, they should have shelters in which fish sometimes hide.
Temperature mode
In spring and summer, it is recommended to maintain the water temperature at about +23 ° C, and in winter it is lowered to +18 ° C. The standard acidity is 6–8 pH. If you notice that usually active fish become lethargic, add five grams of salt per liter of water to the water. Weekly water changes are required (up to 20%). Its stiffness can vary from 8 to 25 dH.
Feeding
Comet fish does not suffer from anorexia. Moreover, it is voracious, and if you feed it enough, you can provoke various intestinal diseases. Therefore, it is necessary to observe the norm and timing of feeding.
Both vegetable and live food should be present in the diet. Its amount should not exceed three percent of the weight of the fish. This is the daily rate. They feed the comet twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. It is advisable to do this at about the same time. From 10 to 20 minutes are given for feeding. After the meal, the remaining food from the aquarium is removed.
Compatibility
The comet is a wonderful fish with a peaceful character. She gets along well with many peace-loving species of underwater inhabitants. The exception is only aggressive and too small fish, which the comet can accidentally swallow.
For this species, calm catfish will do, which will not only cause scandals in the underwater world, but will also clean the aquarium.
Breeding
These beautiful fish breed well at home. To do this, you need a spawning aquarium, in which you need to create a favorable microclimate.
Capacity for spawning should be at least thirty liters, with small-leaved plants and sandy soil. Water temperature is maintained around +26 ° C. To stimulate spawning, it must be heated, gradually increasing its values by 5–10 ° C per day.
For spawning choose two males at the age of two years and one female. Initially, they are seated for 2 weeks in different aquariums and well fed with their usual food. Then the fish are sent to spawning. After the temperature reaches the values that are comfortable for spawning, males begin to actively show signs of attention to the female, driving her through the aquarium.
Females scatter caviar throughout the aquarium. Most eggs settle on plants. During spawning, the comet produces up to 10 thousand eggs. At the same time, a protective net for caviar should be put on the bottom of the container, which develops within four days. On the fifth day, fry are born. They should be fed with live dust. After their appearance, producers should be removed from the spawning grounds.