Telescope (aquarium fish): care and maintenance

The telescope is an aquarium fish. The most remarkable part of it are the eyes. They are large enough, prominent at the sides, convex. Sometimes, hearing for the first time the name of the breed of these fish, people ask again: "What is the name of an aquarium fish? A telescope? "Yes, such an unusual name. His fish got it because of the shape of his eyes. Amazing is the fact that with such a huge organ of vision, the fish are very poorly seen. And this leads to some limitations regarding the content of telescopes.

Habitat

Everyone knows that the telescope is an aquarium fish. But in nature such creatures are not found. Once upon a time, all goldfish were obtained by breeding from wild carp. This is a very famous species, inhabiting stagnant water bodies or rivers, canals, ponds with very slow currents. It feeds on fry, insects, detritus, plants.

The homeland of black telescopes and goldfish is China. However, in 1500 they found themselves in Japan, in 1600 in Europe, and in 1800 in America. Most of the currently known varieties were removed once in the East and have not changed since that time.

It is believed that the aquarium fish telescope, as well as the goldfish, was bred for the first time in the seventeenth century in China. It was called a dragonfish, or a dragon's eye. A little later they were taken to Japan, where they received a new name "demekin", under which they are known to this day.

Description of fish

The telescope is an aquarium fish with unusually large eyes. Her body has an ovoid or rounded shape, like a veil tail. Actually, these two species are distinguished only by the eyes. In all other respects, they are quite similar. Their body is wide and short, and the head is large with huge eyes and large fins.

Currently, telescopes are found in a wide variety of colors and shapes, with veil fins. The most popular aquarium fish is the black telescope. He is most often sold in all pet stores, as well as in markets, but over time he may well change color.

Telescopes grow quite large. Sometimes up to twenty centimeters. Life expectancy of fish is from ten to fifteen years. There were also cases when in ponds they lived more than twenty years. Dimensions of fish vary greatly depending on their species, as well as habitat conditions. But they are not less than ten centimeters.

Aquarium fish telescopes: care

All goldfish, including telescopes, can live at sufficiently low temperatures. However, for novice aquarists, the telescope is not the best kind for content. And the reason for this are the eyes of the fish. Telescopes have very poor eyesight, so they find it more difficult to find food. They often hurt and infect the eye.

But with all this, telescopes are very undemanding and unpretentious to living conditions. They feel equally well both in the pond and in the aquarium. The telescope is an aquarium fish, the compatibility of which with other inhabitants must be taken into account. Since they are very poorly seen and extremely slow, the more active individuals can take their food and leave them hungry. That is why it is wise to select their neighbors.

Many people contain goldfish and telescopes in round aquariums one at a time and without plants. Of course, they are able to dwell there, but round vessels do not suit them at all, they slow down their growth and disturb their sight.

Feeding Telescopes

As for feeding, then telescopes are unpretentious in this. They eat all kinds of live, artificial, frozen food. The main dish in their menu can be made artificial food. And as an additional complementary food you can give artemia, bloodworm, tubule and daphnia. It should be borne in mind that telescopes have absolutely poor vision. So they need time to find food. They very often dig in the ground, pick up mud and dirt. Therefore, artificial feeds are most suitable, they do not disappear, but slowly decay.

Telescopes are sometimes willingly flavored with algae. The following species are suitable for them: lemongrass, anubias, egg, crypticorina, sagittaria, elodea, vallisneria. When choosing plants, you should remember that they should be soft.

Conditions of detention

Aquarium fish telescope (photo is shown in the article) is quite large. It is characterized by the appearance of a large amount of dirt and waste. For the maintenance of fish, not only the large volume of the aquarium, but also its shape is important. A prerequisite is the presence of a good filter.

Completely unacceptable option are round aquariums. But ordinary rectangular fits perfectly. For fish, a large surface area of water is important, since gas exchange processes take place through it.

If we talk about the volume of the aquarium, then for one pair you need 80-100 liters, and for each next fish of the same species, add another 50 liters.

Telescopes have the ability to produce a lot of waste. For this reason, good filtration is essential. The best option is to use a strong external filter. Only the flow from it must be passed through the flute, because telescopes are not the best swimmers.

Weekly, the water must be replaced without fail (at least 20% of the water must be replaced). The parameters of water are not very important.

As a primer, it is best to use large gravel or sand. Telescopes perpetually swarm in it, besides they often swallow large particles, why they die.

In the aquarium you can add plants and decor. But one should remember about the poor vision of telescopes and the vulnerability of their eyes. All elements of the aquarium should be smooth, without sharp edges.

The temperature regime for telescopes is not important, but ideally it can be a temperature of 20-23 degrees.

Compatibility with other inhabitants

The telescope is an aquarium fish with an active, active character, which likes to communicate with like-minded people. But for the content in the general aquarium it is not very suitable. Telescopes do not like high temperatures, besides they are blind and sluggish, and their fins are very tender, other individuals can tear them off. In addition, they are very much littered.

Who can get on with telescopes

The most correct option is to keep them separate. You can settle with related varieties: goldfish, vailehvostami, shubunkinami. But it is absolutely impossible to combine them with tetragonopteryusami, baron of Denisoni, thorns, Sumatran barbs.

For a telescope, calm, balanced neighbors are good, who will not hurt the fish.

External difference of the sexes

Before the spawning period, it is impossible to distinguish the sex of fish. But during the breeding season, males on the gills and head form white tubercles, and the female is rounded from the calf.

Reproduction of telescopes

For reproduction, three-year-olds are the most suitable. They are most likely to get a good healthy offspring. If you notice the appearance of distinctive sexual characteristics in fish, which we mentioned earlier, this means that fry can soon appear. Usually this happens in the spring.

The process itself should be prepared in advance. Very often parents eat their own eggs. Therefore, you should keep a separate container ready. On its bottom you can lay Javanese moss. The temperature should be about 24 degrees.

Two weeks before spawning, the male and female should be seated in different aquariums. The female must be planted where the caviar will develop. For one spawning a telescope produces two thousand eggs. Good bright light and strong aeration are a push to start the process. Immediately after spawning, the female should be discarded.

To ensure that the caviar has not touched the fungus, add to the aquarium "Mikopur" or quite a bit of blue. However, remember that this can not be done strictly while the adult is in the water, otherwise there will be no fertilization.

Eggs will become larvae on the fifth day after spawning. They do not need feeding. While they have a supply of nutrients. But when they become fry, they should be fed with live dust. The fry develops unevenly. Small and large specimens will have to be planted in different places. This is due to the fact that large individuals simply do not allow children to eat.

Therefore, to get offspring from telescopes is not so easy. If you follow all the advice, you can achieve success. But this is very laborious work.

Instead of an afterword

If you decide to have telescopes, then remember that there are not only black individuals. When dwelling in warmer water, they acquire a copper shade. But dark-bronze varieties do not have large eyes. However, with age, they have a black color and a characteristic bulge of the eyes. Telescopes are wonderful beautiful fish that require careful treatment. With their large enough size, they are very vulnerable.