Ornatuses are small aquarium fish that represent a family of haracin. In the wild, the ornament lives in the waters of Guiana and the lower part of the Amazon. These fish were brought to Europe in 1933, and since then aquarists have bred them at home.
Description
Beautiful aquarium fish ornaments grow up to four centimeters in captivity and up to six centimeters in nature. They have an elongated corpuscle, which is flattened laterally, and narrows toward the tail. Caudal fin of two-lobed fish, dorsal - high, there is also a fat fin.
The coloring of these aquarium fish depends on their type. So, the ornament black is painted in dark gray color with black specks in a violet luminous edging. All fins, except for the pectorals, are also black. Samochki ornamental black poured red-brown hue, like all young individuals. That is why it is very difficult to immediately determine the sex of the fish. If the color of the calf in the fish is pink, and on the abdomen the golden overflows are visible, then this ornament is red. In this type of ornamentation, the sex is determined by the shape and color of the dorsal fin: in females it is white at the tip, and in males - black or bright red.
The most common form - an ordinary ornament, which is painted in silver, and graceful fins are decorated with specks of orange. Dorsal fin usually black or orange with black spots. The most exotic species is yulidochromis ornament, imported from the waters of Lake Tanganyika. Enough elongated calves of golden color on the sides are decorated with black strips. These fish are often called "golden parrots" for a luxurious bright color.
Unobtrusive and beautiful fish is a white-fruited ornament, named so because of the elongated white dorsal fin, which looks colorful against the background of a light silvery calf.
Lovers of exotic fish will appreciate elongatus ornament blue in color with vertical black stripes on the sides and a phantom ornament that can have black with a blue tint, silver or red color.
Quite rare in aquariums you can see a pseudotrofeus ornament - a fish of the genus melanomochromis. There are about 125 species and subspecies with a variety of colors.
Content
Ornatus - fish unpretentious. They do not need a large space and isolation from other fish species. Ornatus - lovers of shelters, so in their aquarium should be snags, dense thickets of algae and a variety of grottoes. It's great if it turns out to darken one of the corners of the aquarium, so that the disturbed inhabitants should be where to hide. It is better if the water is "old", enriched with peat extracts. You can replace only 20% water. The temperature should not be below 23 degrees, and its rigidity should be maintained at 6.0-7.0 pH. Eat small living ornamentals (daphnia, cyclops, bloodworms) and inanimate fodder.
The aquarium, where your ornaments live, should be cleaned once in 7-9 days. As already mentioned, all water should not be replaced immediately.
To cultivate the ornaments was successful, two 6-8-month-old individuals should be evacuated in a container with water two degrees above the usual. The bottom is covered with Javanese moss. Often the duration of mating games does not exceed three days. When the female lays eggs, the pair should be set off, since the slightest change in the habitat conditions provokes the male aggression, which leads to the destruction of the eggs.
In general, the ornaments are peaceful aquarium fish. If you provide them with suitable living conditions, full-fledged care and a balanced diet, they will please the eye with a bright and unusual appearance for a long time.