To keep an aquarium fish, you need to understand in detail its taste preferences, temperature preferences, and sympathy for other fish. Otherwise, you will not be watching the beauty’s leisurely dissection of the expanses of water but her silent suffering. The information from our article will bring you closer to understanding all the intricacies of caring for and propagating thorns.
Ternetia aquarium fish – description of an ordinary beauty
By adding an aquarium to the interior, the room takes on a delightful charm that many aspire to achieve. This ambiance is created through the diverse shapes and colors of the fish within.
The Ternetia fish is an excellent choice for creating a low-maintenance aquarium. Its remarkably easy-going nature is the key factor. Nothing and no one can disrupt its calm way of life. Furthermore, it is not a tiny baitfish, making it easily observable without a magnifying glass. The adult size of a Thorn fish ranges from 4 cm to 6 cm.
How else can you recognize it among all the fish diversity? The differences in appearance are:
- The body has a flattened appearance on the sides;
- the color of scales in one subspecies differs from another depending on the varieties of selection, but the classic one is gray with silver;
- dark stripes are visible on the body; there are three of them: the first is located near the eye, the second seems to connect the upper and lower fins, and the third is closer to the tail;
- the lower fin is connected to the anal fin, so the entire abdomen is as if bordered by a flounce;
- the tail is transparent, and the fins are black;
- There are differences by sex; the female is larger in all respects.
Ternetia aquarium can be calming to children’s visual perception and adults like it. Her movements are not rapid but smooth, so we can safely recommend her as an object for a glass mini-pond in a children’s room.
Keeping a ternetia
The aquarium is home to more than just Ternetia fish. Of course, when arranging it, you need to consider each resident’s needs. Therefore, let’s talk in particular about the maintenance of these fish.
Temperature is very important for ternetia since, depending on it, the color of the fish’s scales can change from black to almost transparent. Buy a heater that can be adjusted very precisely. The rule for setting is: 1 watt corresponds to 1 measure of volume. This way, you can easily create a comfortable temperature from 22 to 26 degrees, depending on the season.
For thorns, the calculation of how many liters should be per fish does not differ from the general rules: for each centimeter of the body, stock up on two liters of water.
In general, the volume of the aquarium should be at least 60 liters. This will give freedom in swimming and the possibility of less contact with other fish, and the pets’ nervous system will remain unshakable.
Also, for peace of mind, create a school of fish of up to 10 pieces; this way, you will save the thorn from loneliness, which threatens to result in an aggressive attitude towards other aquatic inhabitants.
Equip your home aquarium with an internal filter with a pump – this way, you can avoid the appearance of swampy stagnation.
Find a way to introduce oxygen into the water. This can be done using a compressor. Otherwise, the fish will start fighting for every air bubble.
Fish also need lighting, but when choosing a lamp, choose those models that do not heat the water. After all, this can lead to additional evaporation of the liquid.
Change the water regularly. It is possible to determine the immediate need for this process using special litmus tests. This way, you can easily recognize when 30% of the water needs to be changed and the soil needs to be cleaned of silt and food residues.
As we have already said, the common thorn comes in black or gray-silver colors. But in pet stores, customers will be offered it in several colors and even with unusual fins. Knowing how things are with many fakes, any of us will doubt: is this the right fish in front of me?
What do ternetia – fish – look like in all their diversity? There are these types:
- classic black or silver scales;
- with veil-like fins;
- stripeless pink albino;
- artificially colored caramel colors;
- genetically modified GloFish.
Reproduction of ternetia at home
These fish are captivating with their ease of keeping, so it’s no wonder an aquarist would want to try breeding ternetia at home. Well, well, this task is doable. Let’s answer the main questions together:
How to distinguish a male from a female ternation?
These fish have external differences in gender. Females are larger and broader than males. Also, in males, the fin, located on the back, has a pointed appearance.
When the thorn is ready to spawn – how do we understand this? At 6-8 months, the female prepares to produce eggs. Moreover, breeders noticed that one-year-old males could produce better-quality seeds. Such caviar subsequently has a significantly higher survival rate.
What do thorn eggs look like in an aquarium?
Let’s assume you’ve gone through all the stages of spawning. Now is the time to record the appearance of the eggs. They are more than a millimeter in diameter and yellow-beige.
What is the care for thorn caviar?
Once out of the abdomen, the eggs become a delicacy for the adult fish (even if it is the mother of these future newborns). Therefore, take these gluttons away from her. In warm water, the larvae will hatch in 35 hours. Your participation will not be required for the next four days. Next, the larvae will form into fry approximately 7 mm in size.
How to raise Ternetia fry
The spawning has passed, and the fry has appeared, but the questions have not decreased. The most important thing will be: what should be fed to the fry of the ternation in the first days of life?
As soon as they disperse throughout the spawning area, you will feel insufficient space for them. Replant into a larger house, and be sure to connect the aeration. Gradually reduce the water temperature. This is not hardening – this is how you accustom the baby to the large aquarium in which they will have to live.
At this time, they feed on tiny plankton. It can be replaced with a mixture of crushed flakes (to the state of flour) and water. This food is squeezed out onto the surface of the water in droplets.
As soon as the first month of life has passed, the non-viable individuals have been eliminated, and there is no need to feed the fry of the ternetia with anything special. They will double in size, undergo temperature acclimatization, and their diet will include the usual fish food.
Feeding a ternetia
But actually, how do you feed the thorn fish? There are two critical points here:
What to feed aquarium thorns? Cereals or chips. Just don’t take it literally! Special crunches for fish are required. The fact is that they are very light and will lie on the surface of the water, and this is where the thorns like to swim. With live food, fish are omnivores because their main principle is to eat everything that fits into their mouth.
How many times a day should I feed the thorns? Due to their indiscriminate diet and excellent appetite, fish are prone to overeating. Obesity, of course, does not threaten them, but embarrassment may occur with males – the inability to begin fertilization, or even worse, the formation of cysts will begin. Oddly enough, the frequency of feeding is determined only by human observation. The aquarium owner eats and feeds the fish himself in the morning. He has no time for feeding all day, but he again pays attention to his pets by feeding them in the evening. And you know – it works! It is with these two meals a day that the fish feel good.
How long do thorns live in an aquarium?
Serene contemplation of the expanses of water can last for these fish for up to 7 years. This is how many years a ternetia lives in an aquarium.
This fish is impeccable in everything. She is not picky about food (she even eats boiled pumpkin and steamed spinach!), is not original in breeding, lives where everyone else does, and has a pleasant appearance.
Types of thorns
As you already understand, there are several types of thorns. Moreover, the same breed can have several names.
Ternetia green (aka neon, aka glofish):
Ternetia red (aka neon, aka ruby, aka purple, aka glofish):
Ternetia white (aka albino, aka snowflake):
Golden Ternetia (also known as glofish):
Ternetia violet (aka not new, aka glofish, aka Blackberry):
Video about terneetia:
