Taieria Belke, Taieria Crookedstripe or Tetra Penguin. Contents by Taieria Belke.
Thayeria boehlkei, also called Thayeria boehlkei, Thayeria crooked, Tetra Penguin, Thayeria Oblique, etc. comes to our aquariums from the upper Amazon basin. They feed on small worms, insects and crustaceans. Taieria Belke are characins, therefore, like most of their relatives, they prefer to live in flocks of 5 or more individuals. All non-predatory fish of a similar size are suitable for them as neighbors. Taieria Belke reaches 7cm (about 2.7 inches). Their diet should be based on food pellets such as NLS (New Life Specturm) or Hikari. Also, any other food of 1mm size is excellent for adult fish. To feed adolescents and smaller individuals, crushed feed flakes or plates are used.
Taieria Belke - maintenance and reproduction.
Scientific name: Thayeria boehlkei.
Other names: Penguin Tetra, Taieria Belke, Blackline Penguinfish, Taieria Crooked, Hockey Stick Tetra, Penguinfish, Taieria Oblique, etc.
Taieria Belke care level: easy.
Size: up to 7cm (2.7 inches).
- pH 6-8
- dH range: 5-20
- Temperature: from 22 0 C to 28 0 C (72-82 0 F)
Taierii Belka live 3-5 years.
Origin of Penguin Tetras: South America, upper Amazon River basin in Peru and Araguaia River in Brazil.
Temperament: Very similar to other characins. It is recommended to keep them in schools (from 5 fish).
Breeding Penguin Tetras: spawning. They can be propagated in flocks, but it is better in pairs. Preparation for spawning involves intensive feeding with high-quality food for 1-2 weeks. In this case, males must be separated from females. Spawning is recommended to be carried out in a spawning tank (15-30l). The water in it should have t 0 = 27 0 C, hardness – 2-12 0 and pH – about 7. A separate mesh is placed inside the container at a distance of 1-2 cm from the bottom and a bush of a plant (usually Java Moss) is lowered using weights. The light during spawning should be dim.
The spawners transplanted into the spawning tank are not fed until the end of spawning, which usually occurs in the afternoon or evening. After spawning, the parents are removed from the spawning area, otherwise they may eat the eggs or hatched fry. After this, the container is shaded (the glass and the lamp are covered with paper). It should also be remembered that the eggs and fry of Tetra Penguins are very afraid of bacterial turbidity and dirty water, so immediately after spawning you need to change from 30% to 80% of the water. One female can lay hundreds of eggs, from which fry will hatch within 20-24 hours. They begin to swim 4 days after birth. They are fed (start) with rotifers, and after a week - with Artemia nauplii.
Aquarium size: from 100L to 150L (schooling fish).
Compatibility of Taieria Belke: they get along well with their relatives, so they are kept in groups. It is not recommended to keep them with large fish that can eat them.
Fish diseases: common diseases and their symptoms.
Diet/Feeding of Taieria Belke: In the wild, they catch small worms, insects and crustaceans in small streams. At home you can feed them small pellets and flakes. They also need to be given frozen bloodworms, brine shrimp and other foods for freshwater aquarium inhabitants.
Region: central and upper levels of the aquarium.
Gender: differences between the sexes are practically not noticeable, but males are still slimmer and slightly smaller than females. Also, the lower feather of the tail fin of the male is slightly elongated.
Family: characins.
Cost: you can buy Tetra Penguin or Taieria Belke for $0.35-0.75.
Maintenance and care, arrangement of the aquarium
Taieria crookedstriped perfectly adapts to various conditions over a wide range of pH and dGH values. One of the few conditions for successful maintenance include dim lighting and weak water flow, or its complete absence. The design of the aquarium can be anything, but the fish look most natural in an environment close to their natural habitat. For the river type, twisted roots, tree branches, fragments of smooth rocks and stones with a certain amount of floating and rooting plants, and a dark sandy substrate can be used as decoration. For an aquarium that imitates a marshy area of a river, the same design elements are used with the addition of tree leaves, which, in the process of decomposition, saturate the water with tannins and also color it a slightly brown color. Oak leaves are perfect for these purposes. Before placing them on the bottom, the leaves are first dried and then soaked until they begin to sink. Another important element is peat, which is present in all swamps. It is used in filtration systems, or added directly to water, for example, in canvas bags
Important - purchase peat only from professional pet stores that have already been treated.
Natural enemies of the king penguin
Photo: Pair of king penguins
Penguins encounter predators primarily in the water. Typically these are the following creatures:
- Killer whales are skilled penguin hunters. They drive the penguins onto the ice floes and circle around, causing the ice floe to break. They hunt seals in a similar way;
- leopard seals - can reach penguins on land, but thanks to sliding on their bellies, penguins usually overtake them, although in water leopards easily catch adult penguins;
- sea lions;
- white sharks;
- seagulls - they steal penguin eggs;
- imported cats and dogs;
- petrels and albatrosses - they can kill chicks.
Penguins do not know how to defend themselves, and their only salvation is speed. In water, they deftly swim between rocks and ice floes, confusing the enemy, and on land they glide on their bellies, thus accelerating.
On land, penguins are rarely attacked because they nest slightly further from the water and stand in large groups. In a flock, penguins can shout loudly at the enemy and notify their fellows of danger. The chicks always stand in the center of the circle, protected by the adults.
King penguins sometimes have a fear of water. A group of penguins comes to the water's edge to begin feeding, but they hesitate to enter the water. They can walk at the water's edge for hours until one of the penguins dives - then a flock will follow.
Maintenance and care
Taieria crookedstriped perfectly adapts to various conditions over a wide range of pH and dGH values. One of the few conditions for successful maintenance include dim lighting and weak water flow, or its complete absence. The design of the aquarium can be anything, but the fish look most natural in an environment close to their natural habitat. For the river type, twisted roots, tree branches, fragments of smooth rocks and stones with a certain amount of floating and rooting plants, and a dark sandy substrate can be used as decoration. For an aquarium that imitates a marshy area of a river, the same design elements are used with the addition of tree leaves, which, in the process of decomposition, saturate the water with tannins and also color it a slightly brown color. Oak leaves are perfect for these purposes. Before placing them on the bottom, the leaves are first dried and then soaked until they begin to sink. Another important element is peat, which is present in all swamps. It is used in filtration systems, or added directly to water, for example, in canvas bags
Important - purchase peat only from professional pet stores that have already been treated.
What do they eat
The diet of penguins is based on fish, crustaceans, plankton, as well as small representatives of cephalopods. Penguins happily eat anchovies and krill, sardines, Antarctic silverfish, squid and small octopuses. When these sea creatures hunt, they can make almost a thousand dives. The number of such dives depends on climatic conditions, as well as on species characteristics and the availability of food supply.
Interesting fact! Representatives of penguins have to drink mostly salty sea water. As a result, excess salt appears in the animals’ bodies, which is excreted through special glands that are located above the eyes.
During the feeding process, these animals suck their prey into the oral cavity along with a certain amount of water. Therefore, salt water always enters the body of animals in excess. According to scientists' observations, while feeding, penguins travel up to 30 kilometers across the sea surface, while at a depth of more than 3 meters they spend up to an hour and a half a day.
Breeding
Egg-laying Tetras reproduce quite easily in home aquariums. In the period from 4 to 12 months, individuals become sexually mature (depending on the variety). The first sign of a female’s readiness for mating games is her hiding in thickets of aquatic plants.
If there are 8-10 fish in a school, then, most often, Tetras independently form a pair, which is soon placed in the spawning area.
This tank is pre-prepared by placing Java mosses and a fine-mesh separator mesh on the bottom, filling it with warm water and installing weak filtration and aeration. For about a week, future parents are intensively fed with live food, then the water temperature is raised a couple of degrees and a significant portion of distilled water is added, softening it. Spawning usually occurs in the morning, with 150-200 eggs in the clutch. The parents are removed from the spawning tank; their scales may be cloudy for some time after spawning.
Those eggs that are fertilized are transparent; those that are not fertilized quickly become cloudy. Tetra clutches are very sensitive to fungus and other infections, so it is better to use an ultraviolet sterilizer in the spawning area and keep the lighting dim.
Juveniles have a high mortality rate in the first days of life; Tetra is perhaps the slowest growing fish.
The first feeding is Artemia nauplius, live dust, ciliates. The fry are kept on such food for almost three months, then larger feeds are introduced.
The temperature should be maintained high until the fourth or even sixth month of life, not lower than +30 ° C, then the growth of the juveniles is slightly accelerated and the survival rate becomes higher.
The most famous species
Three-spined stickleback
Main article: Three-spined stickleback
On the back of the three-spined stickleback (lat. Gasterosteus aculeatus) there are 3 spines, and on the sides of the body there are transverse bone plates (usually 24-30), replacing scales and gradually tapering towards the tail. Similar plates are also found on the back from the back of the head to the beginning of the caudal fin. The color of the back is greenish-brown, the sides of the body and belly are silvery. Adults reach 5-6 cm in length. The three-spined stickleback has two morphs: anadromous and freshwater. Most individuals of the migratory form die after spawning.
Four-spined stickleback
The four-spined stickleback (lat. Apletes quadracus) does not have bony plates on its sides, has bare skin, and feeds mainly on planktonic crustaceans. It lives in salty sea water, enters desalinated waters, and is occasionally found in fresh water.
Photo of a nine-spined stickleback
Nine-spined stickleback
Main article: Nine-spined stickleback
Nine-spined sticklebacks (lat. Pungitius pungitis) are characterized by a large number of dorsal spines (9-10) and a bare, elongated body. The back is greenish-brown with black stripes, the belly is silver. During spawning, the sides and belly of males become black and the abdominal spines become white. The nine-spined stickleback is smaller in size than the three-spined stickleback.
Southern stickleback
Main article: Southern stickleback
The small southern stickleback (lat. Pungitius platygaster) belongs to the genus of multi-spined sticklebacks. The body is relatively thick, the head is large. It reaches a length of 3.5-5.5 cm, sometimes up to 7 cm. There are bone plates on the sides of the body. The ventral shield is much wider than that of other species. There is no carina on the caudal peduncle. Forms a number of local forms.
sea stickleback
The sea stickleback (lat. Spinachia spinachia), or fifteen-spined stickleback, is characterized by the presence of 14-16 small dorsal spines on its back, a slender, fusiform body with a long and thin caudal peduncle and short dorsal and anal fins of 5-8 rays. The back and tail are greenish-brown, the sides are golden. During spawning, the color of the males turns blue. Adults reach 17–20 cm in length. It is more solitary than other sticklebacks and does not gather in schools.
Stream stickleback
Brook stickleback (lat. Culaea inconstans) has 4-6 (usually 5) spines in front of the dorsal fin, body length up to 6 cm. This species is very active and numerous. In spring, males turn bright red.
Interesting facts about penguins
It turns out that not all penguins are cute and harmless creatures. For example, rock penguins are endowed with a rather aggressive disposition. They can attack any object they don't like.
Penguins do not need fresh water - they drink sea water because they have special glands that filter out salt.
During the mating season, expressing his tender feelings, the male spectacled penguin strokes his chosen one on the head with his wing.
The penguin is the symbol of the Linux operating system.
Penguins' feet do not get cold because they have a minimal number of nerve endings.
Interesting facts about penguins. Where do they live, what do they eat and how do penguins sleep? on News4Auto.ru.
Our life consists of everyday little things that in one way or another affect our well-being, mood and productivity. I didn’t get enough sleep - my head hurts; I drank coffee to improve the situation and cheer myself up - I became irritable. I really want to foresee everything, but I just can’t. Moreover, everyone around, as usual, gives advice: gluten in bread - don’t go near it, it will kill you; A chocolate bar in your pocket is a direct path to tooth loss. We collect the most popular questions about health, nutrition, diseases and give answers to them that will allow you to better understand what is good for your health.
Tetra firefly, erythrozonus (Hemigrammus erythrozonus)
Tetra firefly, erythrosonus
Erythrozonus Tetra firefly, Erythrosonus has a slightly elongated, laterally flattened and translucent body. The anal fin is longer than the dorsal fin, the caudal fin is two-lobed. There is an adipose fin. The main body color varies from gray-green to yellowish with a light belly. Starting from the eyes and to the end of the caudal peduncle, on the sides, a bright red longitudinal stripe stretches (looks brightest in overhead lighting). The eyes are shiny: bright red above, blue below. The fins are transparent: the dorsal one has a red stripe in front, the tips of the rest are painted milky white. The female is fuller, the male has the tips of his fins that are most intensely colored white. Up to 4.5 cm in length. Tetra firefly is a peaceful, active and schooling fish. Lives in the lower and middle layers of water. Keep in a common aquarium with other peaceful fish of similar size. Water parameters for proper maintenance: hardness up to 15°, pH 6.0-7.5, temperature 23 - 25°C. Filtration, strong aeration and weekly water changes are necessary. Live food and substitutes, additionally vegetable food. Breeding. Sexual maturity 6-10 months. To breed erythrozonus, you need an aquarium with a water level of 15-20 cm, planted with plants with elongated stems and dissected leaves. A separator mesh is installed at the bottom of the spawning tank. The substrate can be a large bush of small-leaved plants planted in the corner. Take peat water that has settled for 24 hours: hardness up to 5°, pH 6.0-6.5, temperature 25 - 28°C. The breeders are kept separately for 2 weeks before spawning. Place the fish in the aquarium in the evening (2 males for 1 female). Spawning begins in the morning in sunlight. The female lays up to 200 eggs. Immediately after this, the breeders are removed, the water level is lowered to 10 cm and the aquarium is darkened. The incubation period is 24-48 hours. The fry begin to swim and feed on days 3-6. Starter food: ciliates and rotifers. They grow quickly.
Characinaceae
Description and features
The peculiarity of transparent fish is their structure and appearance. The scales of individuals consist of a jelly-like substance, have no pigment and a reflective silver film. They are characterized by a variety of species and varying degrees of transparency. In some fish you can see the internal organs and skeleton, and in some they are also almost completely transparent and indistinguishable. Finding a lone transparent fish in the water is almost impossible, as they move in large schools, which allows them to better protect themselves from predators. The structure of these animals is also diverse and this is due to the large and varied number of varieties.
Habitat
The transparent fish lives in a wide variety of fresh water bodies around the world. The main places where you can find them:
- India;
- Pakistan;
- Myanmar;
- Thailand;
- Southeast Asia;
- Malaysia.
All types of these fish prefer fresh water. The difference lies in the type of reservoir. Some live in places without current, such as swamps, lakes and swampy rivers with a lot of vegetation. Others prefer active movement and live in rivers and streams with active and fast currents. They live on the surface of the water, which is why they often become victims of birds of prey and fishermen.
Appearance
Representatives of the species have similar appearance features:
- Transparent body;
- Viewable intestines and siphons;
- The presence of a shiny membrane that protects organs;
- The swim bladder is pointed in males and rounded in females;
- Growths and stripes on the body;
Where is the best place to plant
Staurogine is often used for decorative purposes to create unusual, unique aquarium designs and landscapes. Moreover, which is especially appreciated by aquarists, after planting the plant will not require constant care to maintain a beautiful decor. It is enough just to cut off its tops a little once every few months and thin out the green spaces in case of excessive growth.
You should not plant this crop near the front wall in the area of the facade glass, since this large-leaved plant will be very conspicuous, overshadowing all other decorative elements of the aquarium design.
Due to the compactness of the crop, it can be planted at different points in an artificial reservoir, in groups or one at a time. If you want to form a beautiful, creeping emerald carpet on the bottom of the aquarium, you need to place several seedlings close to each other, and then plant the cuttings together. As the plant grows, it forms a long creeping shoot that completely covers the bottom of an artificial reservoir.
Staurogin is one of the most beautiful and spectacular aquarium plants with excellent decorative properties. At the same time, it does not require any specific care and easily adapts to changes in climatic conditions.
Description of the Emperor Penguin
Emperor penguins are very different from other members of the penguin family. These are the largest and very heavy birds, the peculiarity of which is the inability to build nests, and the eggs are incubated inside a special leathery fold on the belly.
Appearance
Male emperor penguins are capable of reaching a height of 130 cm with an average weight of 35-40 kg, but some individuals have a body weight of 50 kg, and sometimes more. The height of an adult female is 114-115 cm with a body weight of 30-32 kg. This species has the largest muscle mass due to a very well developed thoracic region.
The plumage of the dorsal part of the emperor penguin is black, and the chest is white, making the bird less noticeable to enemies in the water. Under the cervical region and in the cheek area, a yellowish-orange color is characteristic.
The body of the chicks that are born is covered with pure white or grayish-white fluff. The weight of a born baby averages 310-320 g. The plumage of adult emperor penguins can provide good protection of the body from heat loss without changes in metabolism. Among other things, the heat exchange mechanism of the bloodstream, which circulates in the bird’s paws, combats heat loss.
Another characteristic difference between a penguin and other birds is bone density. If all birds have a tubular bone structure, which makes the skeleton lighter and allows them to fly, then penguins have a skeleton without internal cavities.
Lifespan
Compared to other penguin species, whose average lifespan rarely exceeds fifteen years, king penguins can live a quarter of a century in natural conditions. There are cases when, when kept in a zoo, the life expectancy of individuals exceeded thirty years.
Where does the king penguin live?
Photo: King penguins at the South Pole
They can only be found in the following areas:
- Macquarie;
- South Georgia Island;
- Tierra del Fuego Islands;
- Hurd;
- Kerguelen;
- South Sandich Islands;
- Prince Edward Islands;
- Crozet Islands.
Interesting fact: Penguins do not live at the North Pole or in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth in general. Southern Hemisphere only!
Penguins live in vast, flat areas that are covered with a thick layer of snow in winter. They do not choose rocks or steep slopes to settle in, unlike many other penguin species. This is due to the fact that king penguins are poorly mobile on the ground due to their heavy body mass, although due to the structure of their legs they are faster than their closest relatives, the emperor penguins.
Close access to the sea or ocean is required, since this is the only source of food for the penguin. Penguins live in large flocks; in winter you can see them standing in dense large groups, protecting each other from the wind.
With the advent of global warming, king penguins can be seen strolling on the green grass. This is bad for the health of penguins, as they are not adapted to high temperatures and suffer from heat.
Interesting fact: The situation of king penguins is still better than that of emperor penguins, which often settle on glaciers. Melting ice is destroying their natural habitat, forcing penguins to urgently look for a new home.
King penguins do well in zoos. They readily reproduce in captivity and adapt to a new way of life. Now you know where the king penguin lives. Let's see what he eats.
Feeding Rhodostomus
High-quality dry food is perfect for feeding rhodostomuses, the main thing is that its size matches the small mouth of the tetra:
- TetraMin flakes are an excellent base food for all types of fish. Seven types of flakes from more than 40 ingredients will suit the taste of any fish. The food contains prebiotics to improve digestion. It is completely balanced and is maximally absorbed by the fish, which reduces waste and keeps the water in the aquarium clean.
- Rhodostomuses are very active fish, so it would be a good idea to provide them with additional energy. A food in the form of chips, TetraPro Energy, is perfect for this. It is made using gentle low-temperature technology, which allows you to preserve even more nutrients and vitamins, and also contains an energy concentrate for active fish.
- Especially for small fish, which include red-nosed tetras, Tetra has released a line of micro-foods, Tetra Micro Food. Rhodostomuses prefer to feed in the middle and lower parts of the aquarium, so it is better to opt for Tetra Micro Sticks food - floating sticks measuring 1.5-2.5 mm soften in water and slowly sink to the bottom.
- We recommend that you occasionally offer your fish Tetra FunTips Tablets. Just stick the tablet on the glass and watch as a flock of Rhodostomuses scurry around it, trying to tear off the tasty morsel.
Like other small fish, rhodostomus have a very small stomach, so you should not throw large amounts of food into the aquarium to prevent overeating.
Lifestyle
Penguins are underwater in search of food for quite a long time, diving three meters deep and covering distances of about thirty kilometers. It's amazing how fast penguins swim - it can reach 10 km per hour. Representatives of some species can dive to depths of up to 130 meters. When penguins do not enter the mating season and do not care for their offspring, they move away from the coast to quite long distances (up to 1000 km).
To speed up movement on land, the penguin lies on its belly and quickly slides across the snow or ice, pushing off with its limbs. This method of movement allows birds to reach speeds of up to 6 km/h. Under natural conditions, a penguin lives about twenty-five years. In captivity, with proper care, this figure increases to thirty.
Kinds
Speckled Corydoras (Corydoras paleatus)
The most common Corydoras in aquarium culture. The body is gray-olive with a large number of dark spots. The abdomen has a slight pinkish-gold tint. The eyes are large and mobile. The dorsal fin is high. Males grow up to 4-6 cm, females are larger - up to 7 cm. There are veil and albino forms. With good care they can live in an aquarium for up to 8-10 years.
Corydoras speckled
Corydoras panda
The catfish got its name for its resemblance to a bamboo bear - a panda. The catfish has a basic body color that is light or has a pinkish tint. The corydoras has three black spots: one goes through the eyes (like the giant panda), the second is located on the dorsal fin, and the third is near the tail. The remaining fins are transparent. Males are smaller than females. The maximum size in an aquarium is 5-6 cm.
Corridors Panda
Corydoras venezuelanus
There are two color variations of this species - orange and black. The color of the fish is very interesting. The main body color of the “orange” form is rusty-orange. Under the dorsal fin on both sides there is a large black (green) spot with a characteristic turquoise tint. There is a bright red spot on the head. The species is not large, the average size is about 5 cm.
The “black” form has a chocolate body, sometimes almost black, a light gray belly, and red-brown fins. Can grow up to 7.5 cm.
Corridoras Venezuelan orange
Corydoras sterbai
It lives in slow-flowing reservoirs in Brazil and Bolivia. The body is round and slightly elongated, tapering towards the tail. The abdominal line is almost flat. The body color is dark brown, sometimes it can be deep black. Bright light spots are scattered throughout the body, forming a pearl pattern that turns into stripes behind the gills. The ventral and pectoral fins are bright orange or yellow, sometimes with a reddish tint in adult fish. The dorsal and anal fins are transparent with dark spots. The caudal fin has several vertical stripes. In an aquarium, Corydoras Sterba grows up to 6-7 cm. There is an albino form.
Corydoras pygmaeus
One of the tiniest representatives of the genus, therefore it is perfect for nano-aquariums. The natural habitat of the Corydoras includes tributaries of the Madeira River (Brazil). The body shape is elongated, the sides are covered with two rows of bone plates. The ventral and pectoral fins are well developed, with a spiny ray located on the latter. The tail is two-lobed and has an adipose fin. There are several pairs of antennae on the jaws. The general body color is gray-green. A black stripe stretches along the entire body from the eyes to the tail, ending in a dark spot. Above and below the black stripe are two white stripes. The fins are not colored. The maximum size of males is 2.5 cm, females – up to 3 cm.
Corridors Pygmy
Golden Corydoras (Corydoras aeneus)
A beautiful representative of the genus, which can often be found in amateur aquariums. In English-speaking countries it is called bronze measles. Corydoras received this name for its characteristic bronze body color. Transparent fins have a yellow tint. There is an albino form. The maximum size of golden corydoras in an aquarium is 7 cm (females), males are slightly smaller. They prefer to live in a flock; the water is preferably soft and neutral.
Corydoras golden
Corydoras julii
In nature, this species lives in the lower reaches of the Amazon. A very colorful representative of the Corydoras. The main body color is cream or grayish. Small black spots are scattered throughout the scales. A dark stripe stretches from the gill slits to the end of the tail, the pectoral and pelvic fins are transparent, the dorsal fin has a black spot. The presence of this spot and dark stripe is a species characteristic. The size in the aquarium is no more than 5 cm.
Corridors Julie
Northern crested penguin
A species that is currently endangered. This is a small bird, about 55 cm long and weighing 3 kg. The back and wings are gray-black. The abdomen is white. Yellow eyebrows extend into tufts of bright yellow feathers located to the side of the eyes. On the penguin's head there is a black crest, which gives the species its name.
The main part of the population inhabits the islands of Inaccessible and Gough, Tristan da Cunha, which are located in the Atlantic Ocean.
Cryptocoryne parva
Many aquarium owners pay great attention to its beauty and appearance. Some people choose plastic dummies and decorations, because you don’t need to take care of them, just put them in water and that’s it. But for some people this option is not suitable, because living grass is much more beautiful and pleasing to the eye
For landscaping an aquarium, a herb called “Cryptocoryne Parva” is often chosen. After all, it is small in size, does not require special care and fits perfectly into the style of the aquarium, decorating it
But for some people this option is not suitable, because live grass is much more beautiful and pleasing to the eye. For landscaping an aquarium, a herb called “Cryptocoryne Parva” is often chosen. After all, it is small in size, does not require special care and fits perfectly into the style of the aquarium, decorating it.
Habitat: Sri Lanka
Growth rate: slow
Difficulty of care: not difficult, but requires special maintenance conditions
Special requirements: high levels of light and water clarity
There are 10 species of Cryptocoryne in total, but Parva is the smallest of them. It can grow 10-15 cm in height, and the leaf width is 5-7 cm. The shade of the leaves is bright green. The shape is narrowly elliptical or lanceolate, the base is wedge-shaped, the tip is sharp. The venation on the leaves is almost invisible.
The plant is native to Sri Lanka, where it grows along the banks of fast-flowing rivers and in areas with high swampiness.
Cryptocoryne Parva will not be difficult if you know how to properly care for it. The peculiarity of this species is that it does not change the color or shape of the leaves if the conditions change. The optimal water temperature is 22-27 degrees. Cryptocoryne loves bright light, and if there is not enough light, the leaves will begin to stretch upward towards the light source, the lower leaves will fall off, and their growth will stop. Therefore, Cryptocoryne should not be planted in the shade of other plants. It must be kept in the light for at least 12 hours a day. The required lighting power is 0.5 W/l. Cryptocoryne is sensitive to water transparency, so you need to regularly monitor the cleanliness of the aquarium and change the water in it weekly. PH is not higher than 5.5–5.8. You should also regularly thin out the bushes to improve water circulation, since if there is poor water flow, the grass will become overgrown with algae, which impairs its health. The only drawback is slow growth (only 5-8 leaves grow per year), but with sufficient care it can be accelerated with the help of CO 2 and mineral supplements.
Since Cryptocoryne Parva has an underdeveloped root system, it must be planted in the soil, to which it clings with its roots and is held there. The period of adaptation to a new place of growth can reach up to one month. At this time, you need to especially carefully monitor the plant - remove dead leaves in a timely manner, do not change the level of PH, light, temperature, hardness. This can cause the grass to not adjust to its new environment. You need to plant individual sprouts at a distance of several centimeters from each other. After some time, the bushes will grow so much that they form a dense carpet of grass at the bottom of the aquarium.
Care Tips
1) As mineral supplements, you can choose substances containing potassium and magnesium in large quantities. They will increase the rate of growth and development of Cryptocoryne.
2) You should not plant it in deep aquariums, since at great depths the plant grows poorly due to lack of light. The ideal option would be a shallow aquarium or a nano aquarium.
3) Cryptocoryne reproduces using layering that forms on the main shoot. Under no circumstances should a daughter shoot be separated until at least 5 leaves appear on it.
4) Sand or fine gravel can be used as soil.
5) Pieces of peat or clay can be placed under the roots of the plant for additional fixation. Silted soil can be used for the same purpose.
6) Usually the Cryptocoryne carpet spreads horizontally, and if it becomes noticeable that the leaves are raised, then the lighting level needs to be increased.
Social structure and reproduction
Photo: Baby king penguin
Penguins used to molt once a year, but due to climate change they began to change their plumage every two years. During the molting period, the mating season begins. Penguins come to land and wait for the warm feathers to fall off, leaving a thin layer of feathers. This season coincides with spring warming. Penguins go to rocky places with a lot of pebbles. Males begin to actively move around the flock and often turn their heads, attracting the attention of females. This indicates that the male is ready to become a father. Sometimes males can raise their wings and scream shrilly to attract females.
There are rarely fights between males over females. Then the penguins beat each other with their wings and beaks, after which the loser leaves. The female and male “dance” for a while, lightly touching each other with their wings and beaks. After the dance, the penguins mate, then continue dancing.
Interesting fact: Penguins tend to find the same mate they had babies with last season. This does not always happen, but sometimes such pairs can form for a long period of time.
In December, the female lays one egg, which she keeps under the fat fold at the bottom of her abdomen. She moves, supporting the egg on her paws - it must not be allowed to touch the cold ground, otherwise the chick will freeze. In the first week of incubation, the female gives the egg to the male, and she goes off to feed for two to three weeks. This is how they change throughout the incubation and care of the chick.
The chick hatches after eight weeks. Covered with down, it still sits under the fat fold of the parent. The chick needs to grow up before the onset of cold weather, otherwise it will not survive the hungry time. In the wild, penguins live more than 25 years.
Reproduction of goldfish (spawning)
Healthy and strong goldfish can reproduce as early as one year of age, but they will only fully develop by 2-4 years of age. During this period they can be used for selection.
Spawning time for goldfish begins in the middle or late spring, which is when the appearance of the pets changes. The gill covers of the fish are covered with small mother-of-pearl tubercles, similar to millet grains, and the first rays of the pectoral fins are decorated with sawtooth notches. The abdomen of females becomes large during this period. Sexually mature males begin to show interest in females that are ready to spawn, driving them into open reservoirs in shallow water and in places overgrown with dense aquatic vegetation.
If goldfish are kept in aquarium conditions, at this point the female and two or three males are transplanted into a separate aquarium with well-settled water, plenty of vegetation and a hard bottom. For better spawning of goldfish, it is desirable that the aquarium is well lit with natural or artificial light, and the water level in it does not exceed 20 cm. To prevent the fish from eating the laid eggs, a mesh with large cells is stretched at a height of 2 centimeters from the bottom level.
Spawning lasts about five to six hours, after which the spawners are returned to the main aquarium. During the entire spawning season, a female goldfish can lay up to 10,000 eggs.
Goldfish caviar
Goldfish larvae emerge from eggs already 2-6 days after spawning. This period may vary depending on the light level of the aquarium, the temperature of the water and the degree of its oxygen saturation. For the first day, the vital activity of the fry is supported by the yolk bladder, but soon the reserves are depleted, and the young begin to search for food. Rotifers, microscopic plankton, crustaceans, or special food can be used as food for small goldfish.
As the fry grow, they are selected according to their breed characteristics.
What does the king penguin eat?
Photo: Female and baby king penguin
Exclusively predators. The penguin's diet includes:
- various fish;
- shellfish;
- octopuses;
- large plankton;
- squid.
Interesting fact: Unlike dolphins, penguins willingly eat pre-killed fish in zoos.
Penguins need plenty of drinking water. They get it from snow, but are also adapted to drink salt water. To do this, they have special glands at eye level that purify the water from salt. The salt eventually turns into a concentrated solution and exits through the bird's nostrils.
Like emperor penguins, king penguins hunt seasonally. Typically, females and males alternately look after the cub for two to three weeks; for example, the female remains with the chick, and the males go on a long hunt to the water. Upon returning to the family, the males regurgitate food for the chick and mate.
Due to warming, penguins began to breed less frequently (once every 2 years), so females and males began to go out to feed at the same time. Penguins are graceful underwater. They develop high speed in pursuit of fish, grab it with their long beak and eat it as they go. Penguins are able to swallow large prey and can get food from narrow corners in rock crevices, which makes them dangerous hunters.
Immersion in solution
After sorting, the workpieces need to be disinfected, soaked in a special consistency, which is very easy to make at home. Chlorine-containing products are diluted in water, having previously prepared suitable containers for this.
During the process, black deposits and dirt should be removed; a clean and disinfected item will be more pleasant to hold in your hands. And also the surface of the material will be bleached, the seashells that make up the future masterpiece will remove the unpleasant odor and remnants of vegetation.
The whole process takes approximately 30 minutes; you can keep all the components in the solution longer. Each person must determine for himself when it is best to remove everything from the dishes for drying. To remove the remains of shellfish, you will need to carry out preliminary cleaning. The contents have a specific odor and are unpleasant to the touch.
To better separate the insides from the shell, you can throw the workpieces into boiling water for five minutes, and then remove the mucus with tongs or any sharp object that is convenient for performing such manipulations.
Such work is worth it, because decorations made of shells and stones will be located in the most prominent place in the house and will delight the owners for many years. You can use a microwave oven to heat the outer surface.
A positive effect can be achieved in a short period of time, a minute is enough to begin manipulations to remove the remains.
TETRA PENGUIN or Thayeria boehlkei
In natural conditions, the tetra penguin, or as this fish is also called, Taieria crooked, lives in South America in the Amazon River basin. This fish was first brought to Europe in 1935.
Thayeria boehlkei has an elongated body, flattened on the sides. The upper part of the body is colored greenish-brown, and the lower part is silvery. Along the entire body, starting from the gill covers and to the end of the tail, there is a dark stripe edged with yellowish stripes. All fins, except unpaired fins, are colorless; unpaired fins are bluish. The tail is two-bladed. Males are slimmer and smaller in size than females. In addition, in males the lower blade on the tail feathers is elongated. In aquarium conditions, the size of the fish reaches 7 cm.
The tetra penguin is a very nimble, peaceful and slightly shy fish. An interesting feature of it is the way it swims, swaying slightly from side to side and tilting its body at a slight angle. At the slightest noise, the fish can get scared and at this time are able to jump out of the water, so the aquarium must be covered with a lid. You need to keep fish in a school of at least 10 specimens. These fish can be kept in a common aquarium with a length of at least 80 cm with other species of fish of comparable size. Most of the time, tetras swim in the upper layer of water.
Water parameters should be as follows: temperature 23–28°C, hardness dH 7–15°, acidity pH 6.2–7.8. Enhanced filtration, aeration, and weekly replacement of 1/3 of the aquarium water with fresh water are required.
It is advisable to use coarse river sand as soil in the aquarium. Along the back wall of the aquarium and on the sides the aquarium must be planted with tall plants. Lighting intensity 0.4 W/l, diffused.
Taieria crookedstriped feeds mainly on live food: daphnia, brine shrimp, bloodworms, crustaceans, insects, etc. The fish take food only from the surface of the water.
The tetra penguin becomes sexually mature at one year of age.
To breed fish, it is necessary to prepare a spawning tank with a volume of at least 20 liters (for 1 pair of fish). A separator net should be placed at the bottom of the spawning tank and several bushes of plants with small leaves should be planted. The lighting should not be bright.
The water parameters in the spawning tank are as follows: temperature 26-28°C, hardness dH 4-8°, acidity pH 6.2-6.4.
Before being planted for spawning, the spawners are kept separately for 2 weeks and fed generously with a variety of foods.
The eggs are incubated for 24 hours, and after 3-4 days the fry begin to swim and feed. The starting food for them is live dust, rotifers, and crushed egg yolk. After 10 days they are given artemia. With a balanced diet, the fry grow very quickly and within a month reach a size of 1 cm.
The lifespan of a tetra penguin in aquarium conditions is about 5 years.
Habitat
Originally from South America, from the territory of modern Brazil.
One of the numerous populations is found in the Araguaia River basin, one of the largest rivers on this continent. They live in various natural environments, both in small streams and rivers with clean running water, and in swamps with dense lush vegetation. Brief information:
- Aquarium volume - from 70 liters.
- Temperature - 22–29°C
- pH value – 5.5–8.0
- Water hardness - soft to medium hard (3–20 dGH)
- Substrate type - any soft dark
- Lighting - dim
- Brackish water - no
- Water movement - weak or standing water
- The size of the fish is up to 7 cm.
- Food - any
- Temperament - peaceful, active
- Keeping in a flock of 6 individuals
