Glass perch fish. Toy for people - glass perch
Glass Perch ( Chanda ranga) is very popular among aquarists because of its spectacular and extraordinary appearance, incredible endurance and ease of care. IN natural conditions lives in fresh and brackish water bodies, both standing and slowly flowing, Southern and Southeast Asia.
Characteristics of the species
Its name is this amazing fish received because unusual appearance. Her body is so transparent that the structure of the skeleton and digestive organs is clearly visible. This is especially pronounced in young individuals. With age, males acquire an orange-golden color with a bright blue border along the edge of the fins. The swim bladder is elongated, and in females, distinguished by their silvery color, it is rounded. These fish look most impressive against a dark background of the aquarium in reflected light.
The body of the perch is high, slightly diamond-shaped and flat on the sides. In the wild, an individual reaches a size of 7-8 cm, while domestic specimens do not grow more than 5-6 cm. Duration « aquarium life» is approximately 5 years.
It is better to keep perch in an aquarium in schools of 8-12 individuals., because due to sufficient modesty, these fish feel most comfortable in schools. It is recommended to release fish of the same non-aggressive breeds into the aquarium along with perches. One flock requires a volume of water of approximately 100 liters. The lighting should be bright enough, the bottom of the aquarium should be lined with coarse sandy soil.
Glass perch is very sensitive to a new aquarium, so it can be released into the reservoir no earlier than after 3 weeks, until they are established optimal parameters. The temperature should be within 22-28 degrees, hardness - 8-18, pH - 7.0-8.0, active filtration and strong aeration of water are required with a volume change of no more than 1/10 per week.
Nutrition
These cute fish are predators by nature, so they actively eat small live food:
- crustaceans;
- cyclops;
- Daphnia;
- bloodworm;
- grindal worms
Dry food is accepted without enthusiasm. In addition, this type of food must be fed to perches with extreme caution, as it can cause infertility. Feed should be varied and plentiful.
The fry are very voracious. Feeding for newborns is especially important in the first two weeks. Ideal starter food- the smallest larvae of Cyclops and Diaptomus, as well as ciliates - slippers. The smaller the food, the less chance that a voracious fry will suffocate after swallowing a disproportionate amount of food.
Reproduction
The individual reaches sexual maturity at the age of six months. During this period, males begin to separate from the flock and settle in bushes of small-leaved plants. Each male protects his territory from other males, while at the same time warmly inviting females to “visit” for spawning.
The entire spawning cycle lasts four days. During this time, a pair of fish spawns several times. Each egg laid by the female is immediately fertilized by the male. Total quantity The number of fertilized eggs reaches 200-300.
In the perch kingdom, everything happens at an accelerated pace: the incubation period for the hatching of larvae from eggs is a little more than a day, and they begin to swim and eat already on the second or third day.
Adult males usually do not touch the eggs and larvae; they simply do not have enough time for this when performing their duties as guards of their habitat. But females eat their offspring with obvious pleasure, so soon after spawning, adults must be separated from the fry.
Fry in an aquarium often develop bone disease, so it is necessary to remove food and waste from the bottom daily, as well as regulate changes in water temperature.
Glass perch (Parambassis/Chanda ranga)
Habitat: inhabits stagnant bodies of water with brackish and fresh water in India, Burma, Pakistan, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Nepal and Cambodia.
Description:
The tall body is diamond-shaped, flattened laterally. The back is arched. The lower jaw is elongated, the teeth are small, the forehead is concave. The dorsal fin consists of 2 parts: the front is triangular in shape and high, the back is more rounded at the bottom, symmetrical to it anal fin.
The body is so transparent that you can see through it internal organs and a skeleton. The noticeable swim bladder of the male is pointed and elongated, while that of the female is more rounded. There are 5 rays on the ventral fin, 7-8 spines on the dorsal fin, three on the anal fin, and one spine on the ventral fin.
The color of males ranges from yellow-green to yellow-orange with five transverse stripes on the sides formed by dark spots. The rays on the fins are black with a blue rim.
Glass perch - female
The color of females is less remarkable. They lack a blue border on their fins and have a steel-silver body.
Glass perch - male
Tip of the front dorsal fin dark. The pectoral fins are reddish in color. Some individuals have a light purple stripe stretching from the gills to the caudal fin.
Glass perch - painted
In nature glass perch reaches 8 cm, in captivity – 5 cm.
Arrangement and parameters of the aquarium: an aquarium needs to be at least 100 liters or at least 50 cm long. Fish feel most comfortable when kept in a school of 5-8 individuals.
Any type of plant that can grow in salted water is suitable. It is better to plant them in containers rather than in soil, which should be shallow. Sand or gravel of a small fraction is suitable. Fish require free space for swimming and secluded places, which form piles of large stones, snags or artificial grottoes.
Water parameters: 23-26° C, dH 8-20, pH 7-8.5.
Good filtration with aeration is necessary. Water changes are carried out in small quantities. Glass perch loves old and very clean water. It is useful to add sea salt to the aquarium (3 tsp per 10 liters). The lighting is bright, it is desirable that sunlight enters the aquarium.
Glass perch (Parambassis (Chanda) ranga) Very peaceful fish, which, however, is painful large number neighbors. Compatible with small species: guppies, tetras, rasboras, corydoras. With large aggressive fish cannot be contained.
Nutrition: in nature it eats crustaceans, worms, and insect larvae. In an aquarium, glassfish should be fed frozen and live food. Daily norm divided into small portions and fed gradually. Doesn't readily accept cereal.
Reproduction: For a pair of glass perches you will need a spawning tank from 50 cm, for several pairs - from 80 cm. Small-leaved plants, including floating ones, are placed in the container. Their number should be greater than the number of males.
A few months before spawning, the water must be salted: for 12 liters - 2 tsp. Spawning is stimulated by raising the temperature a few degrees, adding one-fourth of fresh water and the light of the morning sun.
The fish spawn at dawn, gluing eggs to the leaves, roots and stems of plants. The female lays 6-10 eggs at a time. During the entire spawning period, which lasts 2-3 days, she lays about 200 eggs. The fish do not eat their offspring and therefore there is no need to remove them.
Incubation lasts from 1 to 2.5 days. At first, the hatched fry hang motionless in a vertical position, and then swim and are able to receive nauplii and rotifers. The spawning area with fry should be dimly lit around the clock. You should carefully monitor the purity of the water, making drip changes.
They become sexually mature at 4-6 months.
Lifespan Glass perch (Parambassis (Chanda) ranga)- up to 3 years.
Glass perch (Latin name Chanda ranga/Parambassis) is extremely popular among aquarium hobbyists due to its fantastic appearance and unpretentiousness. Natural habitat fish is found in South and Southeast Asia, where it thrives in both fresh and brackish water.
Changa ranga (colored glass perch) got its name due to the fact that the body of the fish is transparent. The interior is visible through the scales and skin. However, only young fish are transparent. With age males become golden-orange with a bright blue border along the outer edge of the fins. Females acquire a silver color.
The body of the fish is high, diamond-shaped and flattened on both sides. IN wildlife adult specimens reach 7−8 cm in length, while aquarium specimens do not exceed 5−6 cm. In suitable conditions aquarium fish lives up to 5 years. It looks impressive in aquariums with dark background and soft artificial lighting. Changa rank by nature - schooling fish, therefore it gathers in groups of 5 individuals or more.
Reproduction
Male and female glassfish differ in swim bladder shape and color. In boys, the body has a golden-orange hue. Female fish have a silvery tint to their scales. In females, the swim bladder is spherical, while in males it is slightly pointed.
Sexual maturity of transparent fish occurs when they are 6 months old. During this period, males begin to actively protect their territory from male competitors, while simultaneously attracting females for reproduction.
Spawning takes 4-5 days. During this time, the female lays eggs several times, and the male fertilizes them. In just one spawning cycle, a pair of fish produces 200-300 eggs. The incubation period until the larvae hatch is only a day, and on the second day the larvae are already able to move and feed independently.
Adult male glass perch do not show aggression towards larvae, unlike females who eat their own offspring. In this regard, it is recommended to place the hatched fry in a separate vessel.
Keeping in a freshwater aquarium
If the glass perch in the aquarium was previously kept in brackish water, then it will need to be kept in quarantine before being transplanted into a freshwater container. The fish are placed in brackish water, which is replaced daily with less salty water (salinity is reduced by 15% per day). The process of transitioning to a completely fresh aquarium takes 1-2 weeks.
The aquarium itself for permanently maintaining a school of perches (5-7 individuals) must have a volume of at least 40 liters. For large schools (more than 7 pieces) and sharing with other types of fish, it is recommended to choose containers with a volume of 110-150 liters. Changa ranga lives in soft water with a neutral or acidic environment (6.5−7.5 pH and 4−6 dH).
It is best to use external filters to purify aquarium water, as they effectively minimize the concentration of ammonia and nitrites, and also maintain the clarity and purity of the water. However, regardless of the frequency of filtration, the aquarium also requires regular manual cleaning. If you have powerful filters, it is enough to clean the aquarium manually once a week, simultaneously replacing a quarter of the water volume.
Plants from the South Asian habitat familiar to fish are planted in fresh aquariums. It is recommended to place tall algae along back wall, and leave ground cover species in the center. This will give the fish enough space to free floating, and they will be clearly visible. Coarse soil with smooth edges is laid on the bottom; decoration with driftwood and stones is also allowed.
Medium lighting is sufficient for comfortable keeping of perches, but a heater will be needed because normal temperature water for representatives of the Parambassis genus +25… +27°C.
In salted water
If the Indian glass perch was previously in salt water, then it is immediately put into a ready-made “salted” aquarium. You can measure the salt level using a hydrometer. Evaporated water can only be replaced with fresh water. After dilution, the salt concentration will be restored.
The acclimatization process for Chang Rangs that are transferred from fresh water to salt water is similar to that described for transplanting from a salt aquarium to a fresh one. To add salt to the water, use natural sea salt, which contains only sodium chloride. Salted water assumes the specific gravity of salt in water is 1.005−1.010, which is equal to 1.5 tsp. salt per 1 liter of fresh water. Salt should be added to the aquarium in the form of a solution (that is, the salt is first dissolved in a certain amount of water and then added to the container with the fish).
Few plants survive in salt water, so choose adapted species such as Java moss or Thailand fern.
Nutrition and care
Beginning amateur aquarists are wondering how to care for perch at home and what to feed.
The glass perch fish is naturally a representative predatory fish, therefore, food at home should consist mainly of small live food: crustaceans, daphnia and cyclops, worms and bloodworms.
Dry food can be added to the fish’s diet in small portions throughout the day, but its share should not be more than 25%. The use of live food guarantees sexual activity of fish, while dry analogues can lead to infertility.
Newly hatched fry are fed small cyclops larvae, ciliates and diaptomus. The smaller the food particles, the less likely it is that the fry will choke and suffocate. Fish larvae are extremely voracious and try to eat even food that is too large for them, which often causes their death.
Compatibility with other fish
The optimal flock size for keeping them together is 8-12 individuals. Glass perches are schooling fish, so they do not feel confident and safe in a small school or alone. The fish themselves have a peaceful disposition and do not attack other species. The best neighbors for the Parambassis genus are:
- guppy;
- tetras;
- Nannakars;
- mollies;
- goby bees.
When adding new fish to the aquarium, you should carefully observe their behavior. If aggression occurs between species, it is recommended to immediately resettle the fish.
Those who have been involved in aquarium hobby for a long time are well familiar with the beautiful transparent fish called glass perch. But beginners know practically nothing about it and are not eager to purchase this miracle of nature for their aquarium. All because of rumors that this perch lives only in water containing small quantity salt. In fact, this is not true at all.
The glass perch is very small
Some general information
This special transparent fish has several names: glass perch (Parambassis ranga), changa ranga, mirror perch, as well as Indian glass perch. In nature, it can be found in fresh water lakes of Pakistan, India, Southeast Asia and Malaysia. In addition, this amazing fish can live in brackish waters without any problems.
Unfortunately, sellers in pet stores only remember that mirror perch lives in salt water and convey this information to customers. Marine aquarium Rarely anyone can afford it, which is why they don’t keep this wonderful fish.
In terms of its size, Changa-ranga is a medium-sized fish; its maximum length is 8 cm. The body is laterally compressed and absolutely transparent. Without any effort, you can see all the bones and air bubble of the fish. But her head and abdomen are silver. The back of the fish is decorated with a rather large double fin. Yes and anal with caudal fins nothing less.
This fish lives in a school
This fish prefers to live in schools of 10-12 individuals. It is desirable that there are enough shelters at the bottom of the reservoir in which you can hide from danger. Driftwood and large stones are perfect for this.
Buying a pet
When purchasing this fish, it is important to remember that its body is completely transparent. The fact is that you can often find glassy colored perch on sale, but this color is not natural. In Southeast Asia, there are entire farms where fish are dyed by injecting luminescent dyes into their muscles with a large needle. After this painful procedure, perches do not live longer than two months, unlike their unpainted counterparts, who feel great for three to four years.
Of course, a painted perch attracts more attention, it is brighter and looks much more impressive, but the price of all this is too high. Moreover, luminescent paint quickly becomes pale and inexpressive, losing its attractiveness.
And if in Russia they still sell bright changa-ranga with all their might, in Europe they have already banned the sale of colored fish.
When purchasing Indian perch, you should pay attention to the mobility of the fish, the integrity of its fins, and the absence of foreign growths and damage to the skin. This is the only way to buy pet, which will delight its owner with a healthy appearance for many years.
When buying a perch there are a number of nuances
Creating ideal conditions
Because aquarium perch feels better in the company of its fellows, then it is advisable to purchase them in quantities of six to twelve pieces. When in a school, the fish are much more active and not so shy.
When buying fish, be sure to ask the seller what kind of water the pets were kept in - fresh or salted. The further adaptation of the Chang-Rang will depend on this. There are two options acclimatization of fish:
- transplantation from salted water to fresh water;
- movement from fresh water to salt water.
In the first case, after purchase, the fish is quarantined in an aquarium with salted water. For 1-2 weeks, replace 10-15% of the brackish liquid with fresh liquid daily. Thus, the fish gradually gets used to living in new conditions.
Don’t forget about the nuances of acclimatization
If the pet store kept the fish in fresh water, and the new owner kept the fish in the aquarium, sea water, do not despair. Newcomers are placed in quarantine, in conditions similar to those in a store. To adapt to new conditions 1-2 teaspoons sea salt dissolve in one liter of water. Then the resulting solution is added to the aquarium daily at the rate of 10 tablespoons per 100 liters. It will take about three weeks to create optimal conditions. To measure specific gravity liquids, you must use a hydrometer.
In order for the Indian perch to feel comfortable in the aquarium, you need to create for it optimal conditions:
- The water should be neutral and soft (ph 7-8.5, gh 8-20).
- The optimal water temperature is 25-27 degrees.
- There should be no ammonia and nitrites in the aquarium.
- Once a week you need to replace about 25% of the water with clean and settled water.
- It is advisable to pour fine and smooth soil on the bottom of the aquarium, put various driftwood and other objects that will serve as shelter for the fish. For landscaping you need to use both tall and short plants.
- The most the best option for changa-ranga there will be a dim, diffused light.
If you adhere to these points, then the fish in the aquarium will be quite comfortable. They will not constantly seek shelter and worry; they will begin to swim more, allowing them to observe their lives.
The best neighbors for a glass fish
Having created best conditions For life, you need to take care of the neighbors of peace-loving fish. Since Indian perches are very shy, you need to carefully consider which other inhabitants of the aquarium can be added to them. The main thing is to exclude aggressive and predatory fish. As the best neighbors are suitable:
- tetras;
- bee gobies;
They have excellent compatibility with glass perch. All these fish are busy specific place in the aquarium, distributed throughout the entire water column. In addition, they will not offend the glass perch, forcing the latter to hide all the time. And they won’t have any disputes on the issue of nutrition.
Goby gets along well with perch
Proper feeding of your pet
Changa-ranga is very unpretentious both in maintenance and nutrition. In the wild, it only eats live food. In an aquarium, it can also be accustomed to artificial ones. It is important to clarify at the time of purchase what the fish were fed, and during the acclimatization period it is advisable not to change the pet’s diet. This will allow the fish to adapt faster to new conditions.
All of the perch's neighbors eat artificial food well, but this diet itself can cause infertility. Therefore, it is better to use live or frozen food to feed transparent fish. Perches are very fond of bloodworms, tubifex, katra, daphnia, and cyclops.
It is important to properly organize fish nutrition. Under no circumstances should you overfeed your pets. You need to give food several times a day and in small portions. You shouldn't starve your pets either. You can feed the fish at least less often three times per week.
Reproduction of glass perch
At six months of age, glass perch are ready to breed. At this time it is quite easy to determine the gender fish affiliation:
- The air bladder in males is slightly pointed, while in females it is more rounded.
- In males, the edges of the anal and dorsal fin are bluish or gray, while in females they are colorless.
- Boys' scales are yellowish, while girls' scales are silvery.
- On the sides of males, five vertical stripes are formed from black specks. Females do not have them.
Sexual characteristics are quite pronounced, so distinguishing a male from a female is not difficult. This must be done before spawning begins.
There are a number of signs of spawning
To obtain offspring, it is best to use a separate aquarium, since in general the eggs can be eaten by neighbors. Soft water with a temperature of about thirty degrees is poured into the spawning tank; it is better to line its bottom with moss. First, females are introduced into the aquarium and are well fed with live or artificial food. Then the males are released towards them. Mating season lasts about three to four days. At this time, the female lays eggs, and the male fertilizes her.
After spawning, according to some sources, the fish must be removed from the aquarium so that they do not eat the eggs. According to other sources, parents do not eat their offspring, so they can be left in the spawning area.
After two to three days, the fry hatch from the eggs and need feeding. They are given rotifers or Diaptomus nauplii. At two weeks of age, the young are fed Cyclops nauplii and small Diaptomus. The main thing is that the food moves; current can help with this. It is important that food is always in water, so it is given several times a day.
The fry grow quite quickly, and already at the age of three months they begin to show their first sexual characteristics.
In general, the glass perch aquarium fish is very unpretentious and easy to care for and maintain. She is loved for her unique appearance and a gentle disposition. If these fish are given a little time and attention, they will please their owner with excellent health. In addition, the mirror perch, like its neighbors in the aquarium, recognizes its owner perfectly and always greets him from work, giving this person a lot of pleasure.
In this video you will learn more about this fish:
This fish is completely extraordinary and stands out among its neighbors in the aquarium due to the transparency of its body and its covering tissue, which allows one to see its insides and its bones. It was this feature that gave the name to the original inhabitant of the aquarium - glass Perch (Latin name Chanda ranga). It is very hardy compared to other fish. Caring for this aquarium resident will not be difficult. On top of everything, he is calm and peaceful. So, how to properly keep and breed glass perches?
The homeland of this fish is South Asia. There it lives in both fresh and brackish water. Glass perch prefers ponds with standing water.
The body of the fish is flattened laterally and high. It is diamond-shaped. Transparency - main feature glass perch bodies. This is clearly visible in at a young age fish. And then, with age, mature males acquire a golden-orange color, females - silver-steel. In male specimens ready for spawning, a white-blue border and specks appear along the edges of the dorsal and anal fins and speckles on the elongated swim bladder. In females this bladder is round in shape. Their body color is more modest than that of males.
Glass perches in nature like to live in schools. They swim in the middle and lower layers water. In an aquarium, it is better to keep them in a group of 10 individuals. This way they feel quite confident and are more active.
For Glass Perch you need a 50 liter aquarium. Young fish swim in a friendly school, and adult males look for places for spawning and “inhabit” them. Males protect these areas of the aquarium from other males. Sometimes such defense even leads to slaughter, but without consequences. Glass perches can get scared, and then they leave their “home” places.
As for the neighbors in the aquarium, Chanda ranga has a rather calm, peaceful character. They should not be kept in company with energetic and aggressive fish. Good neighbors for them will be Catfish and Rasboras, Tetras and Corydoras, Bee Gobies and Carpet Eleotris. If the water in the aquarium is brackish, then glass Perches can be kept with Mollies and Guppies.
For optimal maintenance of glass perch in an aquarium, a dark substrate in the form of coarse river sand or fine gravel is needed. Also prerequisite their content is the presence of dense vegetation, including floating plants. Stones and driftwood in the aquarium also create an atmosphere for Perches that is close to natural environment habitat.
In an aquarium, these inhabitants normally tolerate fresh water, there is no need to add salt to it. Glass Perch will be comfortable in water with acidity ranging from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline. The recommended water temperature in the aquarium is up to 26°C. The water can be either soft or moderately hard. Glass perch is unpretentious to this parameter. But the presence of aeration and filtration in the aquarium is mandatory, as is a weekly change of a third of all water.
You should know that in nature, glass perches feed on worms, crustaceans, insects, and larvae. In captivity, they will happily eat coretras and daphnia, small bloodworms and tubifex. As for the feeding regimen, meals should be two meals a day. These Perches eat dry food with less pleasure.
Reproduction
Glass perches reach sexual maturity after six months. It is then that the males begin to look for secluded places in the fish house. In the future, they successfully spawn there. Driving away other males, they persistently invite females to spawn. This process lasts four days, and during this time the couple spawns several times. At one time, the female lays up to 6 eggs, which are immediately fertilized by the male. On average, up to 300 eggs appear per spawning.
The incubation period for glass perch lasts 24-30 hours. The larvae swim already on the second or third day. Then they should start feeding them rotifers and live dust. And after two weeks the young animals should be transferred to Cyclops nauplii.