If you have decided to take in a Carassius or Japanese fish and you wonder how you should take care of it, you have entered the right place, in this article on our site we are going to talk about the C arassius genus and the specimens that we find in it. We will make a general review of the aquarium it requires, feeding or reproduction, everything you need to know about C arassius fish and basic care.
Among the most common varieties we can find the following: common, bubble eyes, lion's head, veil tail, telescope, pearl scale, kite and many other more exotic varieties.
Keep reading and discover the tips for caring for Carassius fish from our site:
I'm a beginner, is this type of fish right for me?
Carassius or carp are very resistant fish They are ideal for beginners, as they survive almost any temperature, and withstand any conditions well of the water. In addition, due to their calm character, they easily coexist in a group. Even so, we must be very careful when choosing which variety of carassius we choose, since some are not as resistant as the others.
Pay special attention to the carassius auratus auratus, better known as bubble eyes. This fish, whose origins date back to China, has bulging eyes accompanied by fluid-filled eye sacs. This striking feature makes them extremely delicate, since the skin that surrounds this bag is very thin and sensitive. Decoration with pointed irregularities should be taken care of, so that they cannot be damaged. This variety is definitely not suitable for beginners.
There are tons of other carassius, like goldfish, koi, veiltail or kite, which are perfect if you're just starting out as an aquarium fan.
How should I prepare the aquarium for my Carassius?
Japanese fish are cold water fish, so the water temperature should be around 10-22 degrees, if possible without sudden changes in temperature. These carp are extremely hardy, and can live in near-freezing temperatures; although ideal temperature is about 12-15 degrees This can be easily checked with a thermometer. On the internet you will find very affordable offers.
The water for this fish habitat should have a neutral pH of 7, and a hardness between 5 and 10.
Regarding aquarium measurements, the ideal would be at least 35 liters of water for each adult specimen. The size that the fish will reach will depend on the size of the space in which it lives. Keep this in mind, because if you want to get large specimens, you cannot have an aquarium saturated with carp. Also, if they are close together they can get stressed.
Even so, these fish are very adaptive, and can live in warm waters, around 20-24 degrees and develop without any problem.
Which decoration is the most suitable?
The floor of the aquarium should preferably have river sand or gravel with little vegetation since it is a very gluttonous fish that eats all plants, especially duckweed, which is one of the of your favorite foods. Avoid using natural plants.
One of the options that we can use in the preparation of a cold water aquarium is plastic vegetation. If you have good taste it can look great with these plants, and you don't have to worry about taking care of them. Try to buy them in an establishment that complies with current regulations, since some of them can release toxic substances and contaminate the water.
Another very creative option is slate stones, volcanic rocks or dry trunks and branches. You can also place moss on these elements, to create a jungle environment.
Take care that the decoration of the aquarium does not hinder the swimming of the fish You can create tunnels and interesting shapes with stones so that your fish have fun and have places to hide. Remember that the Carassius cannot coexist with another fish that is not cold water.
Its ideal habitat would be an aquarium of about 100 liters with average vegetation, well aerated and filtered, with river sand, light and simple decoration, and an average temperature of 15 degrees.
What is the usual behavior of Japanese fish?
The goldfish in particular is a very calm and friendly fish. The only notable feature is that it tends to modify the terrain by moving gravel and sand from the ground, introducing small stones into its mouth and launching them again repeatedly.
He's not aggressive or cunning at all. A good companion for this fish could be another variety of Carassius or carp, such as a Carassius koi.
How should I feed my Carassius?
These are omnivorous animals and undoubtedly the mosquito larvae are one of the foods that Carassius prefer. You can base their daily feeding on feed or flakes specific for goldfish. Once or twice a month, a few small worms can be a good source of protein.
The sense of smell helps them find food as they have small taste buds distributed around their lips and throughout their mouths: Carassius do not have a tongue.
Reward them from time to time and add an extra to their diet!
How do they reproduce?
Carp, when they are about a year old, are ready to breed. The male will have white dots on the front of his head, this is a sign that he is ready.
First the male woos the female by banging her head against her side repeatedly for hours or even days, cornering her into a planted area. Then the female will lay between 5,000 or 10,000 eggs and then the male will fertilize them.
After 3 days you will be able to observe the eyes in the fertilized eggs. After 12 days the eggs will hatch, and the fry will come out.
The separation and selection of the specimens will have to be done, and they must be fed with feed scales, specific food for fingerlings or egg yolk cooked and ground.
How do I know if I have a male or a female?
As a general rule, the female will always be much larger than the male, and with a more rounded belly. The male, on the other hand, has a smoother and thinner abdomen.
If with these indications you are not able to recognize the sex, you can check it by looking at the size of the anal cavity located under the beginning of the fish's tail. The male has this cavity narrower, and inwards. On the other hand, the female has it considerably larger and facing out.
