As the saying goes, when raising fish, raise water first. Water is the main environment for fish growth, and its water quality conditions and stability have a significant impact on their survival. Among ornamental fish, lantern fish are small in size, gorgeous in appearance, and capable of swimming in groups. In addition, they have low pollution and low price, so they are loved by the majority of fish farmers. However, the small lantern fish is also very delicate and very sensitive to changes in the water quality environment. A little carelessness may cause its mortality rate to skyrocket.

Water quality environment mainly includes: water temperature, pH value, hardness, flow rate, nitrification system, oxygen content, etc. Among them, let’s not mention the last three factors for the moment, but mainly talk about the impact of the first three on the growth of lantern fish.

Lampfish are narrow-temperature fish. Generally, the suitable water temperature for growth is about 22~28℃, and the water temperature for breeding is about 26~30℃. In some places in the north, heating rods must be used to increase the water temperature in winter, and water chillers must be used to cool down in summer. Whenever you change the water, you need to pay attention to the fact that the temperature of the new water needs to be consistent with the temperature of the old water in the tank, so as to avoid the death of the lantern fish due to temperature changes. Generally speaking, there are three ways to cool down in summer: air conditioners, electric fans, and water chillers. Air conditioners consume a lot of power and are expensive, so few people use them; electric fans are the cheapest and simple to make, but have the disadvantage of requiring frequent water changes; water chillers are moderately priced, very convenient, and recommended.

Lampfish is a freshwater fish originally produced in the Amazon River Basin of South America. The pH value it can adapt to is generally between 6 and 7. Only a few species of fish can adapt to slightly higher pH. , most species of lanternfish still prefer acidic soft water (hardness is about 1). When the pH level of the water exceeds the tolerance limit of the lantern fish, it will directly lead to the destruction of skin, mucous membranes and gill tissues, indirectly lead to the collapse of the nitrification system, and eventually the entire tank will be abandoned.

Lampfish are generally mild-tempered and lively, and can be kept together with other small, gentle tropical fish. New fish that have just been purchased tend to be timid and will hide away once people approach them. When feeding, you can first buckle the tank wall with your knuckles, and then put the food into the tank. Over time, the lantern fish will form a conditioned reflex and will no longer be so afraid, but will become very close to people.

There are generally two categories of feed for lantern fish: artificial feed and active bait. Artificial feed is artificially processed fish food, which is clean, convenient, easy to store, and cheap, such as flake feed. Active bait is the preferred food of lantern fish and is closer to their original feeding habits, such as red worms, nematodes, brine shrimp, silkworms, etc. Some people don’t like active bait because they think it’s dirty. At this time, you can buy frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp, etc. as food.

In terms of diseases, lantern fish are prone to white spot disease, which can cause parasites in the body, destroying the system balance of the lantern fish and eventually causing death. This is mainly because when the water is changed, the temperature changes greatly, which weakens the resistance of the fish and allows parasites to take advantage of it. White spot disease is contagious and should be treated promptly once detected. The best way is to take out the sick fish individually for isolation and treatment. You can remove about three-quarters of the water from the original tank, add a quarter of the new water, and then heat it to 30°C.