In the many species of ornamental fish, dolphin family ornamental fish can be said to be one of the more special species, many people can be said to know nothing about them. What usually happens is that when people find them in an aquarium store, it's hard to resist their allure: sweet, cute little faces, well-behaved non-stop fluttering fins, and rounded bodies. But a few weeks after purchasing them, problems ensue. Those cute little guys are no longer as lively as they used to be, they either hide or crawl under the water, the tiny fins on their fat bodies don't flap any more, these fins droop listlessly, the bright body color used to be gradually becoming dull, and the old scene of gobbling can no longer be seen, the blue eyes of sadness watching the owner, but the owner is often unable to do anything about it.
In fact, dolphin ornamental fish often have some special requirements, owners should study the needs of these small things, for them to establish a suitable environment to meet their requirements. There are many species of freshwater and saltwater dolphin ornamental fish, and about 300 species have been found. Their size ranges from 2.5CM to 66CM, most of the guppies need about 30 liters of water for every 3CM of length judging by the length of the fish, and at least 60 liters of water if your little guy is 6CM long. For the small green black spotted puffer fish (names like submarine, depth bomb, golden doll) which is commonly found in the domestic market nowadays, there is no need to calculate according to the above method as he is very small in size.
First let's talk about how to pick a pufferfish. Since there are not many species of guppy ornamental fish that have been successfully bred in captivity, most of them are caught from the wild. They may come from all over the world, and the long journey, especially in winter, makes these little guys suffer. When selecting a Dolphinidae ornamental fish we first look at their fins, which are usually rarely intact, if the fins are a little damaged it's not a problem, but beware if you find signs of ulceration of the fins and tails, grayish colors, rough surfaces or detachment. Healthy little ones are brightly colored and active, and will usually stick to the tank and swim up and down as if inspecting something. The gills should also be looked at carefully to make sure they are a bright healthy deep pink color and that they are breathing evenly. Then we look at his abdomen which should be full if he is well fed, but be careful if it is bulbous and spherical. Next we look at the side of the body, if there is a noticeable depression on the side of the body from the pectoral fins, which makes the belly and tail look unusually large it could be a sign of disease, but of course it could be due to the fact that this guy is just too fat. Lastly we look at his face, if his face is rounded it should be a sign of good health, if his face is angular then it is best not to because such a little guy has either been fed for a long time or has an infection in his body. If the little guy meets the above requirements and you happen to have a tank then buy him. Remember that it's best to keep the little guy you just brought home in quarantine for a few days, because although he's healthy he's carrying something that could make the other fish sick.
To keep your little guy healthy and happy in your home you need to follow these principles:
Principle 1: Try to minimize their stress. Stress destroys their immune system and makes them susceptible to disease, so creating a comfortable home and living environment for them is a good way to reduce stress. It is a good idea to have something in the tank that they can hide in, aquatic plants with wide leaves, rock caves and sunken logs are all good choices. These little guys are more active at dusk and in the evening, during the day they usually prefer to hide and rest. Constant water temperature and pH are very important for them as they are very sensitive. In addition, they prefer a house with a sandy bottom. Of course, filtration and water flow are essential, but the water should flow slowly, maybe they like it quiet. It is also important to choose the right companion for them, taking into account size, habits and other factors, but of course there may be unexpected situations, for example, the little one often causes them small injuries or simply eats them as a snack, and if his companion is aggressive, then the little one may put up with it for a while, and if he can't bear it, he will fight with his opponent, and the opponent will kill him or her, and the opponent will fight with him or her. The opponent will either be killed or seriously injured, after all, the little guy is not easy to mess with, the little guy's body has a thing called tetrodotoxin.
Principle two: feed the little guy the right food, the little guy can be carnivorous, they do not eat plants, rarely eat a variety of artificial feed, the above food can not provide the little guy to grow the nutrients needed, usually frozen or fresh bloodworms, earthworms, shrimp shellfish crabs squid snails and so on are they like to eat a meal. It is important not to overfeed them as this can lead to constipation, they will often beg for food even if they are full as they love to eat so much, if their tummies get too big it means they have eaten too much, usually we feed them 1-2 times a day and they will be fine. Usually their tummies will go down in a few hours after feeding, if their tummies remain bulging, your little one may be suffering from constipation.
Principle 3: Always check your little one's physical condition, as a daily habit take a good look at your little one's whole body every day to check for any external diseases, parasites, bacteria, fungal infections, bites and injuries. Also observe their activities to see if there are any abnormalities in their movements. One good thing about this routine check is that the little ones will recognize you very quickly and will hover and swim up and down in front of you when you walk up to the tank. There are a few bad signs to look for:
1. Poor appetite. The little guy is a voracious eater, so if you notice that he has a poor appetite or that he is picky about what he eats, there is something wrong with him.
2. Stress lines, if you see dark gray lines on the side of your little one's body between the spine and the belly that run from the mouth to the tail, it's a sign that something is wrong.
3. For white-bellied breeds, watch out if the belly turns black and deepens in color.
4. Normally, the color of a baby's spine will change depending on his mood and the time of day, but if the color of his spine gradually becomes dull and does not return to its normal color for a long time, this is also a sign of danger.
If you find a problem, carefully check the environment in which the little guy lives (salinity, temperature, filtration, PH, ammonia and nitrite concentration), and if the environment is fine, see if there are no other terrorists in the little guy's tank (some of the big fish) that he's afraid of. And there are enough hiding places in the tank for him to rest, if all of the above is normal, it's time to seriously check his body for physical damage.
Here's a picture of him:
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