Ornatus: types and contents

Ornatus is a popular aquarium fish, which has a very modest size, an impressive appearance and a variety of color options for scales. She is chosen for unpretentiousness, simplicity of maintenance, ability to decorate the home underwater world with her presence. Ornatus of the species pink tetra, white-fin and red, black phantom and common for almost 90 years inhabits aquariums around the world. Keeping and breeding these fish is a fascinating activity for both a beginner and an experienced person. What you need to know for the future owner of ornatuses, and what points you should definitely consider when preparing the aquarium, we will consider further in the article.

Ornatus fish is an exotic representative of the underwater world that lives in French Guiana and in the Amazon. It belongs to the haracin family, prefers to settle in freshwater bodies of water and not too fast rivers. Aquarium fish, which received the second name as a phantom, gained their popularity thanks to European enthusiasts, who in 1933 began active artificial breeding of exotic ornatuses.

Aquarium phantoms have a compact narrow body 4-6 cm long; larger specimens are found in nature. In captivity, fish live for about 5 years. Among the characteristic common signs of all ornatuses can be noted:

• flattened in the lateral parts of the body;
• broadening in the middle part from the fin to the abdomen;
• dorsal process with a high landing, narrow;
• ventral, anal fins brightly colored;
• the tail has a two-bladed shape, small size, wide.

Due to the diversity of types and colors, descriptions of ornatuses are worth considering, given the features of a particular species. In this case, it will be possible to get a more accurate and complete picture of the characteristics of the pets, their individual traits. Among some features of ornatuses, one can note the entry into puberty at the age of 6-8 months. Until this moment, it can be quite difficult to separate the male from the female.

All existing fish species of poultry can be divided into several subtypes according to their individual characteristics.

• Ordinary. It has a bronze body color with a characteristic pearl shimmer, two scarlet dots crown the tail, the same shade is present on the chest. Surfaces of fins have one shade with a body or expressed red color. In the area of ​​the dorsal process there is a contrasting white spot with a black dot. Snow-white fringing is acceptable for the ends of the fins.
• Ornate whitefin. The most rare species. It is similar to a phantom, only has a more transparent fin structure, and all black spots are replaced by white ones.
• Ornatus is red. Aquarium fish with a head of rich ruby ​​tone and a slightly lighter body, tail contrasting colored, black, with a silver or white rim. In males, there is a coal-colored spot on the fin in the back. Behind the branchial part of the head, the body has a golden pink hue with a black spot in the center. Brightly colored red ornatuses are much more sensitive than their counterparts to the parameters of the aquatic environment.
• Black phantom. The most popular color among aquarists implies that the fish has a silver-gray body with an almost transparent structure, a rich black tail. The fins are painted in the same tone, the dorsal is distinguished by pomp, high, gives majestic ornatus. Gills have a reddish tint.
• Pink tetra. Another rare species. It is similar in appearance to an ordinary ornatus, but it is painted lighter, and with a pinkish tinge. It has fins in tone, with red marks on the surface.
• Reddish or rubrostigma. Fish with a light silver body, almost transparent, a reddish spine is visible inside. The gill region and the base of the caudal fin have the same color. On the sides in the central part there is one pink spot with clear outlines.

Ornatus - representatives of the underwater world, distinguished by their peacefulness. They can be kept in the same tank with brothers that are similar in parameters. These fish get along well with viviparous - swordsmen, guppies, and pecilli. You can plant ornatuses in the cyprinid family - barbs, cardinals, zebrafish, goldfish. The neighborhood with any aquarium catfish will be harmonious - synodontis, speckled, antcistrus.

The aquarium looks beautiful, where different representatives of the haracin family live together (the ornatuses themselves also belong to it). Among the compatible breeds can be called neon, thorns, and minor. They also get along well with labyrinth fish - cockerels, gourae, macropods, laliuses.

To ensure worthy living conditions for the ornatus, aquarists need to prepare a container in advance for their settlement. A number of necessary components can be distinguished.

• Aquarium. A tank with a capacity of 60 liters or more (approximately 10 liters per 1 individual) is suitable.Fishes prefer to live in flocks; individually, they experience severe stress and may die. In addition, a small number of ornatuses will be simply invisible in the space of a large aquarium.
• Filter. It will ensure sufficient purity of the aquatic environment, but will not form too rapid and rapid flow. You can use flutes as a “splitter” of jets.
• Thermostat. The optimum temperature for growing and keeping fish is in the range of +23.28 degrees Celsius.
• Priming. The most rational choice will be quartz sand. Light and clean soil will help maintain an optimal microbiological environment. Against the background of the basis of a dark color - volcanic black sand - the color of the fish looks much brighter.
• Plants. Thick, small-leaved aquatic plants should be planted in the aquarium for ornatuses. Position them along the back wall, leaving enough free space for swimming. Bright light is not very useful for poultry, providing shading will help placement of floating plants in the aquarium - duckweed, richchia.

Caring for ornatuses includes stable maintenance of a given water temperature. Fish are not too sensitive to acidity - they need a neutral or acidic environment, the hardness of the water should be from 3 to 12 dGH. Substitutions in the amount of up to 25% are carried out no more than twice a week, while maintaining a single temperature. The aquarium itself is recommended to be supplemented with a lid, as playful pets can easily jump out of the tank.

Inside the tank, the ornatuses should have shelters that allow them to rest or take refuge from dangers. Driftwood, stones, algae will do. It will be useful to form a dry leaf cover on the ground, periodically replaced by a new litter. It is useful for ornatus to create an authentic environment - for this, peat extract is added to the water.

Ornatus fish are relatively unpretentious in choosing food. They are given live food - from bloodworms to daphnia, especially increasing their portions in the period preceding spawning. Phantoms are able to eat ready-made dry food, food additives, fortified mixtures help diversify the diet. Any food, taking into account the features and size of the fish, must first be crushed.

Ornatus needs plant food as well. In this capacity, usually scalded with boiling water, finely chopped plate of lettuce. Useful for fish spinach, dandelion, duckweed, cinnamon. The proportion of green feed in the diet is calculated individually, but in a volume of at least 30%. In general, nutrition should be quite diverse.

The frequency and frequency of feeding adult fish is 3-4 times during the day, fry can receive food even more often. Servings are small, controlling the purity of the water in the aquarium. Ornatus feed on the surface of the water.

It is recommended to carry out breeding of ornatuses using a special spawning aquarium. This tank should have a capacity of 30 l, water level up to 17 cm, a stable temperature regime within +26.28 degrees Celsius. The acidity of the medium is arranged close to neutral - about 5.5-6.5 pH.

Spawning aquarium does not require artificial lighting, natural is eliminated by using an opaque, breathable covering material. Javanese moss is used inside, the bottom is lined with a net. Homosexual individuals in equal numbers are transferred to a spawning aquarium. Two weeks before the expected start of the breeding season, the fish are transferred to live protein-rich food. With the right approach, spawning will begin within 24 hours after the transplant.

Mesh and Javanese moss are the best places to form clutch of ornatuses. At the end of the process, the fish are transferred to a regular aquarium and transferred to their normal diet. The fry after the moment of hatching receive infusoria, “live dust” as food, from the second week you can give starter ready-made feed. The grown young growth is gradually transferred to adult food, deposited in a common aquarium.

For how to properly care for ornatuses, see the next video.