thorn fish

Contents

Description of the thorn fish
Types and breeds of fish thorns
Compatibility of thorn fish with other fish
Keeping thorn fish in an aquarium
Thornfish care
Reproduction of thorn fish at home
Popular questions and answers

Bright lanterns, reminiscent not so much of fish as of fantastic flowers – these are decorative thorns. These fish are as cute as they are easy to keep.

Name	Тернеция (Gymnocorymbus)
family	Haracin
Origin	South America
Food	Omnivorous
Reproduction	Spawning
Length	Both males and females – up to 4,5 – 5 cm
Content Difficulty	For beginners

Description of the thorn fish

Ternetia (Gymnocorymbus) belong to the Characidae family. These natives of the sun-warmed rivers of South America are also called “fish in skirts.” The fact is that their anal fin is so magnificent that it resembles the crinoline of a ball gown of a noble lady. And dark-colored thorns even received the ominous nickname “black widow tetra”, although in fact these fish are very peaceful, and the name reflects only their modest outfit.

Initially, aquarists fell in love with these fish not so much for their appearance, but for their unpretentiousness in content. Being relocated from their native tropical reservoirs to a glass container, they felt great and even reproduced well. A nice round shape and small size have made the blackthorn one of the most popular types of aquarium fish. Moreover, today several breeds of these fish have been bred, which, unlike the nondescript progenitors, can boast of a more elegant color (1).

Types and breeds of fish thorns

In the wild, thorns are rather discreetly colored – they are gray with four black transverse stripes, the first of which passes through the eye. Such fish can still be found in many aquariums. However, selection does not stand still, and today many bright and elegant breeds of thorns have been bred.

Ternetia vulgaris (Gymnocorymbus ternetzi). Silver-gray round fish with four black transverse stripes and lush fins. One of the most unpretentious abode of the aquarium.

Within this species, several interesting breeds have been bred:

Veil thorns – it is distinguished by elongated fins: dorsal and anal, and those who are going to have these exquisite beauties should remember that their thin fins are very fragile, so there should be no sharp snags and other objects in the aquarium that they can break;
Azure thorns – at first glance, it can be confused with an albino, but the color has a bluish tint, as happens in ocean fish, such as herring, moving into the language of motorists, this color could be called “blue metallic”;
Albino (Snowflake) – snow-white thorns, completely devoid of dark pigment and, accordingly, stripes. She, like all albinos, may even have red eyes;
Caramel – similar to Snowflake, but has a creamy hue and really resembles candy – caramel or toffee, is a selection product, therefore it is more vulnerable than its wild relatives;
Glofish – this product of genetic engineering is a real decoration of the aquarium, they were bred by implanting the coelenterates genes living in coral reefs into the DNA of wild thorns, resulting in fish of the most unusual colors for wildlife, which are commonly called aniline or “acid”: dazzling yellow , bright blue, purple, luminescent orange – a flock of such fish resembles a scattering of colorful candies (2).

Compatibility of thorn fish with other fish

Ternetia are incredibly accommodating creatures. But they are quite active and can “get” the neighbors in the aquarium: push, chase them. But seriously, they will not bring any harm to other fish.

However, they cannot be planted with obvious predators that tend to bite the fins of other fish, otherwise the lush “skirts” of thorns may suffer.

Keeping thorn fish in an aquarium

All types of thorns, even the capricious GloFish, are suitable to start breeding aquatic pets with. Firstly, they are very beautiful, and secondly, they are completely undemanding either to the composition of the water, or to the temperature, or even to the volume of living space. Unless aeration and plants in the aquarium should be mandatory. For soil, it is best to use multi-colored pebbles, but sand will be inconvenient, as it will be absorbed into the tube when cleaning.

It is best to start several thorns at once, because this is a schooling fish that psychologically feels better in the company. Moreover, watching them, you will soon see that each of them has its own character, and the behavior is far from meaningless.

Thornfish care

The fact that thorns are one of the most unpretentious fish does not mean that they do not need to be looked after at all. Of course, this is necessary, because they are still living beings.

The minimum set of care includes changing the water, cleaning the aquarium and feeding. And, of course, it is necessary to observe the fish and the conditions in which they live: temperature, water composition, illumination, and so on.

Aquarium volume

As mentioned above, thorns love to live in flocks, so it’s best to start a dozen of these cute fish at once. An aquarium with a volume of 60 liters is suitable for them, so that the fish company has where to swim.

It cannot be said that if the amount of living space is less, the fish will die. People can also survive in small-family apartments, but everyone feels better in spacious housing. But, if it so happened that your thorns live in a small aquarium, be sure to change the water in it more often – at least once a week.

Water temperature

Being natives of tropical rivers, thorns feel best in warm water with a temperature of 27 – 28 ° C. If the water cools down (for example, in the off-season, when it gets cold outside, and the apartments are not heated yet), the fish become lethargic, but do not die. They are quite capable of surviving adverse conditions, especially if you feed them well.

What to feed

Ternetia are omnivorous fish, they can eat both animal and vegetable food, but it is best to purchase balanced flake food in stores, where everything is already there for the full development of fish. Flakes are also convenient because the mouths of the thorns are located on top of the body, and it is much more convenient for them to collect food from the surface of the water than from the bottom. In addition, the flakes can be crushed a little in your hands, so that it is more convenient for small fish to grab them. However, when the thorns grow up, they do an excellent job with large flakes – as long as they give. For multi-colored varieties, feeds with additives to enhance color are well suited.

It is very good if there are natural plants in the aquarium – thorns like to eat them because there is nothing to do in between feedings.

You need to give food 2 times a day in such an amount that the fish can completely eat in two minutes.

Reproduction of thorn fish at home

Ternetia willingly breed in an aquarium, the main thing is that your school should have fish of both sexes. Girls are usually larger and plumper, while boys have a long and narrow dorsal fin.

If the female is going to spawn, she and the potential father must be resettled in a separate aquarium. Ternetia lay black eggs, usually up to 1000 eggs in a clutch. The babies hatch within a day. In the “maternity hospital” there must be a lot of plants where the fry can hide in the first days of life. They begin to feed on their own in a few days, only the food should be special – food for fry can be purchased at any pet store.