Thin Striped
Three tropical tank fish are described here; Scientific names, preferred conditions, colors description, sex differences and breeding advice are given for the Rosy Barb - Barbus conchonius (Family: Cyprinidae), the Striped Hatchet Fish - Carnegiella strigata strigata (Family: Gasteropelecidae) and the Swordtail - Xiphosphorus helleri (Family: Poeciliidae).
Rosy Barb - Barbus conchonius (Family: Cyprinidae)
The rosy color is only visible when the fish is ready to breed and goes away after spawning so its name is a bit misleading. The rosy barb's main color is greeny brown to a darker green on its back. This then decreases in intensity to an olive color on the sides to silver underneath. This fish has no barbels, its dorsal fin is dark and it has big scales like mirrors.
The Barbus genus has quite a few species and many can be found in the aquarist's aqaurium. One of them is the cherry barb, Barbus titteya, which has red brown body with a dark stripe on the body. This horizontal band has another one on top, but lighter in shade. The female has yellow fins and the male has red fins.
The male is longer than the female and can grow up to 8.5 cms. The female of the species is thicker in its body and has a higher back. Cherry barbs should have a large breeding tank with both thickly planted areas of fine leaved plants and open areas. A breeding trap may be useful.
For up to a week before putting the pair into the breeding tank condition them (separately) by feeding them a nearly exclusive live food diet. Put the female in the breeding tank a day before the male. The fry are easy to rear following the normal feeding route from infusoria to more adult food.
Note that the plants and the eggs that have been fertilized should be transferred to another breeding tank if you have not used a breeding trap.
Striped Hatchet Fish - Carnegiella strigata strigata (Family: Gasteropelecidae)
It has a thin body shaped like a hatchet and will look at its best in a well lit aquarium. It will behave quite well in a community tropical fish tank that should be covered. It will reach about 4 cms. Water should be at the usual tropical fish temperature and amongst the dried foods you should give it some live food regularly.
It usually feeds at the surface and the tank will need open areas at the surface and thickly planted at the bottom. It is difficult to identify the sex of the fishes but the female has a thicker body than the male. The fish is a silver color with the back being an olive green and the flanks have dark diagonal markings starting from the dorsal fin.
It will be seen as an achievement of you can get them to breed in your aquarium. The breeding tank must have floating plants and fine leaved plants. As all the eggs are laid over a long period spawning takes quite a while. But the eggs will be eaten by the fish unless you use spawning mats or their like. Surviving fry should be fed infusoria and then small live food.
It is shame that this fish does not live that long. It ia also called the Marbled hatchet fish.
Swordtail - Xiphosphorus helleri (Family: Poeciliidae)
This is a very popular fish with beginner aquarists and a community tank. The name comes from the fact that its caudal fin, the bottom part, has a shape like a sword. The original color of the swordtail has changed from the original green with bright red stripe along the middle. Due to breeding there are now 'sailfins', double swords' and 'albinos'.
Unusual for any fish species, with the females, as they get older, their sex can change to male. A water temperature of 20 to 25 degrees centigrade, a big tank to display their swimming abilities and a cover as it also has a good jumping ability. No specific food requirements but it likes algae. The male can reach a length of 8cm and the female up to 12 cms (not counting the sword).
This fish is a live-bearing species and every month or so can produce up to 60 young as one fertilization can give multiple broods. These fish will eat their young so a breeding trap is essential and feeding them only on live food will reduce their cannibalistic behavior. Conditioning them is probably not necessary due to their great liking for breeding!
The fry are not difficult to rear. Feed them tubed food and move on to finely sieved dried food. You can even let the female give birth in the community tank but you will need a densely planted tank and keep your fingers crossed for the young getting through the dangers in the first week.
Paul Curran is webmaster at Fresh-Water-Aquariums-Guide.com and provides a care information system for fresh water aquariums. Get your FREE E-Course on how to set up and maintain a beautiful aquarium, have the healthiest, happiest fish around AND learn about more tropical fish for tanks.
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