Other viviparous toothcarps - sailcarps
Also among the viviparous toothcarps or Poeciliidae, which do not belong to the guppies, platies, swordtails or mollies, you can find popular aquarium fish. Here you can buy the attractive sail carps with their striking, beautiful sail fins. These live-bearing toothcarps live in their biotopes along the Caribbean coast of Mexico in the brackish water of estuaries. They also require a salt addition in the aquarium. In fresh water they are quite susceptible to diseases, in light brackish water or in fresh water with a low salt addition of 2.5 g per liter of aquarium water they show themselves to be extremely robust and eager to reproduce.
Breeding and reproduction
After mating, the females of the colorful ornamental fish, which grow to a very large size of 18 cm, hatch their eggs in the abdomen and then give birth to up to 100 live fry. The males remain somewhat smaller with 13 cm. They can be recognized very well by their gonopodium, to which the anal fin is transformed.
Keeping in the aquarium
In the aquarium the Sailbearers should be kept in company of at least 5 conspecifics. The size of these livebearers makes an aquarium of at least 250 liters necessary. They should be kept at a temperature of 24-28 °C and given brackish water or a salt addition to hard fresh water. The aquarium can be gladly planted.
Color forms and variants
In our store you can buy many beautiful color forms of the sail carps: diamond-black fish, blue, yellow and black Dalmatian sail carps, a red, a golden color form, ...
Dwarf Carps
Compared to the sail carps, the dwarf carps, which grow only 2-3 cm long, are true minis. They come from the southeastern USA, where they are also found in hard water and brackish estuaries. These dwarfs are the smallest fish in the north of the American continent and are therefore naturally also listed as an entry in our blog post in online store "The Nanofish Encyclopedia". For Heterandria formose already an aquarium from 54 liters is sufficient. They should also be kept in a group. The females give birth to up to 5 live fry every day in a period of three weeks, then they pause for 1-2 weeks. This method of reproduction is quite special and is an adaptation to the habitat in the small water body. Thus, the young never get embarrassed because there is not enough food.
Feeding of the other livebearers
Like all live-bearing toothcarps, sail carps, like dwarf carps, need a balanced diet mixed of animal and plant parts. They eat algae, biofilms, worms, insects, plant debris and the like, in the aquarium they will also happily take a suitably sized live or frozen food, soft boiled vegetables, pumpkin chips, skinned tomatoes, soft boiled spinach or spinach powder (for the Dwarf Carp) can add variety to the diet of these beautiful ornamental fish. If this is too much for you - the NatureHolic Guppyfeed is also suitable for sail carps and dwarf carps, simply for all live-bearing tooth carps - a real insider tip! The particularly soft consistency is gentle on the sensitive mouth and the high-quality, carefully composed ingredients support colorfulness, vitality and health of the pretty ornamental fish in the aquarium.
Conclusion
Although not seen too often, the beautiful Sailfish are a great addition to any brackish water aquarium. Their majestic size and sail-shaped, large, elegant fins are simply spectacular, and their behavior and beautiful colors make them perfect to watch. The fascinating little Dwarf Carps may not be as colorful or showy, but these little midgets have a charm all their own and are a real showstopper in a school of 10-15 lively little aquarium friends. The males sit in their territories and court the females moving around in groups - really cute to watch and always a great spectacle. You don't need a TV anymore, the aquarium has a calming effect anyway! Carps are lively, playful, curious and robust if kept well, with suitable water values and a sufficient aquarium size. They literally interact with their keeper. They are the optimal fish also for beginners in the aquaristics - even though they require a little bit of tact with their special needs. In our Garnelio Online Shop you can buy livebearers in a wide range of popular color forms for your aquarium.