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Habitat of the veiltail. Veiled-tailed aquarium fish

One of the most common and favorite fish among aquarists is the veiltail. The beautiful and calm inhabitant of the water element is a real decoration of the aquarium and many associate it with the goldfish from the fairy tale by A.S. Pushkin.

A little history

The veiltail fish was developed several hundred years ago; Japan is considered its homeland. Only the “chosen ones” (emperors and their entourage) could contain such a treat for the eyes in their Mikado gardens. In the 19th century, 2 pairs of these fish were presented to Daniel Ammen, a rear admiral of the US Navy and a passionate aquarist. Over the course of several years, the American managed to breed 140 heads of offspring. Most of the young animals fell into the hands of nobles and were placed in cages with goldfish. The result of this proximity was crossbreeds that lost their original characteristics. Save a unique variety and preserve it in completely clean The type of this breed was succeeded by a certain Mulert, who got into his hands only 2 pairs of decorative fish.

Veiltail fish: description

The most prominent part in the structure of a decorative fish is its tail, which is associated with light, weightless fabric. Its length sometimes reaches 30 cm, which is 3-6 times more sizes torso. The tail and fins are transparent; the dorsal stands vertically, the anal bifurcates.

The veiltail fish has a short, laterally flattened body of an ovoid or spherical shape. The eyes are large. Body color varies from bright red to light cream and golden. Pure black specimens are quite rare. Spotted veiltails are very popular among aquarists.

There are such varieties of veil tails as:

  • skirt and ribbon (depending on the shape of the tail);
  • scaleless and scaly.

Veiltail goldfish: contents

Proper maintenance of veiltails requires a high, spacious aquarium - at the rate of 50 liters of water per fish. So, for two veil tails, a 100-liter container with clean, clear water. A 150-liter container can accommodate 3-4 fish, while providing powerful filtration and good aeration of the water.

The veiltail fish, the maintenance of which is not particularly difficult, is slow in its movements and loves to dig in the ground, so it is recommended to place coarse sand or pebbles at the bottom of the container. It is advisable to choose plants with hard leaves and a strong root system: egg capsule, vallisneria, sagittaria, elodea.

Veiled-tailed goldfish love cool water: the recommended temperature is +20-21 o C. Every week it should be renewed by a quarter of the volume.

Feeding

An important part of caring for veiltails is their feeding: ornamental fish are very voracious and can eat non-stop. Therefore, you should not allow overeating and feed food at the rate of 3% of the weight of the veiltail.

Feeding should be done twice a day: in the morning and evening. The amount of food should be calculated for 10-20 minutes of consumption, followed by removal of any remaining food. Once a week it is recommended to have a fasting day. The diet should include dry aquarium food and plants (scalded lettuce and nettle leaves).

Breeding Features

A component of proper maintenance of veil tails is their breeding. For one female there should be 2 or 3 two-year-old males. Before spawning (in March-April), fish of different sexes should be kept separately for 2-3 weeks, providing them with plenty of feeding. Then place it in an aquarium equipped with sandy soil laid at an angle to one side, a spawning grid, and a bunch of plants with small leaves.

The female's readiness for spawning can be determined by her thick abdomen; male - by the presence of a spawning rash on the gill cover and notches on the pectoral fins. Spawning can be stimulated by gradually increasing the water temperature (up to 24-26 o C). The males then become more active and begin to chase the females. The latter spawn: about 10 thousand eggs at a time. Most often this happens early in the morning, with the appearance of the first rays of the sun. At the end of spawning, adult fish must be removed from the aquarium. Duration incubation period- from 2 to 4 days; The appearance of fry occurs within 5 days.

It is first recommended to feed the hatched fry with “live dust” - tiny microorganisms that you can grow yourself or purchase in specialized stores. Traditional starter food is rotifers, slipper ciliates, and brine shrimp. 2 weeks after the appearance of young fish you can transfer to a small cyclops.

Veiled-tailed cockerel: structural features

The veil-tailed betta (fish) is a prominent representative of aquarium inhabitants. It is characterized by an almost round body, long and pointed fins: caudal, anal and dorsal.

Veiled-tailed cockerels have different type coloring:

  • single color (blue, purple, red, green, white, yellow, black, cream);
  • two-color (body one color, fins another);
  • multi-colored (multi-faceted colors in the color of the fins and body).

If there is a sudden change in living conditions, the fish may become discolored.

The betta fish, which is the betta, is able to breathe not only with gills, but also special body breathing, called "labyrinth". When in oxygen-poor water, the cockerel swims to the surface and swallows air, which in the labyrinth saturates the blood with oxygen. That is why labyrinthine fish species are undemanding to water quality, which makes keeping them in an aquarium much easier: there is no special need for filtration and aeration.

Provide proper care

When caring for fish, it is important to protect them from damage to their luxurious tail fins. The aquarium should not contain driftwood with needle-like knots or stones with sharp edges.

The veiltail is characterized by a peaceful, calm character, so you should avoid proximity to aggressive fish that can pluck its luxurious fins. With quality care, the veiltail fish can live up to 20 years.

Of all the members of the goldfish family, veiltails are the most popular among aquarists. They are often found in pet stores and markets. Veil hosts have earned such popularity due to their beauty and unpretentiousness. This is one of the oldest types of artificially selected fish. Their homeland is China, where veil-tailed fish were bred about 1,500 years ago to be kept in the garden ponds of noble people.

Of all the members of the goldfish family, veiltails are the most popular among aquarists.

Description of the breed

A distinctive feature of the fish is its magnificent tail. Based on their shape, veiltails are divided into two types: classic (skirt) and ribbon. In the first variety, both tail blades are the same size, which is why the tail looks like a strict skirt. In the second type, it consists not of two, but of three or four blades. The tails of such fish droop in a long and lush veil. The more blades, the more valuable the veiltail.

Veiled-tailed aquarium fish are also valued for their colors. There are single-color and multi-color types. Most common solid colors- these are red and gold. Black veiltails are most prized. There are also pink, white, bronze, fiery red and black and blue species. Many multi-colored species with various color combinations have been bred. Most often, two- or three-colored fish are found: white and pink, white with orange fins, etc. Very rare species- veiltail with blue eyes.

The most common solid colors of the veiltail are red and gold.

The shape of the body is the same in all species - rounded, slightly elongated and laterally compressed. Ribbon veiltails have a slightly longer body than skirttails. The dorsal fin is long, often measuring ¾ of the body length. The outline of the head smoothly transitions into the body. Because of this feature, the fish are somewhat slow and, when feeding in the aquarium, do not always keep up with their more nimble neighbors.

Females are practically no different from males. Differences appear only during spawning, when females become rounded bottom part the body, and in males white spots appear on the gills and fins.

Conditions in aquariums

Veiltails are quite unpretentious. The peculiarity of fish is that they like to dig in the ground, so it is better to place sand or small pebbles at the bottom of the aquarium. Goldfish love cool water. In summer they can live outside in an artificial pond. The optimal water parameters for them are as follows:

  • temperature in summer from +18 °C to +23 °C, in winter - from +15 °C to +18 °C;
  • water hardness - from 8 to 15 gH;
  • acidity - from 7.0 to 8.0 pH.

Fish react positively to small quantity salts in water. At feeling unwell this product can be added to the aquarium in an amount of 5-7 g/l. The water needs to be changed regularly. Since the fish often digs the soil, filters are needed in the aquarium. Algae must have a strong root system.

Feeding the fish

Goldfish are unpretentious eaters and have different good appetite. They can easily overeat, after which they get sick and die. It is better to underfeed them than to overfeed them. Veiltails are given food 2 times a day - morning and evening. Portions should be such that the fish have time to eat all the food in 5 minutes. Residues must be removed from the aquarium. Once a week, veiltails are given a fasting day.

Pisces require animals and plant food. Dry food should be given with caution, as it is small in volume and the fish may eat too much of it. The food swells in her intestines and causes constipation and obstruction, which can lead to illness and death.

Before giving dry food to the fish, it needs to be soaked for some time. The granules are soaked in water for 20-30 seconds, the flakes for 10 seconds. In comfortable conditions and with proper nutrition Veiltails can live up to 20 years and grow up to 25 cm.


Goldfish are unpretentious eaters and have a good appetite. They can easily overeat, after which they get sick and die.

Basic content rules

It is not difficult to breed veil tails at home, but you need to take into account some of their features. The following content rules exist:

  1. Fish will feel good and comfortable only in spacious aquariums. There they will not get sick and will live a long time.
  2. Veiltails are real beggars. They will beg for food even when they are not hungry. But the fish should not be overfed, otherwise they will quickly die. Their diet should be balanced and varied. Can be used ready-made feed for goldfish. It is better if veiltails take food from the bottom. By grabbing food from the surface, they can swallow a lot of air. After this, the fish become very swollen or fall over on their side. Such individuals should not be fed for 1-2 days.
  3. Veiltails are difficult to keep together with plants - fish love to pluck them. They even eat algae with hard leaves, such as anubias.
  4. Aquarium fish Veiltail is prone to changing colors. Spots may appear on her body different colors. If the conditions of detention correspond to the norm, then there is no need to be afraid - this is a common age-related phenomenon.
  5. If a lot of nitrites and nitrates have accumulated in the aquarium, ammonia burns may appear on the fish’s body. In this case, urgent measures need to be taken: replace the water in the aquarium, install phytofilters, use drugs that adjust the biological balance. If the volume of the aquarium does not correspond to the norm, then you need to change it to a larger tank.
  6. Sometimes veiltails lie at the bottom for a long time. If the fish are active, eat well and don’t get sick, then don’t be afraid - they just like to relax like that.
  7. Fish prefer cool water, but they do well at temperatures above +20 °C. The main thing in temperature conditions- this is stability.

In this article I will look at the features of keeping and caring for goldfish or veiltails. I will write the story of its origin. I will describe how to feed him correctly. Which fish is it compatible with, and which should it not be kept with? What conditions are needed for good reproduction?

Origin of veiltails

Veiltails are a type of goldfish. In nature, of course, it is impossible to see these beauties, but in aquariums such fish are often found. Veiltail was taken out from the crucian carp. From him they received endurance and perseverance.

These fish were first born in China, and already in the 15th century in Japan, from where they spread throughout Europe.

Characteristics of aquarium fish

With proper care, these fish live for approximately 10 years.

Veiltails have an attractive appearance. The main decoration of these fish is their magnificent forked tail and golden or red color. As for sexual differences, it is not easy to understand where the male is and where the female is. Only adult individuals can be distinguished.

The main decoration of the fish is a magnificent forked tail.

The fish will differ from each other in appearance:

  • male looks prettier and smaller than the female;
  • during mating, male representatives of this species appear on the head and gills. white bumps.

Aquarium fish have a short semicircular body, the length of which can reach 20 cm. This shape causes slight difficulties in movement, because veil tails are slow.

A suitable habitat for veiltails would be an aquarium with a volume of at least 100 liters.

When buying a veil tail, you should make sure that he feels comfortable. Therefore, when choosing this fish, pay attention:

  • on the volume of the aquarium;
  • filtration;
  • priming;
  • temperature;
  • frequency of water changes.

Often, inexperienced owners choose round aquariums for veil tails. However, this is strictly prohibited. Their vision deteriorates in such containers.


In addition, round aquariums have little space, and this is important for normal height fish If you increase their numbers, then for each fish you need to expand the aquarium by another 50 liters.

Since veiltails produce a lot of waste, you should ensure there is a filtration system and frequent water changes.

As for the soil, the aquarium should have sand or coarse gravel. These fish love to burrow in the soil, so they can swallow stones, which will lead to their death.

The peculiarity of keeping veiltails is that they do not need to install a heating system.

These fish thrive in water with low temperatures. A suitable temperature would be no more than 220 and no less than 100.

Feeding the fish

Feeding is important aspect veiltail contents. When feeding fish, pay attention to:

  • frequency serving food;
  • volumes food;
  • type stern.

All this means a lot for the veiltail, since the fish does not have a stomach, and food goes straight into the intestines. Therefore, the fish does not feel full. She absorbs everything she sees, but her intestines do not have time to poison large volumes and the veiltail dies.


To avoid feeding your pet to death you need to:

  1. Give food in quantity no more than 3% of body weight fish.
  2. Feed the Veiltail 2 times a day– morning and evening.
  3. 20 minutes after feeding, remove all food debris remaining in the aquarium.

It is best to buy special food for the veiltail, since its granules stick to the heap and sit on the bottom, and this is simply an ideal option for such fish.

In addition, we should not forget that they love to eat algae. Therefore, if you do not want fish to destroy your greenery, plant plants with hard leaves and a strong root system.

Veil-tails should definitely arrange fasting days. This will benefit their body.

Compatibility with other inhabitants of the aquarium

Veiled tails are peaceful inhabitants of the aquarium, therefore they are allowed to be housed with different fish. But they are characterized by a peculiar slowness, which makes it difficult for veiltails to escape from predatory species that can damage their fins and tail. Therefore, it is strictly not recommended to house fish with barbs or thorns.


Also, due to their slowness, it is difficult for veil tails to quickly pick up food. More nimble species are ahead of them. In this regard, being close to guppies is definitely not a suitable option.

Reproduction

During the spawning period, the female can lay approximately 10,000 eggs.

To breed veiltails, use a separate aquarium, which should be properly prepared. To do this you need:

  1. Pick up sandy priming.
  2. Install a heater because you will need to increase the temperature by about 5 degrees. This will encourage males to chase females. But we should not forget that the temperature should not exceed 24-26 degrees.
  3. Plant fine-leafed algae densely.

It is worth introducing 1 female and 2 males into the aquarium. Do not forget that before spawning, female and male representatives are seated in different containers.

After the breeding season is over, remove the parents from the aquarium.

Feeding the fry will not cause problems. The main ingredients in their diet are live dust and special foods that are sold in pet stores.

And most importantly, veiltails are common fish that have a low price. Therefore, anyone can easily become the owner of these extraordinary and airy beauties.

Very often in aquariums, especially among beginner hobbyists, the veil tail is found. This one was bred through selective breeding and belongs to the Karpov family. Regularly, aquariums with such fish cause a lot of trouble for beginners. In our article we will talk about the veiltail goldfish, as well as its maintenance and care.

Description and varieties

The name “veil tail” speaks for itself. The main decoration of the fish is long veil-shaped tail. It hangs down, forked and fused.


The body of the fish is ovoid, round. The head is large with “expressive” eyes. The fins are well developed, elongated and transparent.

The body color of most representatives is red-golden, while other varieties can be golden, black, or even spotted. There are veiltails with and without scales. There are also species in which the tail length exceeds the body length by 6 times. Veiltails usually have a body length of no more than 20 cm.

Did you know?Goldfish memory is enough for 3–4 months.

You can see what a veil tail looks like in the photo below.

Veiled-tailed aquarium fish demanding conditions of detention I. For two veiltails, an aquarium of 50 liters of water is enough. They can also live in ponds and swimming pools, but in cold weather they must be moved to an aquarium. The water must be clean and saturated with oxygen; aeration is indispensable.

Fish quickly clog the aquarium, so intensive water filtration is required. 10% of the fluid needs to be changed daily. The water temperature should be from 12 to 28 °C, and the acidity should be from 6.5 to 8.0. Veiltails often look for food in the ground, so it is worth paying attention to the design of the bottom of the aquarium.


Important!U dThere should be no decorative stones sharp corners, as fish can damage the fins.

If you have chosen live algae to decorate the aquarium, then their roots can be hidden in the stones, otherwise the veiltail will tear them out of the ground. Plant leaves should not be clingy, especially if it is artificial algae.

Rules for feeding the veil tail

It often happens that fish die because they have eaten more than they can digest. Therefore, you need to correctly calculate the amount of feed.

Did you know? These fish do not have a stomach, and food goes directly into the intestines - they eat as much as there is food in the aquarium.

Fish are supposed to eat 3% of their own weight per day. The portion should be eaten within 1–2 minutes. Feed them better 2 times a day. Veiltails consume live, vegetable, dry, combined feed. There are special foods that contain carotene and other additives that improve the color of fish. Once a week it is recommended not to feed the fish, thereby giving them a fasting day.


How to tell the gender of a goldfish

Let's look at how to determine the sex of a goldfish. It is not easy to distinguish a female from a male, especially if the individuals are young. Males are smaller than females and are also more graceful. It is possible to correctly determine the sex only during spawning: the male develops tubercles on his head, as well as on his gill covers. white. The female's abdomen enlarges, and sometimes they swim ridiculously and imposingly, waddling from side to side.

Breeding rules

Spawning for these fish begins at the age of about 1 year. Their must be placed in a spawning tank, volume about 30 liters. The aquarium must have small algae and sandy soil. It is recommended to maintain the water temperature around 24–26 °C. For spawning, 1 female and 2–3 males are removed.

Until this point, they should be kept separate from each other for 2 weeks. Spawning should be stimulated by gradually heating the water by 5–10 °C. Males will swim quickly around the tank, chasing females. And they, in turn, will begin to lose eggs, scattering them throughout the aquarium. Usually the eggs end up on algae leaves.


At one time, the female can lay 10 thousand eggs. After the spawning is over, the spawners are removed. The fry appear after 5 days. They must be fed with living dust - plankton sifted through a sieve. You can also buy special food for fry in pet stores, for example Sera Mikron.

Compatibility with other fish

Veiltails are very slow fish and clumsy, and they also are often injured. The best option it will be for them separate aquarium, since when living with active “neighbors”, goldfish may not get food. And their fins can be chewed by various “nimble creatures”.

Important!Cichlids and goldfish should not be placed in the same aquarium, as the former are very aggressive and can mistake veiltails for prey.

Veiltails usually get along with peaceful small fish such as neons, platies, thorns, gouramis, and carps.

With good and high-quality care for goldfish, they will thank you with their beauty for many years.

Incredibly popular. They have a rounded, short body and a forked caudal fin. Although this is not the only thing that makes them popular. To begin with, this is an unpretentious fish, perfect for young aquarists, although it does have its own limitations. It digs quite heavily in the ground, prefers cool water, and also loves to eat, but sometimes eats itself to death.

Habitat in nature

The veiltail, like others, is not found in nature. At the same time, the crucian carp, from which this breed was bred, extremely widespread. The origin of the veiltail from such a strong and wild fish makes it so hardy and unpretentious.

The first aquarium veiltail fish, described in this article, were bred in China, after which, somewhere in the 15th century, they ended up in Japan, and from there they appeared in Europe. Moreover, it is Japan that is considered to be the birthplace of the veil tail. Nowadays there are different colors of fish huge amount, while his body shape remains traditional.

Description

So, what does a veiltail look like? It has an ovoid, short body, which distinguishes the species from other fish in the family. Because of similar shape he is not the best swimmer, and when feeding he often does not keep up with the other fish. The tail is interesting - very long, forked.

The veiltail lives a long time: about 10 years or more with good conditions. At the same time, it is capable of growing up to 20 cm in length. There are many colors of fish; at the moment there are a considerable number of different colors. Of these, the most popular is the red or golden form, as well as a mixture of these types.

Veiltail aquarium fish: contents

Together with the Shubunkin, this is one of the most unpretentious. It is undemanding to temperature and water parameters, feels great in a pond, a simple aquarium, as well as in a round aquarium, the fish live well at home.

Some breeders of veiltails or other goldfish keep them in round aquariums, without plants and alone. Yes, they live there and don’t complain at all, but round aquariums are very poorly suited for keeping fish, they slow down their growth and impair their vision. It is also necessary to remember that this fish loves cool water.

Feeding

Feeding fish also has its own characteristics. Goldfish do not have a stomach, and food goes directly into the intestines. Therefore, they eat as long as they have food in the aquarium. At the same time, they very often eat more than they can digest, after which they die. In general, this is the only problem when feeding them. Veiltail aquarium fish are also interesting because it is better to feed them twice a day, and do it in portions that they can eat in 1 minute.

It is advisable to feed veiltails with special food intended for goldfish. For these insatiable creatures, simple food is too nutritious. While the special ones, in the form of granules, do not disintegrate quickly in water, they are much easier for veiltails to find on the bottom, and they are also easier to dose.

If it is not possible to feed the fish with special food, then you can give them any other food. Live, frozen, artificial - they eat everything.

When mentioning goldfish, the first thing that comes to mind is round small aquarium, in which a lone veiled tail swims. As mentioned above, veil-tailed aquarium fish grow up to 20 cm in length, and they are not only large, they also produce a lot of waste. To keep one fish like this, you need at least a hundred-liter aquarium, add 50 liters of volume from above for each subsequent one. In addition, a reliable external filter is required, as well as frequent water changes. Goldfish love to dig in the soil, digging up plants and raising a lot of dirt.

In contrast, the veiltail loves cool water (photo). Aquarium fish can live at water temperatures less than 10˚, therefore, they are not afraid of cool weather. If the air temperature in your home does not drop below zero, then you do not need a heater in the aquarium. It is better not to place it in direct sunlight, while the water temperature should not be raised above 22˚.

For the soil, it is advisable to use coarse gravel or sand. Goldfish rummage through it all the time, and often swallow it large particles, which is why they die.

Speaking about water parameters, it is worth noting that they can be very different, while optimal performance: ph - 6-8.0, 5-19° dGH, and water temperature is 20-23˚. It is worth noting that low temperature water is explained by the fact that this fish originated from crucian carp and tolerates a little coolness well.

Compatibility with other fish

Peaceful aquarium veiltail fish generally get along well with other fish. Only they require cooler water than other tropical breeds, and they can eat small fish. It is best to keep them with related species - shubunkins, telescopes. But you also need to keep an eye on them so that the veil-tails always have time to eat, and this is not always possible with their more nimble neighbors. For example, having guppies and veiltails in a shared aquarium is not a good idea.

If you still want to keep veiltails in a general aquarium, then avoid very small fish, as well as those species that can break off their fins - mutant barb, sumatran barb, thornetia, golden barb, tetragonopterus.

Breeding

Veiltail aquarium fish can spawn in a 20-30 liter aquarium. To do this, you need to place sandy soil in it, in addition, plant various small-leaved plants. It is customary to place 1 female for spawning for 2-3 two-year-old males. They should be kept separately for 2-3 weeks before spawning.

At the same time, the temperature in the spawning aquarium should be maintained at 24-26°. To stimulate reproduction, you need to gradually heat the water until its temperature rises by 10°. At the same time, the males begin to rush incredibly fast. At this time, they will also chase females who are losing their eggs, which they scatter throughout the aquarium. It mostly stays on the plants.

The female lays approximately 10,000 eggs in total. After the spawning is over, it is necessary to remove the producers from the aquarium. For hatched fry, the initial food will be “live dust”. In addition, they can be given various special foods - these are now commercially available in abundance and are intended for feeding small goldfish, for example, Sera Mikron.