Orizias Vovara - care and maintenance in the aquarium

In order for the closed underwater system to be harmonious, it is necessary to carefully study all the organisms that will live in the aquarium. Plants and fish should be a single whole, complement each other. Today we’ll talk about a small, amazing and very beautiful fish, oryzias thief. It has many names, one of which is rice fish. The fish is connected with the popular grain culture by the fact that its name from Greek translates as “rice”. According to some reports, the fish also successfully settles in rice fields that grow in water areas. Fish became known only in recent years, it is officially registered in 2010. The discoverer of a new species was Daisy Vovora, and an amazing resident of underwater Indonesia was named after him.

Description and natural habitat of fish

The fish of this species is quite small, usually its body length does not exceed three centimeters, this is one of the smallest representatives of oriasis, which currently numbers about 17 (meaning fish living only in a particular area). The color of the fish is silver, turning into a bluish tint of scales. The lateral fins and the edges of the caudal fin have reddish hues, the tail is very thin and transparent. A distinctive feature is the dorsal fin, which is very close to the tail. The body of the fish as a whole looks elongated and flattened. Sometimes a fish is called a neon oryazis because of its amazing feature of reflecting light aimed at the scales. If you direct the rays of light into the fish in the twilight, you can notice a very clear glow. Males, as in other species of flora and fauna, are larger and brighter, have a colorful shade of color. Another distinguishing feature is the number of fins. Females have two standard ventral fins. But in males, during puberty, the fin turns into gonopodia - a sort of analogue of the male organ through which the seminal fluid that fertilizes the female enters.

Rice fish can certainly be found only in one place - in Indonesia, on the island of Moon of the Ego-East Sulawesi. Ichthyologists suggest that the thief oryzias is common in other tropical places of the planet with identical living conditions, but today everything is at the research stage. Despite this, aquarists quickly realized that rice fish is really unpretentious, tenacious and able to decorate any aquarium.

Homemade thieves content

Here are some basic conditions for keeping rice fish that will help make the life of a silver beauty comfortable and safe.

1. Fish of this species are quite small, so they will not need especially large volumes of the aquarium. To keep a small flock, a small aquarium from 40-50 liters is enough.
2. Be sure to decorate the aquarium with all kinds of accessories and plants, creating an approximate copy of the natural underwater world of the fish. The brighter, richer and more diverse the bottom of the aquarium, the more spectacular the color of the fish will be. The imitation of the rice fish habitat should include a sandy bottom with elements of shells and stone. Also on the bottom you need to put wood driftwood, the remains of leaves and fallen vegetation, pieces of stone, various grottoes and shelters.
3. In addition, plant all kinds of plants, which literally should form underwater thickets. Plants are not only fish food, but also a great shelter that increases the chances of survival of fry in a common aquarium.
4. Orizias thief does not require any features to the parameters of water, however, it feels much better if its temperature is in the range of 22-27 degrees. The hardness of the water should be 6-14 mol per cubic meter, and the oxygen index is about 6.0-7.5 pH.
5. In any closed water system, you need to use an aerator to saturate the water with oxygen, especially when it comes to fish living in a tropical climate. You should also put a filter that purifies water from various impurities. Once a week, you need to replace a quarter of the water from the total volume of the aquarium, replacing it with clean and settled liquid. Do not forget about the regular siphon of the bottom.
6. Vovora - fairly peaceful and non-aggressive fish that get along well in a common aquarium with neighbors similar in size and temperament. Rice fish lives well with barbs, microparsions, small irises, etc. If you plan to engage in rice fish as a breeder and breed new offspring, it is best to have a separate aquarium for your school of rice fish. This will not only increase the safety of individuals, but also exclude the possible emergence of hybrids from several species. Between relatives there can be only small skirmishes, as a rule, this is a rivalry of males during the breeding season.
7. In the diet, the horisias of the thief - an absolutely unpretentious fish, very well accepts both protein and plant foods. If there are no algae in the aquarium, you should definitely add vitamin supplements to your food.

Rice fish spawns beautifully even in a common aquarium, females are quite prolific, they can lay 10-15 eggs almost every day. After a couple of weeks, fry appear from them, who are ready to swim independently and look for food. Most of the fry are eaten by the adult population of the aquarium, only the most intelligent, cunning and shy individuals survive.

Rice fish is an unpretentious representative of the underwater world, which will surely appeal to even the most novice aquarist. She does not require separate living conditions for her person, but, despite this, she is able to really decorate and diversify the home underwater kingdom.

Video: oryzias thief (rice fish)