Copella callolepis
Copella callolepis, also called copeea callolepis, is naturally found in the Amazon basin and its tributaries. The fish is quite popular and can be kept even by novice aquarists.
Copella callolepis has a silver coloration with red-black mottling. The back is dark. The dorsal plumage has a large black spot. In contrast to the females, the males are more brightly colored and larger. The size of the fish reaches 4 cm.
Copella callolepis is a peace-loving fish. Keep these fish should preferably be a group of at least 8-10 individuals. In this case, the fish will be less shy, and males, in the process of competing with each other for the attention of females, will exhibit a more striking coloration and interesting behavior. The fish spend most of their time in the upper layer of the water. Do not keep these fish together with aggressive and larger fish.
Keep fish in an aquarium of 50 liters, densely planted with various plants, including floating. In this case, you can keep the fry with adult fish without fear of being eaten by them.
Water parameters: temperature 20-28° C, hardness dH 1-9°, pH 4,0-7,0. Need filtration, aeration and weekly replacement of 1/3 of the aquarium water with fresh. The upper layers should create a small current of water using the diversion nozzle filter directed along the long wall of the aquarium. The fish are very sensitive to water quality and should therefore not be introduced in an aquarium in which biological equilibrium has not yet been established.
Pre-dried oak leaf litter should preferably be used as a substrate. This substrate most closely mimics the natural habitat of fish and, in addition, in the process of decomposition, it will multiply microbial colonies, which are good additional food for fry.
Fish do not like bright light, so if the intensity of light to lower the aquarium is problematic, it is necessary to place floating bushes of plants on the surface of the water, which will act as a natural light filter.
In nature, the menu is composed of small invertebrates and zooplankton. Under aquarium conditions, the fish are fed with various dry foodstuffs as well as frozen and live daphnia, artemia and small bloodworms. Small insects such as crickets and drosophila flies are good complementary food. Feed the fish once or twice a day.
Reproduction
During the pre-spawning period, the males begin to court the females. Each of the males occupy a small area in the aquarium, which fiercely defends against all fish. when one of the females will respond to the courtship of the male, a temporary pair is formed and the female begins to spawn. The spawners lay eggs on the surface of the leaf of the plant, which is in the air. To do this, the female and the male jump out of the water and stick to the surface of the leaf for a short time and stick a small amount of eggs to it. This continues until the female spawns.
After spawning, the female leaves the clutch, but the male stays near it and takes care of the eggs by splashing water on them with a sharp movement of his tail.
The hatched fry are fully capable of living an independent life and do not need the care of their parents. If there are enough plants in the aquarium, the fry will hide in them and do not need to transfer them to a separate aquarium.
The fry are fed with dried food intended for fry and artemia 3-4 times a day.
The life span of a Copella callolepis in an aquarium is about 5 years.
