Probably, these lovely creatures from the so-called large family of "goldfish" lived in aquariums in the 17th century in the homes of nobles in many countries of Asia, but in Europe and Russia they were only known in the seventies of the 19th century.
Since then, dozens of telescope varieties have been bred, which, incidentally, are generally unpretentious and even hassle-free even for beginner aquarists.
Telescopes owe their name to huge bulging eyes, the exact shape of which can vary, and the colors of the fish are no less diverse:
- pure black, the appearance of which is associated with velvet crafts;
- black with the addition of white or golden bronze;
- silvery, whose scales are indeed cast by a noble metal;
- tricolor (black, white and amber, this color is also called chintz);
- red and white;
- bluish-blue and smoky-violet (these shades are rarely found in dark individuals);
And it is noteworthy that there are not only ordinary, but also scaleless telescopes.
The body of all fish is rounded with luxurious, large fins, reminiscent of shreds of a veil, brocade. In favorable conditions, fish grow up to 10-15 cm in length (less often up to 20 cm) and can live up to 10 years. Of the other aquarium species, the closest (in shape and size of eyes) to telescopes is the variety of goldfish called "stargazer."
Telescopes are not lovers of snooping around the aquarium, but they are quite active, only they are clumsy and clumsy (structural features), so do not be surprised if the pet suddenly lost its balance and jumped over a bit.
And in connection with this manner of movement, the general style of behavior and fragile appearance, the telescope should not meet in an aquarium:
- castles and figurines, if they have sharp edges, thin protruding details;
- arches and other decorative structures where you can get stuck;
- plants whose leaves are likely to be cut.
And it is better to abandon the "pond" of a round shape - because of it, in all fish, vision, in principle, is deteriorating, but for telescopes it is not the best.
It is recommended to place the aquarium in the light - if it is lacking, the fish become lethargic, their color turns pale, their immunity decreases.
For a good life, telescopes need room, which means that, ideally, each individual should have about 50 liters of water.
The maintenance of this type does not require constant heating of water - at room temperature the telescope is quite comfortable, but a high oxygen content is necessary (which means you need to buy the appropriate device).
The optimum hardness of water (GH) should not exceed 18, the level of acidity (pH) should be in the range of 5.5-8. Plus, telescopes do not like the high content of bleach in tap water, so if there is such a problem in its composition, you should clean the liquid with a special detoxifier (found in pet stores).
The bottom is cleaned every 5-7 days, spring cleaning is carried out every month with a change in half the volume of water (or change the water by 20% every 10 days).
Not only plants can damage telescopes, but vice versa - even without being hungry, they sometimes are not averse to "try a tooth" aquarium greens, so that, in order to avoid deterioration of the state of planting, resistant species are recommended, for example:
- elodea;
- egg capsule;
- lemongrass;
- Wallisneria
- Anubias
- sagittaria;
- cryptocorynes.
So that the pets do not violate the root system, the soil above it is covered with large, heavy pebbles.
But in order not to deprive the telescopes of completely plant food, you can get a little duckweed on the surface of the water.
Indeed, being a distant relative of carps, the telescope is not averse to delving into the ground in search of a tasty one. In this connection, granular feeds with their inability to plunge deeply into the soil and a long decay (decomposition) are an excellent option.
But in principle, these fish will be happy with everything - live and frozen food, various artificial options. And it is very advisable to periodically introduce fertilizers into the diet of the telescope for the richness of the color and the maintenance of the health of the fins, the shine of the scales.
Very good (many years of experience, awards and positive reviews) products can be found in the Tetra feed portfolio. Artemia, pipe makers, bloodworms, daphnia can become an additional natural treat.
The telescope feeds decently, slowly, until it finishes - it can take half an hour, and it’s also a terrible glutton (which can cause a disease and treatment, including a hungry diet).
Therefore, it is more dangerous to overfeed it than to ask not enough food. Which, incidentally, is done twice a day - in the morning and in the evening. After waiting 2-5 minutes, they try to remove the rest of the feed (perhaps the pet is sorry, but it is better for him to hurry).
And it is also important to note the danger to these fish - the presence of small pebbles in the aquarium, which telescopes can swallow, is unacceptable.
The specifics of anatomy, naturally, creates a risk of telescope eye diseases, but they are also prone to:
- intestinal infections (signal - loss of appetite);
- fungal diseases (noticeable growths / plaque on the body);
- dropsy (infectious damage to the kidneys leads to accumulation of fluid in the body);
- infection with parasites (anchor worms, crustacean-carnivores and others with untimely treatment can lead to the death of fish).
Those who want to have a telescope will find it useful to know such facts about it:
- sex of fish cannot be determined until spawning time - then males on the gill covers and head show white spots (tubercles);
- sometimes as teens grow young telescopes can slightly / radically change color (for example, spots of blazing gold will suddenly be added to black).
Voile tails, shubunkins, orandas and all kinds of goldfish, that is, all relatives - the best company for delicate, melancholy telescopes. Guppies, cichlids, gourami, angelfish and neon fish will also not offend, push them away from the feed, or break off the fins.
But to keep telescopes with Sumatran and Denisoni barbuses, as well as categorical tetragonteruses, is strictly prohibited in order to avoid aggressive attacks on the former.
