Mustaches are a popular fish for ponds of various sizes. They are even suitable for a mini pond, as the maximum length of the species is about ten centimeters. The whitefish (Leuciscidae) can be kept without specialist knowledge, as they are undemanding and adaptable. One of the most important aspects of keeping dwarf arborists in ponds is the food.
Fashionable attitude
If you have decided on Leucaspius delineatus as a pond dweller, you have to consider a few things so that the swarm will be fine in the long run. Since a pond only provides a limited amount of water and the fish cannot find new grounds on their own, they need the ideal conditions to avoid dying. The temperature of the water is particularly important:
- Spring to Autumn: 18°C - 20°C
- max. 27 °C over the year
- effective oxygen supply necessary at temperatures above 20 °C
It should never get too hot for the moderlieschen, as they prefer cooler temperatures and do not have to hibernate indoors even in winter. So make sure that the fish don't get too hot, as they overheat quickly. In addition, cool temperatures positively support pair behavior if you want to keep more of the fish. In addition to the temperature, the nature of the pond water is another aspect that you need to consider:
- Water hardness: 15 GH (total hardness)
- pH: 7
- rich in oxygen
- low in nitrite
- low in nitrate
This information should help you to adapt the pond water to the requirements of the fish.
pond plants
Another point is the planting, because moderlies are dependent on numerous aquatic plants. Here it is not important what kind of species you plant, as long as the bank area is planted intensively. This is where the dwarf arbors prefer to stay. Since the fish need a lot of oxygen, you can oxygen plants set, which ensure good water quality:
- Water buttercup (bot. Ranunculus aquatilis)
- Water feather (bot. Hottonia palustris)
- Horn leaf (bot. Ceratophyllum demersum)
- Spawnweed (bot. Potamogeton)
- Waterweed (bot. Elodea)
- Fir frond (bot. Hippuris vulgaris)
With these you ensure a sufficient amount of oxygen, which makes the pond ideal for Leucaspius delineatus.
notice: Keeping Moderlieschen is recommended if you want to contribute to the conservation of the species. Moderlieschen are on the Red List of Endangered Species because a large part of their natural habitat is being lost and you can counteract the threat by keeping them in your own pond.
swarm size
As with all other species of fish, it is important to know how many specimens can and should live together in a swarm when keeping mildew. Without a group, the fish will not survive and reproduce. So make sure you keep a swarm size of at least ten To enable specimens so that the moderlieschen are doing well.
socialization
If you want to keep your mildew with other fish, you can choose from a manageable number. The reason for this is the size of the dwarf arbors, which makes them extremely attractive as a snack for significantly larger fish. Therefore, not all species are suitable for socialization with them. If you don't want to lose your crush, keep your distance from the following popular pond residents:
- Orfe (Leuciscus idus)
- Koi (Cyprinus carpio)
- Gold tench (Tinca tinca)
It is better to rely on the following species, which also belong to the small fish or have no appetite for the white fish:
- Bitterlings (Rhodeus amarus)
- Minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus)
- Sticklebacks (Gasterosteidae)
- Goldfish (Carassius auratus)
These are ideal fish species for mini ponds if you don't have a lot of space in the garden.
food
One of the most important points when keeping Leucaspius delineatus is the food. The fish need an adequate supply of nutrients so that the metabolism remains stable and the swarm can live in a relaxed manner. A big advantage of keeping dwarf harriers is that they are not demanding when it comes to food, since they are quite hungry fish and even small schools can eat large quantities. This is exactly why the fish are so popular in the pond, as most of their food naturally reaches the shoal. Sunfish get their food mainly from nutrient-rich sources of plant and animal origin, which accumulate in your garden pond all by themselves. However, it is possible to administer additional food. The following list gives an overview of the possible feeds:
- algae
- mosquito larvae
- zooplankton
- Hoplings (Cyclops)
- Water fleas (Cladocera)
- dried animal food
In most cases, insects such as mosquitoes, water fleas and water hoppers are found in a classic garden pond, and algae have always been a nightmare for many pond owners. Because of this, in most cases you don't have to worry about underfeeding the fish.
Another benefit of feeding is the ability to breed the live food yourself. While hopper bugs and water fleas are a common sight in pet stores, you can also provide mosquito larvae for food. Of the three typical types, the following two are excellent for this:
1. Black mosquito larvae (Culicidae)
Black mosquito larvae come from the mosquito, the ultimate pest on warm days. The larvae of the mosquito are found food for pond dwellers such as Leucaspius delineatus and you can take advantage of that here. If you keep mosquito larvae as live food, your dwarf arbors will be supplied with vitamins and protein. In addition, you have to deal with fewer mosquitoes than you thought, since the fish eat large quantities of the larvae and hardly need any other feeding.
2. Red mosquito larvae (Chironomidae)
The Chironomidae are the so-called midges that cannot bite or sting mammals due to weak mouthparts. Due to their size and the nutrients they contain, they are among the most popular mosquito larvae that worms eat and are even preferred to mosquito larvae. When breeding, be aware that some people can be allergic to these, so it's best to handle them with gloves if there's suspicion.
White mosquito larvae of the Chaoboridae family, the tufted midges, are not suitable for breeding as live food. The reason is the appetite of the mosquito larvae, which, due to their size, see the worms as a possible food source. Young fish in particular are affected because they are still very small after hatching. There is no need to worry when choosing dry food, here you can theoretically choose what is suitable for the other species of fish in the pond. Due to their small body size, they can always branch off a bit. The most important information about the feeding includes the frequency and the period of time:
- Feed spring through fall
- in winter they are not fed
- don't overfeed
As mentioned in the previous information, do not feed while the fish are in winter quarters. In this way you avoid an excess supply of nutrients and the resulting toxins, as these are not absorbed or broken down over the winter. Be careful when feeding them so that you can relax and enjoy your pond with the mildew.
mosquito larvae in the water
tip: If your garden pond constantly suffers from increased algae infestation, the Leucaspius delineatus will serve you well in relation to this. The fish survive even an intensive infestation and can effectively improve the water quality thanks to their large appetite, without you having to take action against the algae yourself.
hibernate
Finally, when keeping Leucaspius delineatus, you need to know about wintering. The fish can spend the winter in the pond if you observe certain points that guarantee the survival of the small white fish. During the cold season, the water in the pond threatens to freeze, which is dangerous for the mildew. In itself, however, it is not the cold that is dangerous for the fish, but a lack of oxygen and the accumulation of toxic gases that cannot escape due to closed ice sheets. For this reason, you should regularly check your garden pond for a closed ice cover over the winter and if this is the case, implement the following steps:
- get a shovel or hammer
- punch holes in the ice sheet
- prefer the middle of the pond
Since, as mentioned above, mildew lizards like to stay at the edge of the pond, which can even be the case in winter, you should choose the middle of the pond for the ice holes. In this way you do not disturb the fish, which are dormant during the cold season and should not be constantly awakened. That creates stress. Otherwise you don't have to worry about the fish as they are used to even the harshest winters in Central Europe.
notice: Alternatively, the ice cover can also be broken with a bubble stone.