▷ Mirror carp in the pond | All information and details

Data sheet mirror carp

Latin name:
Cyprinus carpio

Trade name:
mirror carp

order name:
Common carp (Cypriniformes)

Family:

Carp fish (Cyprinidae)

Genus:

Cyprinus

Origin:
Europe without Scandinavia

Size (in cm:

35 to 50

pond size

Length and width (cm):
From 200

Content in litres:

from 5000

water values

Temperature:
4 to 32°C

pH:

6 to 8

CH:

from 4

behavior/stocking

Area:
lower area

Lining:
Omnivores, live food (insect larvae, worms, snails, small crustaceans), aquatic plants (duckweed, waterweed, mousewort), carp food

Behave:
Schooling fish, peaceful

Number:
from 5 animals

Life expectancy:

up to 50 years

socialization:

Yes

Difficulty level:
beginner fish

Dezidor, Cyprinus carpio, CC BY-SA 3.0

General introduction

This extremely popular edible fish was introduced to Europe by the Romans and Greeks. The wild form comes from the tributaries of the Black Sea and the Aral Sea.

Already in ancient times the fish were kept and bred in special ponds. They quickly spread across Europe. In some wild waters, the animals are listed as invasive species. Their feeding behavior threatens the ecosystem and the fish that live there.

The carp are often released in quarry lakes, ponds or in slow-flowing river areas. Sometimes they penetrate into the brackish water areas of these rivers.

Mirror carp are also considered king carp known.

Look

As a typical carp, the animals have one high back. In the cultivated form, the body is stockier and fuller than in the wild form. They have a hump on their heads.

His is striking large terminal mouth, which it can protrude like a trunk. As with all carp, the mouth is toothless. The fish have three rows of strong, molar-like teeth pharyngeal teeth.

On the upper lip are located laterally two pairs of barbels. The front pair of barbels is shorter. The eyes are small. There is one on the flanks continuous side line.

The fish are golden yellow to brownish in color on the sides. Their belly is also golden yellow or white. The back is black-green to grey-green. One deeply forked caudal fin, plus a long, high dorsal fin clearly show the carp.

The special feature that makes the mirror carp a mirror carp is its scales. The animals only have few large scales. They sit mainly at the base of the fins or in a row on the back. The sides are scaleless.

Behave

The animals eagerly rummage through the bottom of the pond for food. They eat whatever small creatures they can find and also attack aquatic plants. They stand upside down on the ground.

How much the fish eat and how fast they grow depends on the water temperature. They take up most of their food at 20 to 25 °C and grow accordingly.

If the temperature falls below 8 °C in autumn, they eat almost nothing. They are preparing for their hibernation. Then they no longer need to be fed. She winter in the lower ice-free areas.

Pond

The animals do not make any special demands on the water values. The Pond bottom should be soft. This suits their diet. The fish feel in ponds with partial, lush border planting most comfortable. The plants have to be renewed or replaced from time to time.

Due to the constant digging and the considerable excretions, the pond water quickly becomes cloudy and algae can spread. One strong filter system prevents that.

The pond must be in sufficiently large areas at least 140 cm deep be. This ensures that the water there does not freeze to the bottom. The animals retreat there in winter. A ice preventer provides the necessary oxygen.

gender differences

In the mating season they are Male on spawning rash to recognize.

If the animals feed exclusively on natural food, the males have an ocher belly and ocher tail and anal fins. If the fish get carp food, this color disappears.

breed

Males become sexually mature at 2 to 3 years, females at 3 to 4 years. If the water temperature rises to 20 °C in spring, the carp are in the mood to spawn. This happens from May to June/July.

The fish embark in warm, flat areas with dense vegetation. If such areas are missing in the pond, it will not work with the offspring. The carp are Haftspawner or herb spawner. In the courtship game the male drives the female in front of him.

The partners thus synchronize their readiness to spawn. The male then stimulates the female to lay eggs. He jabs her in the flank several times with his mouth. The eggs are fertilized by the male in the water. They sink down and stick to plants or stones. If they fell into the muddy ground, the young would suffocate.

The Parents do not take care of the clutch, the brood is left to its own devices. A female can lay up to 1 million eggs. Depending on the water temperature the larvae hatch after 3 to 8 days.

rearing

If the yolk sac is used up, the tiny creatures feed on zooplankton and plant seeds. At first they prefer small rotifers, later small crustaceans and larvae.

socialization

Mirror carp can with other peaceful fish to be socialized.