Carpet Eleotris

An intriguing fish that adds a special charm to any aquarium is the Carpet Eleotris. This species is a favorite of both beginning and seasoned aquarists due to its unique appearance and fascinating behavior.

The Carpet Eleotris, with its long body and lovely pattern, is a great addition to a community tank because it’s not only aesthetically pleasing but also reasonably easy to maintain. To maintain the health and well-being of this fish, it is imperative to comprehend its distinct requirements.

Everything you need to know about the Carpet Eleotris will be covered in this article, from its natural habitat to the ideal tank setup and food to keep this fish healthy and happy.

Tateurndina (Tateurndina ocellicauda Nichols, 1955).

Commonly accepted Russian name "Carpet Eleotris"

Belongs to the order Perciformes, the Eleotridae family. The coloring is very beautiful – the whole body is covered with pink-red and blue stains, like an oriental carpet (hence the Russian name). The male has a rounded muzzle with a convex forehead, a flat abdomen; male size – about 6 cm. The female"s muzzle is more elongated, the abdomen is convex; the size of the female is about 5 cm. The fish is a close relative of the Far Eastern "migrant" rotan-goloveshka, which has now spread throughout European Russia.
However, unlike the active predator rotan, the tateurndina is an absolutely peaceful fish that gets along well with any small fish and even livebearer fry.

The island of New Guinea’s shallow rivers, where many stones and trees have fallen into the water at the bottom, are home to the carpet eleotris. All of this creates a large number of burrows and shelters, each of which is inhabited by the male eleotris. The females roam between the males’ shelters, lacking a "home." These New Guinean rivers have low salinity (about 3% o), slightly hard (gH = 12–15), and slightly alkaline (pH = 7.2–7.5) water due to the constant mixing of their waters with sea tides.

For keeping tateurdins in an aquarium it is enough to comply with the above conditions (t 22–24). The current generation of eleotris practically does not need to add salt to the water. Fish that require similar conditions of maintenance are suitable for their company – small and medium rainbowfish, danios, small gobies and livebearers. There should be shelters in the aquarium (according to the number of males – otherwise they will fight for possession of the "house"). It should be taken into account that the male, as a rule, chooses the tightest hole, into which sometimes even it is necessary to squeeze sideways. Large flower pots will be ignored… It is also necessary to ensure that the filter used in the aquarium does not have holes large enough for the male eleotris to crawl through – otherwise it will definitely climb there and die in the filter mechanism!

Like for any other fish, for eleotris a high concentration of poisons is unacceptable: ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. In this matter, high-quality timely water changes, as well as such preparations as, say, help well Tetra EasyBalance, which converts phosphates into an insoluble precipitate and smoothly reduces nitrogen. In general, every conscientious aquarist should always have a set of drop tests on hand, at least for nitrate and phosphate. Fortunately, they have now become inexpensive, there are no problems with their assortment and acquisition. In the stores of your city – offline, you can find inexpensive Vladox tests. Keep an eye on nitrogen compounds, friends, keep them in check and everything will be fine for you and your pets.

The reputable FF online retailer Aqua Logo Shop is where you can buy the medications, gear, and other helpful items for an aquarist that were mentioned above. We advise against it!

For spawning – fish (a pair or a male and two females) are placed in a spawning tank with a volume of 5 liters, with a small water level (preferably 20-25 cm). Place a very small flower pot there, placed on its side, or even better – a piece of plastic tube 7-8 cm long and no more than 3-4 cm in diameter, sealed at one end. It will become a spawning nest and a “house” for future fry. Press a piece of Java moss to the bottom with a stone (so that the female or females can hide). Raise the temperature to 27. Feed the fish with small bloodworms or red daphnia. The light should be on around the clock..

After a few days, the male starts chasing the female and occasionally jumps into the "house" to investigate it. When a male is ready to spawn, his forehead becomes much more convex, to the point where his upper jaw slightly bends. And a "mature" female’s abdomen turns orange. The male starts to fluff up his fins and dance in front of the female the following day. He occasionally makes "diving" motions with his head toward the pot (tube) to invite her to join him there. We can carry on like this for another day.

Finally, the female begins to run after the male, diving into the nest with him, more and more often and more often, and finally – the fish disappear into the nest for a long time. If you manage to carefully "peek" – you can see that the fish are like "stick" together to the nest vault belly up, laying eggs. This continues for 3-4 hours. Then the male"s attitude towards the female changes – he aggressively attacks her, driving her away from the nest. The female"s abdomen becomes flat – all the eggs have been laid (from 100 to 200 eggs)! Then the female should be carefully (if possible without disturbing the male) removed from the spawning tank.

The remaining male almost never shows up from the "house", constantly crawling on the eggs glued to the "ceiling" with his belly up. In principle, you can remove the male the next day – but then the output of larvae will be less. The development of eggs (and their "incubation" by the male) continues for 4-5 days. The larvae hang on the ceiling and walls of the nest for another 2 days, then they begin to fall to the bottom and "fall out" of the nest. Then it is better to remove the male. Weak aeration should be installed in the spawning tank, creating a slight current, and the water level should be lowered to 10 cm. Within 24 hours the larvae begin to swim. Then you can start giving them infusoria or gradually grinding "Sera Micron" food in water.

It should be taken into account that the larvae of the Eleotris are very sedentary and react to food only when it is slowly carried in front of their eyes (this is why weak aeration is needed!). Fry switch to active feeding only at the age of 2 weeks of "floating" state. But they immediately begin to grow rapidly, doubling their size in the next week. Then you can gradually change the water and turn off the lighting at night… After the fry reach a length of 1 cm, their growth slows down – and only by six months they become about 4 cm long. Around the same time, they begin to differentiate by sex – and by about 9 months they become sexually mature.

Fish in aquariums should be fed correctly—balanced and varied diets. This basic principle is essential to successfully maintaining any type of fish, including guppies and astrotus. We advise feeding eleotris with reputable, premium Tetra food.

It should be mentioned that when purchasing any dry food, you should be mindful of the manufacture and expiration dates, avoid purchasing food in large quantities, and store it in a closed environment to prevent the growth of harmful flora.

These and a variety of other fish are always available at the physical supermarkets Aqua Logo and the internet retailer Aqua-Shop. Live goods delivery is offered in Moscow and the surrounding areas.

FanFishka.ru acknowledges V.M. Chernyavsky as the author.

For assistance and material supply.

A fascinating addition to any aquarium, the Carpet Eleotris has a striking appearance and unique behaviors. It is a flexible option for both novice and seasoned aquarists due to its environment adaptability.

This fish will flourish if the proper conditions are provided, which include a well-organized habitat with lots of hiding places. It will stay healthy and lively if you give it regular attention and pay attention to its nutritional needs.

The Carpet Eleotris can add a touch of the wild to your underwater world and become a captivating centerpiece in your aquatic setup with its unique behavior and blend of beauty.

The Carpet Eleotris is a petite, captivating fish that, with its vivid colors and intriguing habits, gives an aquarium a distinct personality. It is a great option for aquarists of all skill levels who want a species that is easy to maintain and adds life to the bottom of the tank.

Video on the topic

NEW PRODUCT ON BREEDER!!! ELIOTRIS CARPET!!!

ELEOTRIS CARPET. MAINTENANCE IN AQUARIUM AND REPRODUCTION

ELEOTRIS CARPET. Breeding of beautiful, elegant and rare fish. Formation of a pair, spawning, larva