American Killifish Association :: Forum

Re: Feeding Plant feeding insects [by bcooper]

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 16:10:52 -0000

Foods & Feeding:: Feeding Plant feeding insects
I recall a number of discussions that I've seen regarding feeding ants to killies. As I remember it, the idea started from statements by Scheel in ROTOW that the diet of killies in the wild includes ants. A number of people have indicated that they thought he was referring to termites.

If your killies will eat ants they should provide good nutrition, with the caveats Bob mentions regarding pesticides. Termites might be more readily taken.

Unfortunately I don't think I could collect enough ants or termites to use as fish food. Maybe that's good.

Barry

Re: Killifish and Bettas... Friendly??? [by scottdavis]

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 01:00:46 -0000

Beginner's Corner:: Killifish and Bettas... Friendly???
In a large, well planted tank, Bettas and other like-sized fish may more effectively get along. If the killifish are all males, they may be less aggressive.

Smaller killies (Aphyosemions, Scriptaphyosemions for instance) in close quarters - 5 or 10-gallon tanks could be really bullied unless there are enough victims to spread out the aggression. Larger lampeyes in a 20-gallon or more could avoid the Betta.

Once sold a bunch of medium sized yellow gardneri to a shop that had a custom of putting a male Betta in each tank. As almost newly weds and broke at Christmas time we needed to make a few sales. However I was very emphatic that the owner was not to put a male Betta in with the Fundulopanchax. Mentioned that although the killies were not at all closely related to the Bettas and other Anabantoids, that the killies would understand what the Betta's flaring was all about and respond accordingly.

Came by the next day and sure enough there was a Betta in with the several pairs of gardneri. All of his unpaired fins looked like he had had a crew cut.

Of the over sixty species of Betta species, the B. splendens of our aquarium hobby are the only ones selectively bred over the last couple of 100 years to attack each other and fight to the death. Other species may have greater chances of species survival in that males posture, flare and rarely may even nip one another. But the better dancer gets the local mini-territory and the rival(s) clear out. Wonder if that happens even with fighting splendens if the Thai breeder culls them and dumps them in the local canal?

But they were bred to fight and humans would (and still do) bet serious money (to them) on the fight's outcome in certain circles in Thailand. As you know, even when we set up hobby Bettas to breed, we have to watch carefully (or use a largish well planted tank) so the female survives.

Al Anderson used to have a living room 20 with 5 or 6 Betta males with fairly good fins. They had grown up together & must have sorted out their pecking order. But remove one for 20 minutes, return it and see what happens!

Because of an emergency adoption, a Betta trio was housed in our planted 40 of odds and ends. The females hid in the wings and the male cruised the middle, pretty much ignored by a couple schools of tetras and some odd male killies and livebearers. At feeding time everyone was out chowing down. Those goofy fish even build a bubble nest front and center in a little current and spawned (much to the delight of the tetras and Corys). A 2.5 gallon tank was slid under the nest and viable fry hatched out. Another 2.5 was slide under the pair, they built another nest and kept on spawning.

But on the whole in a smaller tank, the best companions for a male Betta is a small mirror turned to face him a few times a week and a gravel vacuum every weekend. :)

Re: new to killfish n.rachovii eggs [by bcooper]

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:32:08 -0000

Beginner's Corner:: new to killfish n.rachovii eggs
Huh. I should have actually read the web page. My understanding was that bs cysts were no longer collected in the SF Bay area but that apparently has changed.

BC

Re: Convention Registration [by tgrady]

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 16:59:43 -0000

General killie discussion:: Convention Registration
We hope to have the registration open on Sunday, Feb. 5th. We were still in negotiation over some prices at the hotel and only just finalized them. I now have to get the BNL ready and Barry and I have to finish designing the registration page.

Tom Grady

Re: Coming back to the hobby [by rgoldstein]

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 18:42:05 -0000

General killie discussion:: Coming back to the hobby
Hello Roberto - Here is a link to the Brazilian killifish association. You should be able to get many species when you join this group. http://killifishbrasil.com.br/expediente/expediente.html

In addition, you may be able to get eggs through AquaBid.com.

Arnold & Ahl in the online store. [by bcooper]

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 22:49:07 -0000

General killie discussion:: Arnold & Ahl in the online store.
For those of you interested in buying the recent reprint of the historic Arnold & Ahl book, it is now available in the Online store. Links are present on the left, under Online Store, to information about AKA books (including this one) and to buy books.

Barry Cooper

Re: Warm water killifish [by gsmith]

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:27:42 -0000

General killie discussion:: Warm water killifish
I do have a small furnace in the garage for the winter. So far my tanks are around 76F with the furnace running. AC is not an option for the summer as I also breed ball pythons which need to be warm.
I was thinking of breeding pupfish, that is if I can find any. They like it warm don't they.

Gary

Re: Langton Peat Moisture Scale [by scottdavis]

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:28:27 -0000

General killie discussion:: Langton Peat Moisture Scale
http://killifishaustralia.forumcircle.com/viewtopic.php?p=2796

was raised by Google. Bless those Aussies!

They note that:

The Langton Scale

A number system to indicate peat moss wetness during storage and incubation.

#5: This refers to peat moss that is completely saturated with water. If more water were added, it would flow out of the peat. This can be appropriately used for Fp. filementosum and Fp. arnoldi, for example

#4: Peat moss given this number has been squeezed before being placed into a scaled plastic bag or other suitable container.. It would be possible to squeeze out more water but the peat is no longer saturated as is the case with #5. This is recommended for Austrolebias nigripinnis, for example

#3: With this designation the peat is squeezed (it the point where further squeezing would not produce water. This peat is damp but no longer "slushy." Most annuals will incubate successfully using #3.

#2: Peat moss in this category has been squeezed completely "dry." as in the case of #3. but, in addition, it is allowed to sit on newspaper for several hours before bagging. The outer edges of the peat have started to turn brown.

#1: Peat in this state is almost dry. It contains some moisture but very little. Few. if any species should have their eggs incubated in this environment.

I'm sure it is a lot of other places too. Have fun!

Re: Moema hellneri KCA 80/08 Rio Itaya [by fishboy20]

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:36:04 -0000

South American Killies:: Moema hellneri KCA 80/08 Rio Itaya
I believe Brian thought these were the fastest growing group of killifish and perhaps the largest. Brian didn't you state these probably could get upwards of 7-8"? And that these fish reach this size within a short time frame, 4 months?

Re: Winter Temps and bottom racks [by wshenefelt]

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:42:15 -0000

West African Killies:: Winter Temps and bottom racks
Aphyosemion striatum do very well if in the 67-71 degree range. Most Aphyosemion ogoense locations and some Aphyosemion elberte loations do well in the mid to upper 60's at hardness as you mention. They are more difficult thatn the striatum but should tolerate the water conditions you mention. Aphyosemion coeleste, A. ocellatum do well there but will need softer water. Some species like A. (Diapteron) species somewhere in the 60's which depends on the species (D. fulgens low 60's, to D. georgiae in the upper 60's)need very soft water. Depending upon how well you are doing with killies, the easiest and most easily found are striatum. More difficult are the ogoense, then the elberte. Going into the others may be tough in the water you describe due to their need for very soft water. All of the above listed fish are very pretty and not overly agressive.