American Killifish Association :: Forum

Re: Hello Everyone! [by lharper]

Fri, 10 May 2013 01:47:07 -2200

Beginner's Corner:: Hello Everyone!
Clint,
I was just home from a hospital trip and did not go. I know some others who may have. This Saturday is our Keystone Killy Group meeting in Washington, NJ (east of Easton) Check address at keystonekilly.org If you want to get a ride I am driving up and leaving here at 10:30 AM. Probably won't get back until 6-7 PM Typical meeting day. Tomorrow I will be here most of the day. A few errands to run so call first.

Lee Harper
Media, PA

Re: Hi All! New to Killis i have bid on some eggs and would love some help [by Adrianinottawa]

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 03:11:04 -2200

Beginner's Corner:: Hi All! New to Killis i have bid on some eggs and would love some help
Yes, sure am. I am on a canadian aquarium forum. Its how I heard about killi fish. There is a pretty active group in montreal and a few in BC too. None in Ottawa that I know of. Toronto is a little far but either way with the internet its not hard to learn what you need to learn.

Re: Aqua bid [by lharper]

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 14:59:38 -2200

Beginner's Corner:: Aqua bid
While the collection data is important to keep, the fish without that data are just as nice to keep. They may be less valued in an online auction but will be just as valuable in a local sale or auction when their quality is observed. Many of the favorite fish do not have collections data. In some cases, such as Aphyosemion bitaeniatum, the collection site has a significance because of the difference in color and form.

Lee Harper
Media. PA

water questions [by MartyG]

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 07:38:03 -2200

Beginner's Corner:: water questions
what species of Killi would respond well to water Like i used for my betta with almond leaves and such? also I had my best success with betta in outdoor pools on my property in the summer,but from what im reading these guys like a much cooler temp are there any species that would do well in such an environment in Missouri in the summer or no?

Re: first post [by MartyG]

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 07:30:06 -2200

Beginner's Corner:: first post
Had to rub it in didn't ya lol ! yeah i read that and I'm literally sick over it ha!!! man i bet it was a good time well maybe it will be somewhere not to far from me in the future.

Nice to meet you ;0)

Re: New to the forums. [by wshenefelt]

Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:52:03 -2200

Beginner's Corner:: New to the forums.
With most any species of gardneri, watch out for nipped fins especially on male fancy guppies. Gardneri are not much worse than tiger barbs but will shorten tails on fish like fancy guppies or male bettas. Try siphon cleaning the gravel every month into a container and keep the water-gunk you siphoned out for a few days. Gardneri fry will start to hatch out typically since their burried eggs can wait till released from the gravel to hatch.

Hi from a Killifish n00b [by ohcanada_00]

Fri, 08 Mar 2013 03:35:11 -2200

Beginner's Corner:: Hi from a Killifish n00b
Hi everyone, thought I would introduce myself. Name is Dustin and I am newly back in the hobby seriously. Had goldfish as a kid and a very young adult but never thought of them much more than a distraction.

Always wanted to get a little more serious about keeping fish and finally decided to set up a tank.

I'm interested in doing this right and taking good care of my fishes. I've already noticed my Killie interacting with me a little and think it's the coolest thing in the world! Also am already planning tank two but that's just the disease taking hold I think!!!!!!

Anywho, I'm in western Washington, near Tacoma, and my tank is as below! Thanks and hope to engage with y'all a lot more!

20 gallon tank
Three glofish danios ( named Fillet, Picattta, and Surimi)
Two long fin leopard danios ( named Taco and Lure)
One golden panchax killifish ( named Chips)
Two amano shrimp (named Coconut and Tempura)

Can anyone tell I have kids yet? though admittedly I named em!

Some of our favorite “beginner” killies [by scottdavis]

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 02:10:52 -2200

Beginner's Corner:: New to killfish
As with all lists - the Ten Best Soccer Players, the Best NBA Players Of All Time, the Best NFL Running Backs,
ad infinitum - it is incorrect but a useful start.

This has been posted before - I apologize to regulars here - but I couldn't search the URL for it.

Aplocheilichthys spilauchen, hard, even brackish water & warm

Aphyosemion ahli
A. celiae (both subspecies)
A.christyi
A.cognatum
A. exigoideum
A. gabunense
A. hera
A.labarrei
A. marginatum (or A. gabunense marginatum)
A.ottogartneri
A. primigenium

A. rectogoense
A.schioetzi
A. striatum
A. spec. "Madimba"

Aplocheilus lineatus (just in from the rice paddy)
Aplo. Panchax

Archiaphyosemion petersi

Chromaphyosemion (or Aphyosemion)
Species alpha
bitaeniatum
bivittatum
splendopleure
loennbergi
poliaki

Epiplatys bifasciatus
Ep. chaperi
E.dageti monroviae
Most any other Epiplatys from the Western part of their range,

Fundulopanchax gardneri gardner -i Nsukka, Lafia
Fp. gardneri mamfensis
Fp. gardneri nigerianus (includes Misaje, many other locations)
Fp. marmoratus (legendary jumper)
Fp. mirabilis (several subspecies. Name means beautiful)
Fp. oeseri (another legendary jumper)
Fp.scheeli
Fp.spoorenbergi
Fp. walkeri

Nothobranchius guentheri (annual genus)
N. foerschi
N. palmqvisti

Oryzias species (rice fish, honorary killies)

Rivulus any of the big ones - seal the tank cover ;)

The next group does need softer, warm water: a warm water genus (78-80)

Scriptaphyosemion bertholdi
Script. cauvetti
Script. gery
Script. guignardi
Script. liberiense
Script. schmitti

Almost as easy for over achievers if water chemistry, temperature, sometimes larger quarters and foods are appropriate:

A. australe
A.elberti, formerly bualanum (Jim Gasior's three rules, change the water, change the water, change the water))
A. ogoense (several of them)

Aphanius mento - with lots of shelter, hard cool water
Others in genus

Aplocheilus dayi
Apl. dayi werneri

Austrolebias nigripinnis

Callopanchax occidentalis (semi-annual)

Chrom. riggenbachi

Fundulopanchax amieti (needs space)
Fundulopanchax arnoldi "Ughelli, TR 01" (legendary annual, best strain for reproduction)
Fundulopanchax avichang (a very cool, small new one)
Fundulopanchax filamentosus (annual)
Fp. gardneri lacustris (about the only hard gardneri, semi-annual))
F.ndianus
Fundulopanchax puerzli (robust)

Procatopus aberrans, simulis, nototaenia
probably a number of the other lampeyes,once the school is settled in...
Pseudepiplatys (or Epiplatys) annulatus "Monrovia" - tiny eggs and fry in planted aquaria
Pter. Longipinnis (annual)
Rivulus - all the big ones. Many of the small ones, soft water. All of them tightly covered.

If you wish to breed killies, they will need their own quarters. Killies breed in community tanks more often than we realize, but the eggs or fry are lost to tank mates.

For more o nthat look down the left of this page at Beginner's Guide under Resources.

Many of our really beautiful killies would thrive in your water with it's modest mineral level. But many of those under the rain forest canopy really do best at 72, 76 degrees or something like that. Many are also too small as company with the discus, though some of them could live with them. Just as with many rainbowfish, 80-82 degrees F will speed up their metabolism and shorten their life expectancy to a few years.

One style of care doesn't fit discus and all other cichlids, nor can all killies be treated the same.

Aplocheilus lineatus from India are warmth loving killies big enough to keep with young discus - if the tank is tightly covered. You may have seen the color sport the golden wonder in pet shops. Many of us still prefer the wild forms.

Some of the other larger Aplocheilus, Rivulus and the like could be put there with some hornwort or floating broad-leaved water sprite. Large Fundulopanchax would probably coexist but not live too long.

Extra male killifish are often easier (and cheaper) to find in aquarium club auctions, killie club auctions and meetings. They are also better behaved if there are no females in the tank for them to court and sequester from the other males.

Thank you for checking out killies. Maybe in your Discus tank, maybe else where may you find a place for some of them. :)

Re: First post here -- I would like to avoid a problem - thanks for help! [by kcook]

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 01:02:40 -2200

Beginner's Corner:: First post here -- I would like to avoid a problem - thanks for help!
Well moose,

It sounds like you might have a lot of fish vying for the same living space between the existing flags and the rams. Maybe with lots of cover things might be ok, but I would expect things to get a bit nippy.

You could always give it a try and see what happens. No reason you can't take them back out.

Good luck!

Keith

Re: Killifish for my community tank? [by scottdavis]

Tue, 12 Feb 2013 19:06:32 -2200

Beginner's Corner:: Killifish for my community tank?
One last thought: Blue gularis females are much coveted by those that would have them breed. Successful breeding would be possible in your tank, but not the growing of the fry (something true in so many community tanks with far more fishes than we realize). Extra males, while the pretty ones, are easier to come by.

Several of us have discovered that a tank with just males, especially if they have grown up together (another reason to start with somewhat young ones) are much better "behaved" that they are when females are introduced to the congregation.

That can be generalized to many killies, though the lampeyes are better community fish with both genders present. My modest experience with male Fundulopanchax in community / odds 'n ends settings is that they are much less aggressive without females to impress or sequester.

Prolly can buy a male for 1-3 bucks, a pair for $10 to $30, so expense favors your approach too.