Welcome to the world of killifish.

Different people will have different recommendations for a good beginner killie. A. australe can be easy of difficult in different hands, and probably, in the case of different strains. I keep mostly annuals and some of the Nothobranchius are fairly easy to raise as long as you don't choose those will very small fry. Other members will no doubt chime in with their recommendations for non-annuals.

There is no place that I know of where you can buy synthetic corks but you probably can get them at a local restaurant or winery where they open wine bottles using them. They are more eco-friendly than real cork and the latter have the disadvantage that they eventually become waterlogged and sink. Personally I don't need many and we drink wine occasionally so I save those corks.

The best place to look for killies is in the AKA, including in its local affiliate clubs, one of which is in Colorado, where you live. See http://www.aka.org/ckc/

Barry Cooper

Online registration is now open. See the link to the left, under News & Events.

BC

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

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

The variety that was once collected in the San Francisco Bay produced smaller nauplii on hatching. However, my understanding is that eggs have not been collected from there for many years and that the current SFB brand eggs are from Utah, producing the larger nauplii. I would contact John at JEHMCO. In the past he has had eggs from other sources in other countries that are smaller. I don't know what he has at the moment. See www.jehmco.com.

Barry

Bill,

I corrected it. Hope that's OK.

Barry

Presumably you are referring to damp peat, in which the eggs are stored. You will need to know the expected hatch date from the seller. At that time, place the peat in the hatch water (without chlorine or chloramines, of course).

Within a day you should see fry, if the eggs are present and ready to hatch. N. rachovii fry are small and you'll need very freshly hatched brine shrimp, preferably one of the varieties with small nauplii.

If you have more questions, let us know.

Barry Cooper

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

Have you joined the AKA? Only AKA members are assigned member numbers. Registered users on this site are not AKA members. If you wish to join, please see the link at the top of the page to Join/Renew.

Barry Cooper

Check Frans Vermeulen's site, http://www.itrainsfishes.net

Barry Cooper