I have been trying to keep and hoping to breed some killies specifically the Nothobranchius species but it have never succeed. the fish will last for about 2 months and it will die with not apparant reason. I need your advice on

1) What is the life span of a killis?
2) What is the temperature range suitable for a Killies?
3) Any sypmtoms I should look out for whether the tank setup is suitable?
4) Any other advise for a newbies like me.

The answer to your questions would depend on what type of killie you are talking about. As you mention Nothos, I will answer with reference to them.

1. For Nothos, most people would say about 1 year, but some can live longer, especially if you don't keep them too warm.

2. For Nothos, mid-70s is good.

3. Your fish may be developing velvet. Nothos should be kept in slightly hard water with about 1 teaspoonful of salt per gallon. Use ordinary salt, not that meant for the table. I find the crystals sold in boxes for ice cream makers work.

4. I would suggest you start with young fish, not long after they sex out. Set them up over some peat right away. They breed quite young. Most people use fine garden peat, pre-wet by pouring boiling water over it. After it cools net out a handful and put it in a small (e.g. 1 pint) plastic container. Ideally put a lid on that with a 2" hole cut in it. Check the peat for eggs after a couple of weeks, partially dry it, then store in a plastic bag for the appropriate time.

I'd choose a species that have large fry to start with, such as N. melanospilus or N. ugandensis. They easily take newly hatched brine shrimp on hatching.

Hope that helps.

Barry

Follow-on question. I have several pair of N. korthausae which I raised from eggs. Have setup a 1-1/2 gallon critter keeper as spawning tank with translucent margarine tub in it with 1-1/2 inch round hole in top; peat in dish about 1/2 inch deep.

Keep in a closet that is lighted most of the time.

I have never observed both fish in the spawning dish. Have tried multiple pair.

Removed one batch of peat after about 3 weeks and looked for eggs. Couldn't find any. Dried it out and set on the shelf anyway to wait til time to try to hatch.

1) Is it common to not observe the fish "in the act of spawning"?
2) How hard is it to see eggs of N. korthausae in peat? ( I never looked for the eggs in the peat that I hatched them from.)

Thanks
Bob #08925

Have been hearing a lot about peat and have been trying to find out more about it. I am not able to find it in any aquarium store yet. All I know is some sort of mixture of mud, root etc.. Is this true? I was told that peat will also stablsie the pH level of the water.

Can you help to post up some picture for the peat?

You won't find peat in an aquarium store. Too specialized a use for killies. Try a garden store. They should have it in 25 -50 lb bags. Peat moss. A lot of killie users use a specialized form of peat moss called Jiffy peat pellets. They can also be found in garden stores. They are small round disks - size of 2 half-dollars stacked on top of each other. Each pellet is in a plastic wrapper. Normally you put them in the bottom of a plant pot. We cut off the wrapper and crumble the peat. Advantage is no sticks or large "stuff" - just relatively fine peat moss.

Be sure to find it without any additive fertilizer - just peat moss.

Bob #08925

Bob I have no trouble seeing the eggs in peat. A flashlight can help. I now have several bags of eggs currently from N. korthausae Mafia Island TAN 02-5. If you ever make it down to a Dallas Killifsh club meeting let me know and I will bring you one.

-john

Thanks John. I'm an old guy with bifocal contacts. Maybe it is just my eyesight.

I tried a flashlight but no success. I will soon remove the peat again and look once more. Also some peat I removed previously is almost ready to be wetted.

Yesterday I did see both of the pair in the peat dish, so maybe some spawning activity has been going on. The fish are about 4.5 months old.

Bob #08925

Quote:

When you say this what do you mean? From what I gather you are not seeing any eggs... so then you must be making this assumption based on time. How old is the peat? N. korthausae eggs can eye up in 6 to 12 weeks depending on temperature (6 weeks at 27+°C) and moisture of the peat.

Very wet peat gives sporadic development and low hatches in my experiance from egg death.

Can you give any indication how damp your peat is?

When the fish are young they will often not know how to use the peat tub. I try to teach them by using shallow broad tubs and then move to deeper less messy ones.

Having multiple males enforces the male's territoriality over the spawning tub and certainly increases spawning sucess as the dominant male will stay over his tub and only spawn in it.

tt4n

Yes my statement was based on time. However, I think I will look again before I wet them to see if I can find any eggs.

Thanks for the suggestions regarding using peat for spawning. Over the past two days I saw both fish in the peat tub - not actively spawning but in there. That is encouraging.

Bob #08925

Hi Guys,

I have finally found the peat needed but it is the filter peat from Eheim, hope this is ok as I am not able to get it from the garden store. I also happened to find some dark small piece of woods whivh was used for gardening. Can this be used?

I am faced with a new challenge, the peat keep floating. How can I made it sink to the bottom.

Another probelm here in my country (Singapore), it is very difficult to find a female Killies..Anyway, will try the lcoal forum to check whether anyone know where to get one.

I am sorry to ask so many basic question as I am a newbies to killies and thanks for all your advices.