For a couple years now I have attempted to maintian Austroleboas reicherti (ex. salviai) from fish hatched from eggs. Eah time I tried I got all males until this year. Now I have several females and one male that is a belly slider. In desperation I kept them together in a 5 gallon tank. Now I am collecting some eggs that seem viable. I am assuming/hoping that the belly slider trait is not genetic. Any experience, anyone?

Lee, I have no experience in breeding belly sliders but I seriously doubt that the condition is genetic. I am inclined to believe it is due to inflammation in the swim bladder, possibly due to infection.

The results of your efforts will be very interesting. If you get normal fry it would be important to let everyone know, possibly via an article in JAKA.

Barry

Barry,
Thanks for your response. I certainly will report the results (in 2 months?) of hatching results. A few weeks ago I collected a few eggs, today I collected 12 eggs, two of which had darkened slightly and were difficult to see. but that indicates to me that they are developing.
Articles for JAKA - well I have several not completed - need to get to work. They take longer to hatch than most killifish eggs.

Lee,

I know what you mean about articles taking a long time to hatch. My main point is this would be exactly the kind of hobbyist article that many members like to see.

Barry

Hi Lee, When i kept A prognathus that i got from eggs my male was a belly slider and he had no problem breeding, the problem i had is that I needed to cover the whole bottom of the tank with a coir/peat mix, He couldn't get into the breeding jar, It would probably be easier with reicherti due to its small size

Eric

I have noted for several species that the eggs are all deposited outside, NOT inside the jar of peat. That is true for Maratecoara lacortei, Austrofundulus leogoignei, Austrolebias reicherti and many others. On the other hand, Aphyoplebias peruensis and Pterolebias bokermanni are more inclined to be in a deeper container. I have also observed that the same species will choose deeper container vs. shallow bottom of the tank depending on which particular pair or group of fish is involved.
The lacortei seem to prefer either just ajacent to the jar or the corner of the tank but not inside the jar. Of course young fish lay eggs anywhere with or without peat. They just get eaten more quickly if not hidden by the peat. Nothos seem to not care where.

Today after 4.5 months I wet the first eggs I collected from the belly slider male and several females. Several hatched and appear to be good swimmers. There is hope. There were no eggs seen in the peat when collected. Later collections had visible eggs. Now I cannot find any eggs,but perhaps there may be some there.

Lee Harper
Media, PA

Lee,

I sometimes feel frustrated when I go through all the work of trying to provide the right conditions for spawning: preparing the peat, changing the water, feeding the fish, collecting the peat to find no dang eggs. At that point, I dutifully sit the peat out overnight, then date and bag it. This in hopes my tiny amount of patience will be rewarded.

Then when it's time to hatch, I hold my breath wondering how it will go. At some point if it doesn't work, I laugh at moments like these and keep going.

This is a neat thread, because I would have never probably used a belly slider, and I now have no logical reason not to if the situation arose.

Scott

I have a vague notion that eggs disintegrate in peat and higher temperatures exaggerate that. One of the better breeders i know uses Maroxy (chlorine dioxide) and soaks the peat in water containing Maroxy for a few days before drying anf bagging. i have started using it but no results yet to report. Collecting eggs in peat weekly prevents some of the bacterial or fungal attacks on eggs. I suspect dilute Chlorox would work as well.

Lee Harper
Media, PA