LA
Pic
Notobranchius guntheri. Impressive. Too bad he's under two
inches.
Origins. Killies thrive
in temporary shallow ponds. They
lay eggs in the loose crud on the bottom.
When the rains stop, the ponds begin drying.
The parents die -- leaving behind their eggs.
Because they live in ponds that dry up every year, many of these
fishes are known as “annuals.” Some
can complete their entire life cycle in as little as six months.
In tanks, they live much longer (unless we let our aquariums dry
out).
Egg Survival. Eggs of
many peat-spawning killies can withstand long periods of “drying”--
really a bit damp. Months
later, when the rains come again, the ponds refill.
The eggs continue the species.
LA
Pic
Aphanius mento. Really a mop spawner. Male Looks like
the peat spawner below.
Small Size. Most of the
peat spawners average under two inches in length.
This makes them ideal candidates for our home aquaria.
Many – but not all killies – will fit right in with most of our
community fishes.
LA
Pic
Male cynolebias pearl showing off for female. Over white he bleaches
out like this.
Traditional Spawning. Some
breeders keep killies in small containers with a layer of peat on the
bottom. The killies dive into
the peat to lay their eggs. They
later remove the parents and store the egg-filled peat. Not a good
system.
Peat Problems. Peat
bottom tanks usually turn brown. Large
gobs of peat float around in the water.
The fish repeatedly stir up the peat.
You can’t really filter the tank very well.
Why keep these good-looking fishes in murky aquaria where you
can’t see them?
LA
Not all peat spawners are runts. At five inches, blue gularis rate
extra attention.
Better Method. Use the
same small tank. Put your peat
in a small, flat deli-type container with a plastic lid.
Cut an inch or so hole in the top and snap it on underwater.
The fish will quickly figure out how to spawn in these tiny
containers.
Peat Source. Look for
peat in garden supply stores. A
small bag will last years. Look for shredded peat moss – not peat humus.
Boil Your Peat. Peat
moss floats like a cork unless you boil it.
Use a non-stainable container or the peat will turn it brown.
Net out the flotsam that won’t sink even after boiling.
Dispose of the twigs and other junk.
Alternate Substrate.
Try the new coconut fiber media that reptile keepers use. It
resembles peat moss in many respects, but absorbs water in under an
hour. Works great for breeding crickets, too.
LA
White worms filled this female gularis full of eggs. Pin-up pic for
the male gularis above.
Fatten Your Breeders. Separate your males and females.
When you put well-fed breeders together, they often lay eggs the
same day. He will keep coaxing
her into the spawning site as long as she looks egg-filled.
Keep them together until she “skinnies” out.
Then separate them.
LA
Pic
Gularis spawning in sand in a two-gallon drum bowl just cleaned with
canister filter.
Polish the Water. During
breeding, keep their water clean. Limit
their menu. Feed them foods
they consume completely. Keep
a sponge filter in there at all times.
And, if you have one, use a diatomaceous earth filter on their water daily.
LA
The particular pair produced over 200 eggs. About half hatched at
the eighth week attempt.
Egg Harvesting.
Gularis eggs spawned in sand lend themselves to easy harvesting.
Pre-sift your sand thru your net before using. After they spawn,
wait a day for the eggs to harden, Then run your net thru the
egg-filled sand. The eggs will catch in your net. You will
want to mix them with a peat slurry to keep them separated.
LA
Pic
Mix your eggs and moist peat together.
Egg Storage. Drain the
excess water off your egg-filled peat.
Pour it into a fine net and gently squeeze out more excess water.
Put the moist peat moss on top a stack of paper towels and roll it
up. Let it dry a day.
Then store the egg-filled peat in small dated containers.
Months Pass. Different
species require different incubation periods. Longer incubation periods
yield a more uniform hatch. Add
your incubated eggs to small containers of aged water.
Plastic shoe boxes work great.
Have newly hatched brine shrimp ready for the fry to eat.
They also eat microworms and powdered dry food.
Add a snail for cleanup.
Peat Removal. After a
week or so (to allow stragglers to hatch), get rid of the peat.
Peat in the water makes it hard to filter the water.
Use a net to remove your used peat. Another reason for using
the deli cup method for small guys.
LA
Nothobranchius male with his fins down. You need a female to pump
him up.
Last Word: Killifishes
make beautiful additions to almost any community aquarium.
LA.
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