Anyone into Killifish? I may try a couple...

[Jeffro]

Are there any killifish breeders/hobbyists in Western WA who keep any of the 'beginner' killifish? I have yet to try raising any of the annual or non-annual killifish and I would rather not buy my first killfish from Aquabid.

I have always been intrigued by how awesome they are. For example, the Kryptolebias marmoratus can survive out of water for months, breathe through the skin, is hermaphroditic, and can tail flip (not that I would keep them out of water)!

I have done a bit of research and found that there is the AKA (American Killifish Association), which seems like a great resource for serious killifish hobbyists, but I'm not sure I want to pay the $30 fee just to gain access to their buy/sell list. They do send some beginner materials as well, which might be really useful.

Anyone here have some tips to get started?

I believe our water here in Bellingham is fairly hard water and I would rather not purchase an R/O unit. It seems like a good idea to start with a non-annual, but I would be up for trying an annual if I could find plenty of information.



Thanks!

 

[clifford]

I keep killies, and am a current (but somewhat recent) AKA member.

My review of the club is this:

-Great people, but more old school than many younger hobbyists might be used to. (And I'm talking form letter and SASE trading in some cases). Almost no traffic in their website forums at all.
-Excellent beginners guide (seriously, at this point the beginners guide has 90% of the information you need to be successful immediately with most of the major killie groups, so it is well worth a read or 10)
-The BNL is monthly (or less?), and the Fish and Egg listing is typically only a few posts (but sometimes more).
-I've received some of my favorite fish via the BNL , so it's still a great source for difficult to find killies, and I've never had a negative experience buying from an AKA member.
-The JAKA (printed/mailed publication) is quarterly
-You'll probably need to fly to the MKKA or WAKO show to see or purchase many of the fish you'll see discussed/pictured.

It's been my experience many kinds of killies are tough as nails in their own habitats (making a great deal of them beginner fish, if you know what you're aiming for). A killie that lives on the 60 degree jungle floor in 100% shade in the softest water that exists isn't going to be happy in 80 degree, extremely hard well water under 100 par (quite bright) LED lighting. A killie that lives in the 85-100 degree middle eastern dessert in extremely hard alkaline water in bright sunlight, won't work at room temps with Seattle tap.

F. gardneri and A. australe are very pretty fish that seem quite forgiving in our tap water at room temps (65-75 degrees, though I do typically add a little salt (1ts/5gal) to help prevent health issues). They are typically around $10-15 a pair. Not a fish you usually see in fish stores...except around here. I've seen them at the Co-Op and Zen as well.

It's funny to me that I got into killies because of the colors (diapterons, blue gularis, etc), but now am more interested in South American annuals, rivulus (frequently more drably colored, but with amazing activity, such as frequently leaving the water/climbing), and US native killies.

Aquabid is an amazing resource. Be somewhat careful when choosing vendors, especially internationally. (Also keep in mind that in the US there can be legal aspects to importing/transporting wildlife, both across international and state lines).

In terms of your water, it would be good to have a general idea of what your parameters really are. I get this information mailed to me from my utility (annually I think), so if you're not your own well it is likely that info can be obtained by calling or emailing yours.

Attaching a photo of a few L. xiphidius that are just starting to color up...

 

[Jeffro]

Awesome! Thank you for the information!

I will find out what the city shows for my water and also ask the LFS for some details.

 

[Loren]

I recently stumbled upon and bought 6 Lampeye Killies Micropanchax normani. Their eyes are memorizing and with the silver translucent body they are quite striking. Unfortunately I put them in a rimless tank and four jumped out. They are supposedly not difficult to breed.

 

[julzhull]

I recently stumbled upon and bought 6 Lampeye Killies Micropanchax normani. Their eyes are memorizing and with the silver translucent body they are quite striking. Unfortunately I put them in a rimless tank and four jumped out. They are supposedly not difficult to breed.

I had one jump out when I had a cover off and didn't notice until the next morning. I had a couple babies show up in my tank but they were extremely tiny when we noticed. One grew up to be a decent size but he disappeared one day. Still wondering if an adult at him.

 

[Loren]

I had one jump out when I had a cover off and didn't notice until the next morning. I had a couple babies show up in my tank but they were extremely tiny when we noticed. One grew up to be a decent size but he disappeared one day. Still wondering if an adult at him.

Yea, Bob stated that he needs to be careful when doing water changes because they love to jump. He has successfully breed them.

 

[Jeffro]

Water quality parameters from this year for my neighborhood:

pH averages 8.07 - although it doesn't seem to be that high in the aquarium when I test
Alkalinity, mg CaCO3/L - 28.2
Hardness (EDTA) as mg CaCO3/L - 21.7
Free Chlorine (mg/L) - 0.69

They also track Dissolved Oxygen, Turbidity, Iron, Conductivity, Hetrotrophic Plate Count, and Temperature.

So, hard water.

 

[clifford]

I might be misunderstanding your numbers there, but if I'm reading them correctly I'd say your water is actually quite soft? Basically the same as my Seattle/Shoreline tap. In general terms I think of things over 60(mg/L) as being problematic for soft-water killifish eggs, and 120(mg/L) as being "hard".

This means if you want to keep things like Lamprichthys tanganicanus, you would probably need to make your tank water significantly harder to have much luck, but on the bright side many of the most popular killies in the hobby are fish from tropical jungles, so soft water is perfect.

Hopefully this doesn't break the forum rules, but to answer your original question, I currently have eggs/offspring of a number of killies available.

Laimosemion xiphidius
Rachovia splendens 'Monteria'
Aphyosemion (Diapteron) cyanostictum
Aphyosemion australe

A. australe is the only one I would classify as a typical 'beginner', but like I said before, I think those classifications (beginner/moderate/advanced, etc) typically stem from failure. If the hobby has the data to do the right thing, you don't fail, and then suddenly advanced/expert level fish become pretty accessible.

I've met many people that have failed with diapterons and xiphidius, but I keep them in 10 gallon tanks (total cost of setting up tank ~$10-$15), with no heaters, no water amendments, sponge or mattenfilter filtration, and I spend more time feeding my fish than I do on maintenance. (which is why my tanks are so ugly?) To me that's pretty accessible for beginner level hobbyists.

 

[Jeffro]

I think you may be correct about the hardness. I was thinking of degrees hardness rather than ppm.

I'm not sure about the PH being so high though. Am I correct in thinking that the PH will be easier to lower (since it is soft water) with something like peat moss?

I would be happy to research and try some of those fish if you are willing to share (can you send me a PM ?). It is about 1.5 hours for me to drive down there, but I have family down south that I do visit and I also wanted to stop by the Aquarium Coop again.

I wish Petco would sell 5 gallon aquariums during their $1 per gallon sale...

 

[clifford]

I'll shoot you a PM. While 8 is high, you're right that peat will lower it. Eggs that come in peat will lower the pH some (but typically not enough to make a large difference unless you're working with very small tanks (1-5 gallons). Many breeders use coconut coir these days due to sustainability issues (and in some countries, availability of peat), and it's more neutral. In that case, in our area, oak leaves and/or alder cones would do the trick too (and can be commonly picked up for free pretty much anywhere there are trees this time of year, and both would help with infusoria production (as well as add some tannins-- all good stuff for the fish).

I purchase most of my tanks at GSAS auctions, Craigslist, and the $1/gallon sale, and have often lamented the 5gal tanks not being included in the sale. Killies breed great in 5 gallon tanks, often better (or at least, in a more useful/controlled way?) than in larger tanks. That said, having used both, I really prefer 10gallon-40gallon tanks. Larger tanks are a little more stable, are easier to work in, give more room to grow plants, give more opportunities to provide refugium space where live food can be cultivated, and provide a better viewing experience for the fish. That extra space can be a real benefit.

 

[Bullyboy]

Hey there im in western washington and just started killi keeping.
Hit me up id like to exchange info.
I keep ....
F. Gardeneri
Rocket Panchax
A.B. Logos red
N.Lampeye
A. Australe Gold

Sent from my SPH-L710T using Tapatalk

 

[VickiK]

Awesome! Thank you for the information!

I will find out what the city shows for my water and also ask the LFS for some details.

@clifford - that was the best post ever. You answered MANY of the same questions that I had about Killies. Thanks!

 

[VickiK]

LR Bretz Aquatics made a cool two part "how to breed" this specific killifish - very recently. Now, I think I need them in my life. Not to breed. Just to swim around and look amazing. I forget what kind they were.