killifish & plants

To: Aquatic-Plants at actwin_com
Subject: killifish & plants
From: Stephen.Pushak at saudan_HAC.COM
Date: Fri, 22 Nov 1996 11:34:36 -0800 (PST)
In-reply-to: <199611220329.WAA09694 at looney_actwin.com>; from "Aquatic-Plants-Owner at ActWin_com" at Nov 21, 96 10:29 pm

I have recently acquired some killifish, a pair of Nothobranchias
guntheri and eggs for two other types, Blue Gulari and Cyolebias
nigripinnis. I have had extremely good luck in the past breeding
anabantids using plants. Plants are extremely beneficial to water
quality and seem to improve the fish's resistance to various
diseases and parasites. I am hoping to adapt the use of plants
for raising killies (although I'm sure it's been done before)

It is very common for killi breeders to use as much as 1 tsp of
aquarium salt or sea salt per gallon of water to inhibit parasites.
I'm pretty new to this but some of the experienced guys say that
some people use dolomite in place of salt. I have some questions:

o Can floating plants such as Salvinia & Ceratophylum tolerate
  salt concentrations as high as above? How about Java moss?
  I suspect they might but that their growth rates and ability
  to absorb ammonia would be reduced.

o Anyone familiar with the use of CaCO3 & MgCO3 or other salts 
  with plants and killies? What concentration to use and how do
  you get it to dissolve? Do you need to adjust pH with additional
  peat or by other means?

o To cure velvet infection, acriflavine or methylene blue dye are
  sometimes recommended. Any contra-indications with plants?
  Could methylene blue be used at low concentration as a preventative
  measure?

o Is anyone culturing daphnia? esp. with plants and/or algae?
  Any techniques you could share? Live foods are very important
  to successful raising of most killies.

o A friend (Olga) is thinking of using killies in her new paludarium.
  Anyone tried this?

It seems to me that these fish survive quite well in their natural
environments with very strong lighting and without NaCl so my
thinking is that one ought to be able to create suitable conditions
without resorting to NaCl salt. I think humic and organic acids
as well as natural salts such as CaCO3 and MgCO3 as well as plenty
of plants and an abundance of live foods are what make the difference
in the natural settings. Any comments?

Steve Pushak   spush at hcsd_hac.com   Vancouver BC Canada