Re: Interbreeding

[Mark Mackenzie <mark at mackenzieSystems_com>]

Nico

<<Can I add any other species of killiefish?

Yes you can.  Blue Gularis(Fp. sjoestedti) would go in there but they might 
also eat your australes.  Real beautiful big fish for killies 
4+"/10cm.  Something more likely to go with your other killies are the A. 
bitaeniatum species or ones like them.  You have a lot a variety here but 
you should only put one species in your tank to prevent cross breeding, all 
the females look alike except biv. Funge, they have a little color on their 
fins but not much.  For me most are easy to keep but I also started with 
them.  A. australe orange would also work but all fry that just appear in 
the 40g should not be distributed because of chances of cross breeding with 
the chocolats.  The orange and  chocolate females do look different, pale 
orange and grey.  Fp. gardneri are also good and there are many varieties, 
but again prevent cross breeding and most females look alike(albinos are 
albino.)

  <<have inside information that I will be getting a 21 liter (5 US gal?) 
tank for my birthday tomorrow and want to breed my Australe's in it

I use 2.5's and keep two or three pairs in each, the idea is to get the 
fish in close proximity or each other.  For a five I would separate the 
females for a day or two at most(for me after that they give out so many 
eggs so fast I get much lower hatch rates) for only one male and two 
females you may not even have to condition them sparely.  have the tank 
full of water when just the females are in then give them only about 4-5 
inches so the male almost always sees the females.  If the females get beat 
up more than just a few small tears in there fins then next time add more 
water but with two females this is unlikely.

<<My tap PH is about 8.5 and my GH is 10, KH is 6 will I get a good hatch 
rate from the Australes?
<<once the KH is exhausted, should I be worried about the PH falling to 
quickly?

I dont know.  My water is ~6 GH ~3.5 KH and PH 7.3.  Try to get the PH down 
more than anything that might mess up your sex ratios.  With my KH I did 
DIY CO2 with a .5L bottle on a 20G.  This lowered my PH to 6.8 overnight so 
when your KH gets to low your PH may swing quickly.  Just don't change a 
bunch of the peat with fresh or your PH could drop to quick for the 
fish.  I'd only change a cup or two when you change your water but I also 
dont know how much peat you have in it and how long its been in there, 
those would be very helpful for us to help you.

<<I'm slightly worried about waking up with dead fish in tea water. Any 
other killie species that will like my 40g?

I dont think it will be a problem.  In my 20 with a .5 PH change overnight 
I had no problems.  It had some odds and ends in it,  a reverse trio of A. 
austrlae orange and some A. bit males.  I did however have a fungus attack 
about 2 weeks later and only one of five fish survived.  I think this was 
due to poor water maintenance and not the PH change.

Good luck,

Mark Mackenzie

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