Bobby

[RuevenM at aol_com]

Hi Tony,

    I'm sure you know, but Ariel hatched the N. symoensi eggs I sent to you 
as we were afraid of waiting too long as you were out of town. Watters says 
they have a small window of hatching -- 2 and 1/2 to 3 months at 75F. I know 
Sandy Binder tried to redry some peat I had sent him after he hatched some 
and nothing hatched on the second try. Same thing happened to me. They seem 
to lay eggs that hatch all at once. I hope you can get a great photo of this 
fish. I have never seen a good one that captures its incredible blended shade 
of orange/blue/slight purple. They are more like Aphyosemions in their 
behavior. They love lots of plant covering. The males are not very 
aggressive. They do well in spawning groups. They like it at 74 - 75F. I used 
slightly soft acid water for breeding and hatching. They prefer blackworms 
and baby brine shrimp, but eat daphnia and adult brine too. Their appetite 
seems to lessen with adulthood and the females need to be watched for wasting 
away. They are very easy to breed but a bit more demanding than the usual 
Nothos.
    I hope all is well. I had to cut back on the annuals for a bit as I am 
job hunting and writing a book on Lee Strasberg. I am keeping all my 
swordtail species and will add some plant spawners in permanent set ups. In 
35 years of killies I have never kept a plant spawner! I was an  annual guy 
from the time I saw a kid and saw my first blue gularis. Foersch's photos of 
longipinnis diving into the peat did it for me. Time to  try something new.

Regards,
Bobby
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