Re: How to success with Nothobranchius?

["Matti Pulkkinen" <matti_pulkkinen at kolumbus.fi>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <RuevenM at aol_com>
To: <killietalk at AKA_org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 01, 2003 6:15 PM
Subject: How to success with Nothobranchius?


> Hi Matti,
>
>      I've raised a few species of Nothos of the years. Right now I am
focused
> on N. symoensi -- a gorgeous and easily bred species. I do the following
> things:
>
> 1. I keep several pairs together in anywhere from a 10 to a 30 gallon
tank.
> 2. The tank is bare bottomed, painted black on the outside bottom, and has
> drift wood along with potted and floating plants in it.
> 3. My tap water is 150-200ppm KH and GH and 7.8 pH. I keep most of my fish
in
> this water unless I am spawning them. For breeding, I will slowly change
to
> whatever water chemistry they need. I have used my tap water chemistry to
breed
> guentheri. rachovii, orthonotus and korthausae. With the symoensi, so far
I
> have used soft water with a more neutral to slightly acidic pH. I will
soon try
> just my tap water with them.
> 4. I spawn over containers of peat I place in the tank. I usually will put
2
> or more containers per tank -- especially in larger tanks with several
pairs.
> The layer of peat is one inch thick and I try to collect it every week or
2.
> 5. I dry it between newspapers until it feels like good moist chocolate
cake.
> If I put a bit between 2 fingers I can squeeze out a drop of water. It is
> moist still but dry enough so I can "fluff" it up before I store it.
> 6. I store it in plastic bags which I seal with air in the bag. I avoid
> kitchen type plastic storage bags with zip locks. I check the bags often
in storage
> to see how the peat it moisture wise
> 7. I store the eggs at room temperature 75F.
> 8. I hatch the peat in large plastic shallow containers using 2 inches of
> water. I hatch the eggs in soft acid water -- maybe 4-5 KH and GH and 6.5
pH. I
> feed all fry green water for 2-3 days along with baby brine shrimp and I
put a
> nice big clump of infusoria rich java moss in the hatching container with
the
> peat for extra food and security. When I see orange bellies on the fry I
stop
> the green water (euglena mix).
> 9. I start adding litle bits of my regular tap water as soon as the fry
are
> strong and eating baby brine shrimp well, so as to slowly change the soft
water
> over to harder alkaline water for raising and disease prevention. I don't
use
> the salt but only because velvet has never been a problem for me. For
others,
> salt is very important.
> 10. I think diet is very important with Nothos. They like live food and
> should not be left without food for too long -- as a rule. Chopped tubifex
or black
> worms are a great food for getting lots of good eggs.
> 11. Also, I learned the hard way, Nothos do not like much water movement
as
> fry or adults so use small filters bubbling very slowly -- adjust as
needed.
>
> Bobby
> ---------------
> See http://www.aka.org/pages/killietalk/subkillietalk.html to unsubscribe
> Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/pages/join.html

---------------
See http://www.aka.org/pages/killietalk/subkillietalk.html to unsubscribe
Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/pages/join.html