Re: [Killietalk] Golden killies & others

["Mark & Peta" <mbethke at socal_rr.com>]

Scott, I truly appreciate you time in providing this valuable information. I
have created a special file just for the lineatus.
I studied Molluscs for so many years(with tutoring from both Leonard Hill
and R. Tucker Abbott) to branch out into ichthyology is such a break , at
least the "Latin" still works. (doesn't in Geology)..
I have an aged copy of Axelrod's big fish book (better a door stop then a
identification or an information aid, too many contradictions and bad
conclusions not to mention whole species not even identified or listed IMO).
I need a better more specialized book on general aquarium fish and killies
(any suggestions?[goto He-L won't work but I appreciate the suggestion])
So I have yet to see their mating behavior in the upper reaches of the
aquarium even though there isn't much non killie activity in that region and
the water lettuce growth is thick and mature, they still do their dance on
the bottom around the thickest plants. The Cory's are very good at there
janitorial duties but I do understand the concern and will obey. Once again,
back to the book previously mentioned, My specimens don't look like the
imaged species, they have much richer body color (more gold/yellow) and the
fins are edged in deep red, the females are paler in comparison.
Once again Scott, Thank you for spending so much time compiling this data,
excuse my "Newbie" questions but if I don't ask I'm being ignorant. That
being said what was that saying, "A good teacher could teach anyone anything
, thusly a bad teacher can't teach anyone anything!!" Obviously you are a
good teacher as I have learned a great deal from you,,,mark j bethke
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott Davis" <unclescott at prodigy_net>
To: "Lloyd Colvin" <lhcolvin at earthlink_net>; "killifish discussion list"
<killietalk at aka_org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 9:56 AM
Subject: Re: [Killietalk] Golden killies & others


> Lloyd's approach is a variation on the classical approach William Innes
> reported of leaving the killies in a planted tank for two weeks and moving
> the adults. Lloyd's is also one of the best methods for hatching fry -
more
> especially with some semi-annual Fundulopanchax whose eggs don't do as
well
> if handled.
>
> Long before there were synthetic spawning mops aquarists would leave
> lineatus and other killies in with water hyacinths or water lettuce. Water
> lettuce is found today all over the distrbution range of lineatus (among
> many other places) though I don't know that it is native to the Indian
> subcontinent. There is a species of Salvinia and I would guess other
species
> of floating plants in South Asia. Certainly in sunny areas, among those
> places lineatus can be found, grass roots must hang over into the water at
> the edges of some streams, ponds and rice paddies. Those rooted areas are
> wonderful spawning sites and sheltered foraging areas for fry.
>
> If we have a warm summer this year, I may try leaving some lineatus out
with
> water lettuce. However I've got to figure out how to tightly cover the
> container - maybe with hardware cloth. There will be no mosquitos there!
>
> We never had trouble with handling lineatus eggs. Their eggs are so big
and
> they are so productive we used them to teach our children, at about 2 and
a
> half, to pick killie eggs. Those little kid fingers could pick up the eggs
> easier. One would get picked and placed in the tray. One would get picked
> and opps... never mind. Another would get picked and put in the tray...
>
> The lineatus were so darn prolific (if one let them pig out on live foods)
> that, when the summer temperatures would near 80 F, they would leave 20-30
> eggs a day on the mop. The egg supply would last longer than the 2.5
minutes
> of attention span the kids would have. ;)
>
> The loaches and Corys are especially designed to root out fish eggs. I've
> actually lost Corys (having bought one for each spawning set up because I
> was told that they were good for cleaning up uneaten food around spawning
> killies. The deceased got so enthusiastic about finding eggs in the
spawning
> mops that they buried themselves in the mops, seem to have gotten stuck
and
> either suffocated or died of shock. That experiment ended abruptly.
>
> Once took a big pair of lineatus, some tetras and Corys out of a crowded 5
> gallon tank. Despite the depredations by their tank mates, 40 fry hatched
to
> bob around on the surface.
>
> Lineatus are notorious fry predators as Bill mentioned. In a large,
heavily
> planted tank with several pairs of lineatus who may pay more attention to
> each other than to fry, some fry will survive in the vegetation and grow
> rapidly on their siblings. At a certain point after picking more lineatus
> eggs than one can ever use, that planted set up may be the way to go.
>
> Lee Van Hefte surprised me by noting that he spawned Epiplatys over
somewhat
> large gravel and pulled the parents. One could then see the hatched fry. I
> think he is right, if killies want to spawn, they will find a surface.
>
> Lineatus eggs hatch well on demand. I used to pack a batch in a vial and
> toss them in a sport coat pocket. Part way through one of my history
classes
> (maybe when things were getting a little ponderous), I'd pull the medicine
> vial out and mutter, "Son of a gun! I'm a father!"
>
> It disrupted class for a while was the vial was passed around the class.
But
> it was a good 7th inning stretch and plug for the killies. For a while if
I
> had that infrequently worn sport coat, the students knew that the history
> teacher was "brooding" maybe several batches of eggs and needed the extra
> pockets. ;)
>
> As for the quest to find "wild colored" lineatus, I've noticed them
showing
> up in shows this spring. I'll go back and look at Michiana, Chicago and
> ExKlusively Killies results for Sandy. The wet mosoon for India is
generally
> June to September. I seem to recall some infrequent imports from that part
> of the world in what would be fall for the Northern Hemisphere. That may
> especially be a time to inquire of pet shops or, if one has access, to
prowl
> wholesalers for lineatus and the other Aplocheilus from Southern India and
> Sri Lanka.
>
> Since lineatus can live 2-5 years they can get to be pets ifthey don't
> succumb to terminal dehydration.
>
> I recently revisited Everett Talavera's lineatus page. It's worth a visit
at
> http://mx.geocities.com/mexfishweb/paEverett Talavera`s ge.html
>
> All the best!
> Scott
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Lloyd Colvin" <lhcolvin at earthlink_net>
> >
> > The Lineatus are mop breeders.  They do not seem to be territorial. I
have
> > several in a large community tank with a similar high bio load, but have
> not
> > seen any fry in the larger tank, possibly due to predation.  When they
> > appear to be ready to breed (the males in pursuit of the females), I put
> > them in a five gallon tank with nothing but one or two floating mops.
> (The
> > standard dark green yarn mop attached to a wine cork, long enough to lay
> > about 1/4 of its length along the bottom.)
> >
> > I leave them in the breeding tank for about 2 weeks, the estimated
> gestation
> > period for the eggs, then take out the mops, placing them in a smaller
> > nursery tank.  For the next two weeks the fry hatch out an can be fed
bbs
> > immediately.  My experience is that the Goldens produce a smaller
quantity
> > of span over a longer time, rather that a large quantity of eggs at one
> > mating.
>
>
>
>
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