Re: [Killietalk] Natural method

[Kenneth Combs <ken_combs at sbcglobal.net>]

More food for thought (now or when Monty returns)

1) Dave Sanchez mentioned a while ago that O2 levels might be the "true" critical varible if/when breeding diapterons (explaining the fishes req. for lower temps), others have mentioned australe might respond positively to low O2 levels....that said, I'm wondering how this ties in with planted aquariums and breeding success, which then ties in with light levels, fert levels and plant species ...I'm wondering what the various O2 levels are using different plant species and different lighting/fert levels (java moss at low light levels vs. anacharis @ 72F, 2400 lumens and low gas exchange) ....this is why my last post same subj went to great lenghts providing all those plant combo, filtration & gas exchange details (I was hardly being "braggadosio" about all the "systems" I have, it's "excessive/compulsive" if anything<LOL>)

2) I'm holding steadfast in my claim that you can dang near toss the NO2/NO3 kits and just watch the algae...setup enough planted tanks over the years and you can almost see a pre-set progression...moreover, certain plants do indeed combat certain algae species differently: I've never seen "brush algae" in a heavily planted anacharis tank, and it does seem najas grass can't cope well against string algae...right now, I'm very pleased with java moss in combo with a higher light demanding plant under a dbl 32w bulb (the java moss looks very differnt!) ...anyway my considerations when trying to cope time, with water management and fish "sensitive" to water changes

3) plants vs.mops as a egg depository....it does intrigue me when my elegans laid about 1 egg a week in mops, yet once the tank had even a minimal amt of plants in it; fry showed up...figuring egg eating fish could've found the eggs just as easily in that scant amt of java moss, I'm wondering if plants are a better medium in some cases...heck, anymore, I'm growing suspicious of those blackworm infested mops; wondering if it's the worms, the associative bacteria, or the excess worms meant the fish simply were not eating enough,,I'm also wondering what besides fish eat fish eggs, speculative, but maybe on a microlevel, a planted tank represent a more complete eco-system and perhaps whatever eats/kills fish eggs is "controlled" by something else

4) Fry grow faster with parents? I've read this before and now having observed this, I'm convinced...still, is this a "complete eco-system" thing and fry grow faster because there is more food in the older "established" parents tank..or is it some "hormone" thing...if the latter, I'm wondering how carbon would affect that phenomena, and what effect water changes have...with a open loop system your turnover rate could theoretically be equivelent to fish swimming in tap water, but then are the gains in fry growth by having zero nitrates then cancelled by having reduced adult hormonal levels?...also wonder how a open loop effects sex ratio's

5) production: I'm guessing, unlike other tropical fish species, killifish keeping begin and ends with breeding...most of us work a 40hr week and any time saved to that end is a worthy pursuit...personally, a few fish species have come and gone in my fish room; some from jumping, disease and bad sex ratio's...a few went because they simply required a disproportionate amount of time away from the other fish...I'm very curious about the success anyone is having with other species, the methods and thier ultimate production
....actually I was thinking about sure fire low budget "begginners kit": 10gal w/incandecent hood, 2 screw in compact flou lights, hydrosponge 1, single pump, add water, anacharis, water & 1pr BIT "Benin City:


KC

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