Re: [Killietalk] Notho Palmqvisti-spawning cues

["Ken" <ken_combs at sbcglobal.net>]

Ed,
I can't remember which generous soul gave me that very fish, but I do recall
it was about as prolific as they come...In my case hundreds of fry with 20:1
male heavy sex ratios

Also, If I recall, I thought this notho was pretty hardy, easy to breed with
smaller fry (psss, not spreading "blasphemy", but I can't swear I used salt)

Hard water plants - hornwort: NTM, it's needle-like growth form seems
resistant to having peat dust "settle" on it...will also adapt to single
bulb lighting & 1TBS/gal salt levels...also doesn't require
rooting...anacharis works to a lesser/more problematic degree 

Breeding: some say this, some say that, I found nothos are less
"disciplined" breeders than SA annuals, and if the hole/site/container
represents more of a challenge than the male has patients for, you might
find him driving her into the tanks glass corner as an impromptu "love nest"

I learned right here on KT, a males courtship discipline is a function of
age...but I also learned through observation, it's also a function of
competition & numbers...if you want a male to locate & defend a spawning
bowl frequently, I'd keep the number of males low to perhaps 2-3/10gal, and
the container opening wider than that quarter sized hole made for a
simpsonicthys; heck I wouldn't cover the opening at all

...I never "exactly" learned if the "cues" a notho males uses to locate the
spawning site is by contrast, texture, light, smell, depth or what...I am
100% positive whatever "cue" you provide should be highly visible, easy to
access & "defendable"...in that regard, seems a squat wide bowl, works
better for nothos than that tall-narrow clay pot you can use for
simpsonicthys (both work, but that's my take)

Short Version:
4-8" Glass/inert bowl, uncovered, filled with 1-2" of garden peat is
probably the best compromise (if using fine grained "Jiffy peat", a loose
dark mop on top will cut down on the particulates reasonably well)

Long version: 
-if you want a spotless tank & unclogged filter with clean plants:
...BUT don't mind a higher % of damaged eggs: use a 4-6" uncovered bowl with
soft black "hobby sand" (You blow the sand with a baster, then transfer the
"undamaged" eggs to a submerged net filled with peat, wring, dry and store)

...OR if you can afford the $7/per "troy ounce" for fibrous "Fluval Peat"
(or have friends in Germany), use that stuff placed in one corner/side of
the tank away from where you drop food (although I can't fully endorse using
fibrous type peat for smaller annual eggs)

-If you require like a gazillion eggs (or spawns over 100 fry)
AND/OR the fish are young, AND you have the ware-with-all to keep your
hydrosponge or any filter efficient while clogged with peat, then go ahead
and scatter "Jiffy"/garden peat on the bottom...this is also assuming you
also can figure out how to keep the nefarious worms, uneaten food et out of
your peat when you bag it...personally, I've never figured out the advantage
of that method for prolific fish, nor why you need 200 fry vs. 100, nor how
notho breeders maintain aesthetically pleasing/maintainable tanks using
"gardnen" peat bottoms.... KC





, 



 



-----Original Message-----
From: killietalk-bounces at aka_org [mailto:killietalk-bounces at aka_org] On
Behalf Of BrandtEdL at aol_com
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2007 7:03 PM
To: killietalk at aka_org
Subject: [Killietalk] Notho Palmqvisti

Hi all, I haven't raised Nothos since 1976 and need some help.  I  attempted

to breed N. PAL Ramisi KE 1/12 last year and am going to attempt to  breed
and 
raise N. PAL Ramisi KE 1/11.  I have very hard well water that I  mix with a

little rain water to lower the alkalinity a little and add a teaspoon  of 
kosher salt to cut down chance of disease.  With the KE 1/12 I put  in a
container 
with a top and a hole cut in the top for them to get into to  breed in the 
peat pellets that were boiled and microwaved.  I was told I  should just
have 
put peat into the bottom of the tank.  Any suggestions as  to what type of 
plants could be used in this type of water and what is best to  do in regard
to 
water and feeding.  As I said, it's been a long time.   I'm basically into 
killies that are not annuals.  Thank you all, Ed  Brandt 



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