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Re: [Killietalk] best way to breed blue gularis
About a decade ago I found myself running a small commercial breeding operation
that supplied retail stores from Roanoke to Knoxville with blue gularis, gold
lyretails, and several Lake Tanganyika cichlids. I raised hundreds of gularis,
mostly of Steve butcher's strain. I kept one male with three females per 10 gal
aquarium, well sealed, with a small hole drilled in the plastic cover for an
inside bottom filter containing activated carbon. About 20% of the water was
changed weekly. The water was just Blacksburg tapwater, pH around 7.0, about
8-12 DH. I had the entire tank bottoms covered with about an inch of thoroughly
boiled peat moss, except for an area near the front where I inserted a
"C"-shaped plastic strip, about an inch high and four or so inches in length.
This kept an area clear for feeding. I fed almost exclusively red worms,
either whole (if very small) or chopped. The fish were fed twice daily. Every
three or four weeks I would remove the peat moss and remove the females for a
rest and conditioning period. Usually, I would put "fresh" females into a tank
at this point as well. I wet the peat first at 6 weeks, then at 9 weeks, and
then at 12 or 14 weeks. I usually found myself with far more fry than I could
raise.
I think the red worms were important. They are so easily cultured that it is a
shame not to do so. Big killies like gularis, deltaensis, etc. readily and
even greedily take them. Quoting matt kaufman <igotadose at hotmail_com>:
> I am gradually emptying out a couple of 20 longs, a 29 and a 55 in prep for
> the upcoming West Coast weekend. I am thinking that for the first time in
> ages (10 years at leas) I may try and breed Blue Gularis, if there are any
> nice ones available. If the mythical "SJO LOE" makes an appearance, that
> would definitely be one worth trying.
>
>
>
> Anyone care to share their techniques? I have some ideas but am wondering
> what 'state of the art is.' My goal is not to breed thousands of fish; I
> don't have the time. But, I want to have enough to send to shows and really
> want to breed nice ones - I'm also looking for characteristics of what makes
> a prize SJO specimen - size? lines? Color? Finnage?
>
>
>
> (and, hey, it's more interesting to me than pictures of artemia nauplii...
> But, the pics are cool!)
>
> Matt, in the PNW where the sun has finally come out
>
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Bruce J. Turner
Dept. Biol. Sci.
VIRGINIA TECH
Blacksburg, VA 24061 USA
"Truth, she lives in a distant land
of snow, and ice... And burning sand."
"Daily beatings will continue
until morale improves..."
Join the AKA at http://www.aka.org/aka/modules/content/index.php?id=9.
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