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Re: Spawning C. Nigripinnis -- Confused
Ken Tompkins wrote:
>
> I just got a pair of C. Nigripinnis and the female is, I think, gravid.
>
> While not new to killies -- I had a few 25 years ago -- I have just established
> a tank in the last few days.
>
> I believe the pair is ready to spawn and in looking through beginner's guides
> found Steffen Hellner's idea of a container of peat INSIDE a small tank
> had merit. But when I tried it the peat poured out of the hole in the small
> container into the surrounding tank. Well, it seemed like a good idea <g>.
>
> The AKA Beginner's Guide mentions this container inside a tank method
> also.
>
> How, then, does one get the peat to stay inside the inner container?
>
> Or is the best way simply to put the pair into a much smaller tank -- say
> 2 gallons -- with a peat substrate and let them spawn?
>
> kt
> ========================================
> Ken Tompkins
> Professor of Literature
> Richard Stockton College of NJ
> ktomkin at earthlink_net
> http://loki.stockton.edu/~ken/wharram/wharram.htm
There are 2 standard methods depending upon how much time is available.
The first is to take small clumps of peat and attach split shot, fishing
sinkers, to each clump. This is time consuming and expensive, but
perhaps the Richard Stockton College gets some Federal money so there is
probably a grant that could provide for this method.
The second requires boiling or heating the peat in water, this speeds up
the absorbtion process and the peat gets saturated much quicker than
sitting in cool tank water. I let the peat settle, pour off any
remaining floaters then fill the container to the top with water, put on
the cover with a hole in it. Now the trick. Set a coffee cup full of
gravel (many other things will also work but I always have both of those
around) on top of the cover with the hole. Put it all in the tank. Let
it sit awhile then slide the cup to the side slowly so as not to stir up
to much movement, then remove the cup. The saturated peat will stay in
the bottom of the container. Since I use butter tubs I also put a few
sinkers, really, in the bottom as the tub tends to want to float or
move. It works, but I'll bet an even better idea shows up. Good luck.
--
Mike Reid
Rm 203 5th Grade
Eastwood Elementary School
216 Vinewood St.
Sturgis, Mi. 49091
School 616-659-1560
Home 616-651-9575
mreid at voyager_net
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