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Online F&E

Please don't take it off.  I think it is great!  I am at work today and
wanting to think about something else, but I left my F&E at home.  So, all I
do is pull it up on my computer.  And look, there is nothing I want to
order.


But it did distract me from work for a few minutes. :)

Michelle Sykes
Unicoon
    ^^
  >**<
   http://web.wt.net/~kstembol/index.html


-----Original Message-----
From: owner-killietalk at aka_org [mailto:owner-killietalk at aka_org]On
Behalf Of Koran, David HQ02
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 1999 3:05 PM
To: 'KillieTalk at AKA_Org'
Subject: RE: KillieTalk Digest V2 #1122


I have found that breeding Aphanius is a lot like breeding pupfish and they
seem to share a lot of traits.  When I set up the fish I do it in trios if
possible.  Probably the biggest thing concerns females, that it provide them
with some kind of cover.  For the fish of both genus I use at least two mops
per tank (bottom mops).  I also "stack" the mops, that one is on top of the
other.  In most cases the female will use the mop(s) for cover.  Since they
seem to like caviar as well, they will feed on the eggs in the mop while
they are hiding.  It makes sense to have more place "for eggs to get lost"
so the trade off is looking through more mops as opposed to having a dead
female with no place to hide.  I have also noticed that you will find much
more eggs near the knot of the mop than near the ends of the strands (which
probably got there if the mop was bunched up on the floor of the tank and
you didn't take notice).  When I construct my mops for my pupfish, I make
the section above the band (how you hold the strands of the mope together)
larger and looser.  Mops like this will receive a fair number of eggs within
the confines of the knot as well as within the strands right below the knot.
Alternately you can use a large clump of java moss as cover for the females
or a combination of both.  The mops will still get eggs, but there will be a
fair number of eggs scattered in the java moss.

As a second tip, look to fluctuation of temperature.  In nature, these fish
are in open pools and are subjected to large fluctuations in temperature
over the course of the day especially in the autumn and spring
(corresponding to emergence of insect larvae).  A few years ago on back to
back days with a 25-30 outside temperature fluctuation, I collected 1000+
eggs a night from 16 trios of Cyp. alvarezi (about 30 eggs per female).
Similar observations were made on other pupfish in the same environment.  My
Aph. sirhani are not now producing near that much but they are behaving and
producing better than the pupfish I currently have set up.  My water
temperature in the evening is only about 60 F having warmed a bit from
earlier in the day and I still collect several eggs a day.  I don't intend
moving them in from the greenhouse to the basement until the tank
temperature drops below 50.

I don't change water too often although I do feed fish regularly.  I make up
a synthetic hard water as opposed to just adding salt.

Dave Koran
CARCNWKRC

Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 21:19:14 EDT
From: RWLACN at aol_com
Subject: Breeding Aphanius species

Aphanius species are a challenge to breed, at least from my experience. A
major problem is that females are often killed by the male if they are not
ready to spawn. To prevent this, it is necessary to feed the fish often and
abundantly to keep the female in spawning condition. Separation of male and
female from time to time is wise. I have found they breed best in groups.
Bacterial infections are commom with this genus and the water needs to be
chanced weekly- at least 30%. They do well in hard water, add some salt if
your water if soft- 1 teaspoon per gallon. This is an interesting genus but
few quarists have long-term success for a variety of reasons.

Roger Langton
References: