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Babies, finally, babies!

So, after a few weeks of relative neglect (meaning that the tropical utrics have taken over the surface), i was adding some micronutrient solution to my aquarium today, and saw a flash of something small and golden. I looked closer, and sure enough, a little baby platy was hiding in the vegetation at the top.

Platies are supposed to be like the utrics- weeds - but i've never seen fry yet from my platies. Finally, there's one. Or at least, there was one. I can't find it now, so i think it may have been eaten.
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At least i know now that the fish are breeding. Makes me feel a bit less of a failure as an aquarist.
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Now if only my kribs would get down to business.
 
Hi D Muscipula,

Where there is one there is usually 2 -- keep looking. I bet all those CP's made for a great hiding place. Congrats. It's weird your kribs are playing so hard to get. Hopefully, in time. A friend sent me some killie eggs (in peat) to hatch and I got a big zero when I put the peat in water! Oh, well.....

Bobby
 
Don't throw out the peat!! Dry it out for a few weeks then try wetting it again. Killies can be a pain like this.

Have a look through the peat and see if you can see any eggs, and if so have a look with a hand lense and see if they are "eyed up". If you cant find any, don't panic I have seen fry hatch out of "No way, I have searched that peat there are no eggs, don't bother wetting it" peat.
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What species did you get?

George
 
Hi Binataboy,

The species is Fundulopanchax (old name Aphyosemion) arnoldi. It's a species I already raise but my friend who sent the eggs has a nicer looking line out of the same population so I wanted to cross his with mine. He made a mistake when he sent the eggs as he sent them ready to hatch. Killies eggs need to be mailed fairly fresh, weeks or months before their hatching time or else the flight pressures seem to destroy them. I will redry but with this species usually everything has developed by the end of 8 weeks storage. Luckily, he also sent a male that I can cross with my females.
Right now I have the arnoldi, blue gularis and Notho. symoensi. I will be getting back my Gnatholebias (old name Pterolebias) zonatus and hoignei very soon. Killies are my favorite fish family and have been for many years. The people who raise killies are similar to the kinds of people who raise cp's -- maybe it's something in the water since both need pure water
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.

Bobby
 
Bobby, there really is just one. I looked carefully yesterday. However, he/she is still alive and kicking. I think it's the riccia i recently added that's floating on top that made the difference, giving it a good enough place to hide while growing to the present size (about 0.8 cm). Sooo cute - big bulgy eyes and tiny little fins. The danios are patrolling like sharks. I think i know who to blame for the disappearance of the rest of the brood! Even while i was watching, one made a couple passes at the fry, who scuttled out of the way just in time.

One things for sure - any fry that makes it to adulthood in that tank has rated high on the Darwin-o-meter survival test!

That's so cool that you can mail the eggs of killies. When i move and get hold of a few smaller tanks i'll try some killies. How big are the tanks you use?
 
Hmm... How big is the baby platy? It may be possible that your platies are breeding like crazy, but the bladderwort traps and digests the babies? possibly explains why the bladderwort grows so fast?
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Hi D. muscipula,

Most of my killie tanks are either 10's or 30's and are single species tanks usually set up for breeding. Plant spawning killies can be raised by themselves in a planted tank and the adults leave most of the fry alone. The soil spawning killies are bred over peat moss and then the moss is collected, dried some and stored away until the eggs are developed (6 weeks to 2 years depending on the species). Then you put the eggs in water and they hatch. All killie eggs take at least 2 weeks to hatch so it is easy to mail them. They are quite hard. Check out the webpage of the American Killifish Association. There are many great killifish breeders in your area. Ever go to the Boston Aquarium Society? Rhode Island Aquarium Society? There are some great clubs in your area and the Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies has a huge convention, show and auction each Spring with great international speakers -- check it out!

Bobby
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I finally got around to "processing" a bunch of digital photos i took a while back, and i'll post a few.

These i'm posting in this thread because they are more of the fry that showed up a few months later. You should see these guys jump when the danios make a pass through the floating plants to try to get them - looks like a shark moving in on a chunk of live bait!

20030905-AQ-Platy%20fry.jpg


20030905-AQ-Platy%20fry%203.jpg
 
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