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Ivory montezumae swords!
- Thread starter Nflytrap
- Start date
You could say expertly done...I say its just luck. He's pretty skittish(and today, not so willing to present himself...he's borrowing the BN plecos cave(along with the female), which is kinda worrying). I had the camera far back from the glass "sniping" him. He did come out briefly 2 times today, Im guessing the tank is a little bare for him.
Oh, and thanks to Biggun110 for sending these wonderful fish! I've fed them mysis, Hikari micropellets, and Hikari Bio-pire daphnia. All is eaten more or less eagerly. The daphnia is the most problematic because it floats.
Oh, and thanks to Biggun110 for sending these wonderful fish! I've fed them mysis, Hikari micropellets, and Hikari Bio-pire daphnia. All is eaten more or less eagerly. The daphnia is the most problematic because it floats.
Hi Nflytrap,
They will be shy for a good while just keep an eye on them. These are much smarter and thus more cautious fish than the regular swordtail species. Monties are very hard to catch in the wild because of this. Just feed them, do water changes weekly and sit and watch them. They will begin to accept you. The photos look great. I'm glad the shipment worked well.
Bobby
They will be shy for a good while just keep an eye on them. These are much smarter and thus more cautious fish than the regular swordtail species. Monties are very hard to catch in the wild because of this. Just feed them, do water changes weekly and sit and watch them. They will begin to accept you. The photos look great. I'm glad the shipment worked well.
Bobby
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
Hi Jim,
Yes, they were collected in the wild a few years ago and a strain established. There are 3-5 populations of monties in the hobby but these just have the block spotting. Some of the unspotted ones get really large -- like 8 inches including the sword. Monties are not raised in Florida or the Far East although Florida did some crosses with them in the early 90's. I have 2 huge females from a monty x helleri sword cross that was fertile for 3 generations and then stopped producing fry -- be it in ponds or tanks. The look like huge brink red swords with long long swords. The monties I sent Nflytrap are still young. That's male's sword with get much longer and the dorsal gets higher and rounder -- very impressive.
I also have nezahualcoytl swords which are a fine looking species. They have thick thick short blue bodies with a long curved orange sword and a big wide round yellow dorsal. I love them. I have a spotted and unspotted strain. They are from wild collections.
I'm hoping to get the two wild species of sailfin mollies from Central America -- velifera and petenensis -- soon. They are both much larger than our native latipinna species with huge dorsals. The petenensis males even have a black sword on the caudal. Very impressive fish especially compared to the mutant junk they sell in fish stores today.
bobby
Yes, they were collected in the wild a few years ago and a strain established. There are 3-5 populations of monties in the hobby but these just have the block spotting. Some of the unspotted ones get really large -- like 8 inches including the sword. Monties are not raised in Florida or the Far East although Florida did some crosses with them in the early 90's. I have 2 huge females from a monty x helleri sword cross that was fertile for 3 generations and then stopped producing fry -- be it in ponds or tanks. The look like huge brink red swords with long long swords. The monties I sent Nflytrap are still young. That's male's sword with get much longer and the dorsal gets higher and rounder -- very impressive.
I also have nezahualcoytl swords which are a fine looking species. They have thick thick short blue bodies with a long curved orange sword and a big wide round yellow dorsal. I love them. I have a spotted and unspotted strain. They are from wild collections.
I'm hoping to get the two wild species of sailfin mollies from Central America -- velifera and petenensis -- soon. They are both much larger than our native latipinna species with huge dorsals. The petenensis males even have a black sword on the caudal. Very impressive fish especially compared to the mutant junk they sell in fish stores today.
bobby
So you mean florida fishfarmers have been hybridizing the two species to produce really large swordtails? I've noticed some overly large female swords at the store(large as the female you sent me) but its probably because of either hormones, genes, or good conditions.[b said:
How long can I expect his sword to get? Its already as long as his body...and I can't imagine it longer!
BTw, I read parts of the paper you sent...and Im unsure of whether the 'Rio Gallinas' that the paper and we are talking about are the same fish. I mean, check out fig 3! That looks nothing like our fish. The paper mentions, in simple terms"The fish have black on the flanks which extends into the dorsal fin." None of the ivory sword pics I've seen show black dorsals.
Sorry about the persistence of these location code questions. I just want to clear this up.
Sorry about the persistence of these location code questions. I just want to clear this up.
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
Hi Jimscott,
Yes, monties get very long swords -- at least 1 and 1/2 to 2 times their body length. This and the round dorsal make them the choicest of sword species. The helleri based commercial swords never had swords this big as they are platy x swordtail hybrids and that shortens the sword. Wild helleri swords (like the old green sword but much nicer) do have long swords but not like monties. Monties were only imported into Europe in the mid/late 80's and then soon after into the USA. They are still little known outside of livebearer freaks. I think the nezzie swords are even cooler. But monties are the most graceful.
No, I never have done saltwater. Just never was interested except in seahorses. Way too expensive for me and so hard to breed. I love killies, wild livebearers, weird little wild betta and gourami species, discus, angels, Julidochromis, Lamprologus, dwarf cichlids, fancy long fin domestic bred livebearers and some tetras.
Bobby
Yes, monties get very long swords -- at least 1 and 1/2 to 2 times their body length. This and the round dorsal make them the choicest of sword species. The helleri based commercial swords never had swords this big as they are platy x swordtail hybrids and that shortens the sword. Wild helleri swords (like the old green sword but much nicer) do have long swords but not like monties. Monties were only imported into Europe in the mid/late 80's and then soon after into the USA. They are still little known outside of livebearer freaks. I think the nezzie swords are even cooler. But monties are the most graceful.
No, I never have done saltwater. Just never was interested except in seahorses. Way too expensive for me and so hard to breed. I love killies, wild livebearers, weird little wild betta and gourami species, discus, angels, Julidochromis, Lamprologus, dwarf cichlids, fancy long fin domestic bred livebearers and some tetras.
Bobby
Hi Nflytrap,
These Rio Gallinas monties were collected long after the ones pictured in the scientific paper. My guess is that they came from different parts of the river or that the breeder selected for more black over the years she bred them until she released them to the hobby. The ones imported into Europe in the late 1980's had the black spotting like the paper shows. I've seen some odd looking monties over the years so I know the species various in shape and size. You can see in the pics that the unspotted populations are even larger.
The males should get more black spotting in the dorsal like in the first 2 pics but I have never seen as much black as the 3rd pic. That's an odd fish. The dorsal will also get some yellow coloring.
I hope they are doing well and eating.
Bobby
These Rio Gallinas monties were collected long after the ones pictured in the scientific paper. My guess is that they came from different parts of the river or that the breeder selected for more black over the years she bred them until she released them to the hobby. The ones imported into Europe in the late 1980's had the black spotting like the paper shows. I've seen some odd looking monties over the years so I know the species various in shape and size. You can see in the pics that the unspotted populations are even larger.
The males should get more black spotting in the dorsal like in the first 2 pics but I have never seen as much black as the 3rd pic. That's an odd fish. The dorsal will also get some yellow coloring.
I hope they are doing well and eating.
Bobby
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
Bobby: You've probably read this in a post, but when I was a kid, I had 8 tanks in our basement. One was for water sprite. Another for livebearers to have at it. Another for breeding Black Convicts. Yet another for breeding jewel cichlids. The rest was for breeding anabantids - dwarf, blue, opaline, gold, thick lipped, & pearl leeris, as well as paradise fish and bettas. I tried blue rams, but they weren't interested. I remember seeing all those beautiful pics of panchax, fundulus, aploche (?), nothobranchus in Tropical Fish Hobbyist and wondered why I rarely saw them brought into the wholesaler. Once in awhile we would get something in, but they were so small. We had Betta bellicose once. I think it's interesting that some folks are into African cichlids, while others are into synodontus or brackish or ....
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
aplocheilus lineatus. Havent found any really good pics of the wildtype online.
nothos(Nothobranchius) are one of the most colorful genuses of killies(arguably, the most beautiful is N. rachovi).
I have had little experience with killifish, but I may try it someday. Might be a good solution when I end up in college in a dorm room or something like that. But thats still a long time...
Oh, and yesterday I caught the male showing his stuff! The way he strutted around and moved forward and backward raising and lowering his dorsal was impressive. I have yet to see such a performance in a courting swordtail. They arent as pumped up I guess! Too bad the female thought the show was annoying.
The female has lost some shyness and is coming out. I noticed she would follow the juvies and try to steal mysis from them(they now eat it eagerly, except the bigger pieces which are left until there is nothing else to chew on).
nothos(Nothobranchius) are one of the most colorful genuses of killies(arguably, the most beautiful is N. rachovi).
I have had little experience with killifish, but I may try it someday. Might be a good solution when I end up in college in a dorm room or something like that. But thats still a long time...
Oh, and yesterday I caught the male showing his stuff! The way he strutted around and moved forward and backward raising and lowering his dorsal was impressive. I have yet to see such a performance in a courting swordtail. They arent as pumped up I guess! Too bad the female thought the show was annoying.
The female has lost some shyness and is coming out. I noticed she would follow the juvies and try to steal mysis from them(they now eat it eagerly, except the bigger pieces which are left until there is nothing else to chew on).
Hi All,
Good news on the swords Nflytrap. This displays are great -- especially between males. I'm glad they like the mysis.
Nothos are gorgeous. Rachovii is amazing -- all blue and orange. I have symoensi which is dream sicle orange with purple hints and Kafuensis Mambova which has big fins, blue and white stripes in the tail and either a blue or red mottled body. I hope to have fry this summer. I should also also kafuensis Nanzhila River which is a bluish white form. There are Nothos that are lemon yellow, solid scarlet red, green, brilliant neon blue. Now the females are plain.
Killies are fantastic. I've bred them now for over 30 years -- since I was 8. I have had easily 100 species over the years. They are much like cps -- soft acid water and live or almost live food; small tanks; dormant stage for eggs, peat moss and fascinating breeding habits. I never tire of them. The butterflies of the fish world.
Commercial fish dealers don't handle killies as fish farmers don't breed them -- too labor intensive. Hobbyists raise killies and trade among themselves. It's a huge hobby. The national convention is in Breckinridge on Memorial Day Weekend. Check out the American Killifish Association webpage; the Nothobranchius Information Centre webpage and the Killies of West Africa webpage -- all have tons of info and pictures.
Bobby
PS Nflytrap, you wanted microworms and grindal worms right?
Good news on the swords Nflytrap. This displays are great -- especially between males. I'm glad they like the mysis.
Nothos are gorgeous. Rachovii is amazing -- all blue and orange. I have symoensi which is dream sicle orange with purple hints and Kafuensis Mambova which has big fins, blue and white stripes in the tail and either a blue or red mottled body. I hope to have fry this summer. I should also also kafuensis Nanzhila River which is a bluish white form. There are Nothos that are lemon yellow, solid scarlet red, green, brilliant neon blue. Now the females are plain.
Killies are fantastic. I've bred them now for over 30 years -- since I was 8. I have had easily 100 species over the years. They are much like cps -- soft acid water and live or almost live food; small tanks; dormant stage for eggs, peat moss and fascinating breeding habits. I never tire of them. The butterflies of the fish world.
Commercial fish dealers don't handle killies as fish farmers don't breed them -- too labor intensive. Hobbyists raise killies and trade among themselves. It's a huge hobby. The national convention is in Breckinridge on Memorial Day Weekend. Check out the American Killifish Association webpage; the Nothobranchius Information Centre webpage and the Killies of West Africa webpage -- all have tons of info and pictures.
Bobby
PS Nflytrap, you wanted microworms and grindal worms right?
jimscott
Tropical Fish Enthusiast
Perhaps I am confusing it with a different genus? I just have a 30 year old faded mental image of a thin, brown killie from Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine. Do kilies also include Fundulus and the Rivulins? Personally, the pics I remember seeing in the TFH binder of the Aplocheilis are incredibly cute.
Yes, rivulus and fundulus are killies. The fish you have in mind could be a panchax or perhaps a rivulus. Nothos are stocky fish with lots of color(at least the males). Check out aKA.org for pics...don't blame me if you get bitten by the killie bug!
BTw, has anyone heard of rivulus marmoratus. Hermaphrodite fish capable of surviving for soem tiem out of water. Sounds like a really interesting fish for a mangrove setup..
BTw, has anyone heard of rivulus marmoratus. Hermaphrodite fish capable of surviving for soem tiem out of water. Sounds like a really interesting fish for a mangrove setup..
