Time Flies

[Back in the fold]

Well, it was one year ago today that I got my Aphyosemion australe Orange / Red killifish . I was so excited . Ordered them in July 2022 and the weather finally cooled off enough to ship them by August of that year . I still have six of them . I had three pairs but I accidentally killed one female with the siphon tube . One pair gave me ONE fry . It turned out to be a male . Where did a whole year go ?

 

[connorlindeman]

Backward, turn backward, O Time, in your flight...

 

[Colin_T]

You only got one baby from 3 prs over the course of a year?

What were you feeding them?
How often where you feeding them?
What was the pH, GH and KH of the tank water?
Where the adults in a community tank or their own single species tank?

You can probably still breed them now but you need to hurry because they stop breeding after about a year. And most don't live past 18 months, some might hit 2 years but that's really old for them.

Put them in a 18 or 24 inch tank with a layer of sand or gravel. Have an air operated sponge filter and heater. Put a heap of Java Moss in the tank and some Water Sprite. Feed them 3-5 times a day and do a big water change each day or every couple of days. Look among the Water Sprite for babies or remove the adults after 2 weeks and put them in another tank for 2 weeks. Just rotate them into new tanks every 2 weeks and rear up the fry in the original tank.

 

[GaryE]

I went to an Aphyosemion australe habitat 2 weeks ago, but there was nobody home. All we caught was Epiplatys singa. But there were bugs, so many bugs. If you were feeding them prepared foods (flakes or pellets) they probably got enough food to live and grow, but not enough nutrition to produce eggs. If you can get a source of live food and separate the sexes for a week or two, there's still hope.

You have to give the females a chance to fill up. And since they've probably learned egg eating, you may need to skip the natural set up and go with mops. Killies teach a valuable lesson in that they aren't renewable at the pet store, and they take some looking for. It's usually easier to breed a next generation than to look for more.

 

[Back in the fold]

@Colin_T and @GaryE I did everything I could think of and read about things I should do and I have come to the conclusion that I do not have the Aphyosemion touch . Can’t crack Fundulopanchax either . It is now time to attempt peat spawners . Nothing to lose .

 

[Colin_T]

@Back in the fold What is the water temperature you are keeping the australe at?
Maybe drop the temperature to 18C for a few weeks then raise it up to 22-24C.

You can also separate males and females for a week and that can sometimes get them going.

Feed them some mozzie larvae.

Have the sun shine on the breeding tank in the morning or use a light coming in from an angle.

What was the pH, GH & KH of the water?

 

[GaryE]

The big thing with australe is water hardness. If it were that easy though - I was able to breed my last group, which was attempt number 5. There are times you just have to be stubborn and dig in. Every fish is a puzzle you have to figure out.

People who don't breed fish look at killies and think they're pretty, but dull. They are shy fish that always act a little hunted. But as soon as you really like them, think about how hard it is to get them, and decide to breed them so you can get beyond the 2-3 year lifespan, everything changes. They are a doorway into complexity. australe is one of the few I came close to giving up on. They drove me crazy.

Even at that, I only made three generations. I took a side trip on my Gabon visit and tried for australe in the wild, but it was too late in the dry season and the water not deep in the jungle was either dry or polluted. Our timing was off.

Don't give up.

 

[Back in the fold]

Nope . Not giving up but this is puzzling . I don’t think it’s a water chemistry or temperature issue . My water is neither too hard nor too soft . It reads 80 PPM TDS on my meter and I run in the low to mid 70’s Fahrenheit. I feed Grindal worms and BBS . They refuse dry food . I have mops as well as plants and I have seen eggs in the mops but I don’t pick them because they are so small I am afraid I will crush them . Sooner or later something will happen . One thing that impresses me about these australe is how tough they are . They are very healthy and lively fish .

 

[Colin_T]

If they are spawning in mops, swap the mops out each day. Just put a new one in and take the old one with eggs and put it in a hatching tank. You can also use a pr of scissors to cut the bit of thread with egg and put that in the hatching tank. Then leave the original mop back in the tank.

 

[Back in the fold]

If they are spawning in mops, swap the mops out each day. Just put a new one in and take the old one with eggs and put it in a hatching tank. You can also use a pr of scissors to cut the bit of thread with egg and put that in the hatching tank. Then leave the original mop back in the tank.

Thanks @Colin_T That’s exactly the thing I should , and will , do . Why didn’t I think of that ?