Breeding Log/share Your Experience

[chrissfishes]

I thought it would be great to start up a breeding/keeping log. To share your experience keeping species of livebearers for other aquarists to learn about species. Please share your experience keeping species and please share pictures.
My log will be about keeping Xenotoca melanosoma "Rio Ayuquilla" and distinct species Xenotoca melanosoma "Granja Sahriupa". I just got a small group of Granja Sahriupa from the ALA convention. They are still young fry so it will be A while before they mature enough to breed. I have pictures of the fry and Rio Ayuquila fry.

I have been keeping the Rio Ayuquila since the spring of 2013. They are the true melanosoma and are possibly extinct in the wild. They are very hardy fish and full of personality. Very active and can get somewhat aggressive during mating seasons. They breed twice a year (spring and fall). They seem mature enough to breed around 6 months old. Depending on how old the female is will determine around how many fry she will have. Young female usually around 8 and when she is an adult can have around 30 fry. They will eat their own fry so it's best to either remove the fry immediately when you see them or net the female when she is gravid and put her in an aquarium all by herself.They will eat anything. I feed them flakes and a variety of frozen foods. I do 50% water changes bi-weekly and let the temperature of the tank go by room temperature. I don't use heaters. A 3ft tank is probably best to keep a colony of melanosoma.
I'll keep updating how things are going with the melanosoma. Please share your experience

 
Two in the bare tank are Granja Sahriupa and the other two in a planted tank are Rio Ayuquila
 

 

[fish48]

HI chris it's good to know you are still keeping goodeids 

 

[chrissfishes]

Hi Gary,
It's great to hear from you . I hope things are going well. I will always and only keep Goodeids. I am focusing only on Goodeids. I have plans to setup a Goodeid preservation fish house. My hope is to get every species and location and keep them as long as I can. 

 

[chrissfishes]

Update for the melanosoma : I have some gravid "Rio Ayuquila" females. Should have fry from them soon. I will get some pictures of them. The Granja Sahriupa have a while to go. They have been growing a little bit. Will get pictures of them as they grow more.
 
Some new species to add to the breeding log. Allotoca meeki and Allotoca dugesii.
 
Allotoca meeki - I received a group of meeki last spring (2015). I have heard that Allotoca meeki is difficult to keep. That they seem to die off and no one understands why. I asked the person that I got them from how they kept them and if there were any tricks in keeping them. He told me that what he thinks is the trick to keeping meeki is to do frequent water changes. They need clean water and that they are sensitive to old water/waste levels. They will die off if they don't get frequent care. He also told me that they need more protein in their diet. I have followed his advice and the meeki seem to be pretty easy to care for and keep. I have had several drops from them since I received them. If they are given the proper care meeki will breed twice a year. Spring and Fall.They seem to breed around 1.5 - 2 inches. The fry seem to be very weak when born and it's a good idea to remove the gravid female to a tank by herself to drop the fry and then remove her immediately. I have found meeki to eat their own fry. They seem to have a normal sized drop as other Goodeids. 8 for young females, 15-20 young adult females, 20 plus for older adults. I feed them frozen bloodworms/brine shrimp and flakes. 50% frequent water changes and the temperature fluctuates between 62-72 in winter - summer. Allotoca meeki is on the brink of extinction if it's not extinct yet. In 2014 the GWG had a meeting in Moreila, Mexico and went to numerous spots including Allotoca meeki's only location. From what I have heard Allotoca meeki was forced into a tiny ditch/stream and the GWG group only found a few specimens. Their main habitat is polluted from locals doing their laundry and other pollutants.
 
Allotoca dugesii "Rancho el molino" - I received a group of Allotoca dugesii F1 sampled in 2014 on the GWG trip in December 2015. From my research on dugesii and from what I have heard from the person I received them from, they seem to be very hardy, adaptable, and prolific. This does seem to be true. I do bi weekly 50% water changes and feed them a variety of flake and frozen foods. One thing I have heard and have been following is they need more veggie in their diet, especially when they are gravid. They can be fed proteins on occasion to condition the fish but once they are gravid they need to be fed strictly veggie foods. Reason is it can cause gravid issues (they can become over gravid) and cause the female to die when trying to have the fry. I just had my first drop of dugesii (may 2016). I have 4 gravid females left. My first drop was 6 fry. Only 4 made it. The same with meeki, the fry seem to be weak when born. I removed the females to their own 10 gal. I am not sure if they will eat their own fry yet or not. I collected the fry and put them in a breeding unit. They seem to breed at the same size as meeki. 1.5 - 2 inches. The temperatures are the same as meeki. There are two color variants of dugesii from the same location. There are yellow and black fish. They can be kept together as long as they are from the same location. They are found together. They are from shallow streams with vegetation and are endangered. 
 
I will get some pictures soon. 

 

[chrissfishes]

Allotoca dugesii. Found 12 new fry and 5-out of the first drop seem good so far

Allotoca meeki, melanosoma GS, and melanosoma "Rio Ayuquila"
 
 

 

[fish48]

some very good info