Killifish

[catxx]

I've never seen killis in the flesh i don't think.
i know keeping them involves eggs...and thats it!!!
what are the basic care requirements for killis?

 

[Arfie]

Hi BigC, nice to see you back posting again and I trust all's well with you and yours

As you may recall I am interested in Killis, the reason I don't have any is that I had a load of new community fish in quarantine some weeks ago and after they were in the main tanks I was going to get some killis next But my qt tank got wiped out and I lost all the fish in there, so I had a sulk and decided to call it a day on new fish for a while. The other (real) reason is pure procrastination and I just never got around to it, though I will do and I'll be in touch with you when I do Just as soon as I've finished sorting the garden out

Arfie

 

[Erised]

1. Does the name Killi put you off. ( It's dutch for small ditch or stream)

Not anymore! It's 'Old Dutch' The word kil (which is the word that used to mean small ditch or stream) is never used anymore. Heck, I can't even find it back in the online dictionary (not that that means much) and had to google to find out what it actually meant.

As for why I don't keep killis. The one time I did see them in a lfs I bought them, only to lose all 3 of them within the week. The females died because it was just a bad selection of fish (I know this because when I went back to try and get a refund all the females were dead in the display tank apart from 3 of them. Which I decided to leave this time). The male was a jumper (through the holes in the back of the tank, where the cables go through).

I might try and keep killis again one day, but it definatly won't be a 'ooh they look pretty, I'll buy them!' fish anymore, they'll definatly require research first I also don't think I'd put them in a community tank again, simply because they're not put to their right in that. They're definatly gorgeous enough to deserve a species only tank.

 

[demonmagus]

yeah, on the british killifish association it mentions that they will jump...

sorry for your loss, but if you look at how they died, none was really your fault

 

[BigC]

with the exception of Golden Wonder panchax

Alpochelius lineatus Gold, please do not use these in community aquaria containing small species such as neon/cardinal tetras.
Regards
BigC

Not anymore! It's 'Old Dutch, The word kil (which is the word that used to mean small ditch or stream) is never used anymore.

So sorry Erised, Please excuse my ignorance of the modern Dutch Language. Anyway the point I was trying to make was that the word kill in Killifish does not mean to kill as in the english form.
Regards
BigC

Just as soon as I've finished sorting the garden out

Hi Arfie,
I'm been sent out there too!!!
Only I'm doing mine through the bottom of a beer glass.

 

[keane]

BigC,

The main problem is, as you suggest, the lack of availability in the local FS's.

any decent web sites you can point me towards to get some further info?? minimum tank sizes, dietary requirements etc? (i trust this is ok with the Admin as it does not conflict with any info or profiles already on these forums.. )

 

[BigC]

any decent web sites you can point me towards to get some further info??

http/www.killi.co.uk/
http/www.aka.org/aka/modules/content/index.php?id=7 (Beginners Guide)
There are many many more but here are two for starters.
Regards
BigC

 

[jayjay]

I have had 2 species of killifish in the past and have a batch of eggs and 2 fry (from a different batch of eggs) ATM. They apealed to me because they are so colourful and can do well in small tanks.

About not many being in LFS's I have 2 LFS which always have at least one species of killifish in, often 5+ different species.

If more people kept this beautiful fish, then more people would breed them and then even more people could keep them. Is simply the case.

 

[AnneRiceBowl]

The only killifish species that I have found in the LPS/LFS in my area are Gold(en) Wonders. I have a trio in my SE Asian biotope with Paradise fish, a SAE, Singapore shrimp, and female Betta splendens.

 

[starrynightxxi]

They're lovely looking fish, but I'm put off by their size, also the only way for me to buy them would be "sight unseen" - I've never even seen them in any of the L (and not quite so L) FS in my area. Whilst I could get them from other sources, I've never even seen that type of fish except in pictures (with the exception of Golden Wonder panchax) - what if "in the flesh" am not so keen?

a lot of killi species are smaller than the golden wonders, i think. the different ones that i have seen are. they're leaner, but you would have to do research as some killi species are also larger than the golden wonders

I've never seen killis in the flesh i don't think.
i know keeping them involves eggs...and thats it!!!
what are the basic care requirements for killis?

keeping them only invovles eggs to an important extent if you keep annuals. if you keep the annuals then you will want to breed them (this requires drying the eggs) because they do not tend to live long (as the name annuals would suggest. think like flowers). you do not have to breed non annuals, though you till might like to, and from my chats with my local breeder, they are not very difficult to breed if provided a few basic things (including floating and weighted mops or plants to lay eggs in)

 

[wuvmybetta]

I was given a group of beautiful killis last year. I set them up for my daughter in a ten, fed them well....and they all died like three weeks later I think they were just old. I did, however, get some eggs out of them which I stored away in a closet which was the craziest thing ever. I still have them somewhere, but they're probably not good anymore, right?

 

[BigC]

I still have them somewhere, but they're probably not good anymore, right?

Do you have the species name in question wuvmybetta, is the peat they are stored in still damp (pipe tobacco consistancy) and a what temp was the closet. Chances are they might be still viable if they were true annuals.
Regards
BigC

 

[dgwebster]

my decent local store is seasonal with alot of their stock. for example, there are no killis now (had them till about two months about) but they do have a large stock of synos. no otos. their speciality is catfish, but their largest stock is between october to march.

 

[RANDYS]

This may be a dumb question but do Killifish require cycled tanks to live in? I've heard where you can house them in a 1-2 gallon jar, so I was just curious if they would be fine without cycling, never had them but the PETSMART has the gold ones--I believe thats what they're called, not near as pretty as alot of them but they do have some.

 

[Spinal]

I was/am very interested in Killis... I was raised in West Africa, so am interested more in the W.African killis. That said, there is a lack of information on the net (the BKA seems to have alot of info, but not in a very accessible format) while most forumns don't seem to take interest in killis (yes, I realise that this forum has had MANY threads on why there isn't a killi forum, I've done my research...)

Secondly, there is a lack of killis themselves. I had such a hard time finding info on killis that I thought they were all annual (too much work for me); and now, I can't find many people selling kills themselves... will need to keep researching I guess...

Hence, its a combo of lack or info and lack of access..

Spinal