Setting Up A Tank For Killifish (Help Required Please)

[Iheartfish]

Hello everyone.
I have a 64ltr community set up, with the usual guppy, molly, platy, cory, pleco, kribensis and dwarf gourami inhabitants.
I love my fish and I love watching the livebearers having fry and watching them grow and see how they turn out, but I feel I am beginning to wish for killifish. I have had two Gardneri killifish in my community set up before, but after a few days I had to return them to the aquatic store as the female managed to jump into my floating breeding trap containing my guppy fry and consumed half of them. It was a shame as I fell in love with this killifish the moment I set my eyes on them.

I have since started working in an aquatic store and recently ordered some neon yellow panchax for the store(which I believe are also known as golden panchax or golden wonder panchax?? correct me if I am wrong) which led me to then wonder firstly what to advise customers purchasing these fish (how to keep them and what to keep them with for the average fish keeper) - still need some advice on this, so help in this respect would be greatly appreciated.

This work related action has now prompted me to regain my facination with these fish, with their beautiful colours and cute smiling faces. If I was to rehome all my community fish, how easy would it be to turn my sand bottomed tank into a killifish breeding haven? I have read some people use peat as a substrate, but how would I then complete my water changes? I have a gravel siphon that I hover just over the sand to collect waste, sometimes a little is accidently collected, but I am guessing sand is heavier than peat and where does one purchase peat and also does one have to boil the peat to make sure it's clean and reduce tannins. I would love another tank (I have two already) but I do not have space

I would love to keep killifish, but I want to do it properly. Is it best to keep to one particular strain? Or can more than one strain be kept happily together without interbreeding? (if so which) Also which plants do killies prefer? And do I need to add salt to my tank (which kind of salt and how much salt - is aquilibrium salt ok?) A little expert addive really would go a long way here. I think it may be better to keep non-annual killifish - do you agree?

If you reply to me, I thank you in advance for the help and appologise for the long winded way of asking this.
= this picture is not mine, I do not own it, I do not believe it is copyrighted, sorry if it is! (Look at his pretty smiley face )

 

[Iheartfish]

Ok I have read a bit further into this, with help from GAB99, was very helpful

If you have any advice though, the more the merrier

 

[Biulu]

The golden wonder panchax you just ordered for the store, but also the F. gardneri are good starters. Many different 'locations' are found of the F. gardneri and these are mentioned with a name like 'Jos Plateau', 'Makurdi' etc. The populations of this species is so specific that new colour patterns have occurred (strains) but they are still the same species and will thus interbreed. I suggest you get a trio and reserve a set-up just for the breeding of any of these species.

It is not necessary for these fish to use peat, you can also use spawning mops. These fish don't like too much light and they would love to have some floating plants as cover.

 

[Iheartfish]

Thank you for that glad I don't have to use peat

 

[BigC]

Please read my threads on Aplochelius panchax and Fundulopanchax gardneri sp.
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=280783
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=280786
Are you looking to breed them as a breeding setup or do you want a planted aquaria and let fry take their chances with the adults.
Cooking salt will suffice.
I will wait to hear your intentions before advising you further
Regards
BigC

 

[Iheartfish]

Hello thanks for the quick reply I would like to have a planted tank, basically keep everything as it is in my 64ltr tank that is currently filled with community fish. I have a second 16ltr tank that I currently use to house growing fry from guppy, platy and Molly and a few cherry shrimp Ive been trying to breed. So could use that for the eggs. Although someone else said to put the adults in the little tank and the eggs in the bigger tank. I can understand why they may suggest this, but it just seems a little odd. I'll read your articles now, thanks for the links. Sometimes can be difficult to find useful things on here.

That was pretty good I love the fundulopanchax gardneri nigerianum. That's exactly what I'm after. Stunning fish!