Simple Killifish Method

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That One Guy
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In raising Killifish you can do one of two things with the plant spawners. Pick eggs from mops and hatch them in containers or let them hatch and grow with the adults. I use a combination of the two. I put a mop in with the adults and let them spawn into it for a week. At the end of the week I move the mop to a 2 1/2 gallon tank. Fry appear in about another week. I don't pick the eggs because the fish I raise, Aplocheilus lineatus Golden Wonder, have a tiny thread that attaches the egg to the yarn mop. I have no evidence but I suspect that picking the egg damages them when you tear that thread. I never get fungus and I get a good hatch rate. The small hatching tank concentrates the small live foods I feed my fry and growth is rapid. I currently have over two dozen fry growing out to put in my new tanks. Six tanks with only one species. Weird huh ? One fish is from a pet shop purchase in December 2019. All of its companions have since perished and the remainder were all born in my fish room. It isn't boring having only one species of fish. I see behaviors and antics among them that maybe wouldn't happen with other fish around.
 

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I have more Aplocheilus lineatus Golden Wonder Killifish fry than I've ever had using my method described. If I get half of these to decent size I'll have more than enough to stock my two new tanks. In one picture note big brother eating his little sibling. Killifish lay a few eggs every day so when I pull my mops and put them in the hatching tanks I get fry that are five days apart. The little dickens can grow quite a bit in that short time. These pictures show them after a hearty feast of newly hatched brine shrimp and Grindal worms.
 

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I have more than enough fry to stock my new tanks with. Tomorrow these (probably about 3 dozen) are going into the ten gallon to start growing out. They're about a half inch now. Six adults are going into my second 20 high to become my second generation of breeders and 12 from another 5 gallon will take their place in their five gallon. I think I have about 50 nice fish now. All but one are tank raised. Six tanks with only one species. Aplocheilus lineatus Golden Wonder var. Back in The Fold aquarium strain.
 

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I have more than enough fry to stock my new tanks with. Tomorrow these (probably about 3 dozen) are going into the ten gallon to start growing out. They're about a half inch now. Six adults are going into my second 20 high to become my second generation of breeders and 12 from another 5 gallon will take their place in their five gallon. I think I have about 50 nice fish now. All but one are tank raised. Six tanks with only one species. Aplocheilus lineatus Golden Wonder var. Back in The Fold aquarium strain.
Let me know if you end up with too many and want to send some on an airplane ride....
 
Crimony ! What a day. Netting fish and swapping them around in different tanks. My second generation breeders were exulting that they got out of their five gallon and into a twenty. Now I have my 2 1/2 gallon to keep volunteers that I find in the two 20's. Found four nice ones today. It's really something that they are able to elude the adults and grow. Even more amazing is that they find something to eat. I feed live Grindal worms so a few smaller ones get in there. Maybe they're eating those. I have no lights on any of my tanks except the new ten gallon that's on a bottom rack. I need that for my own convenience. An old guy like me with bad vision and a creaky back wasn't thinking too hard when he put that ten down there. Oh well, I'll just keep it lightly stocked so I only have to do a twice a month water change. I put some of my Java moss down there too. Maybe it will start to thrive on something other than room light. But, today was fun. Four hours in the fish room with no interruptions.
 
Things are finally settling down in the fish room. Went out and got a timer for the light on my ten gallon today so everything except feeding and water changes is automatic now. I had one runt from a batch of fry 7 or 8 months ago. The poor little thing just would not grow and now, wonder of wonders, he's coming into his male golden color and got a nice little growth spurt. Time rewards the patient. To some it may seem weird to have 6 tanks with only one species but I see things that they maybe wouldn't do if other uncomplimentary fish were distracting them. One thing that gets me is how the males will swim up next to a female, stop and hold perfectly still. Moments later they do this kind of a shake and pop little vibrational thing. After that the female gets driven into the spawning mops. Another thing I like is how they will sometimes orient themselves vertically like a rocket ready for takeoff and scout for food, usually the live wingless fruit flies I feed. Upon seeing something they strike like a trout ! If you do not have a species only tank then pick a fish and sit back and watch the show.
 

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