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Fish Folk

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Everything posted by Fish Folk

  1. Good luck! If I had to bet though, I'd put money on Duckweed in the long haul. It just takes one... 🤣 🌱
  2. Here is one shots from a home aquarium. Colors probably are dependent on (1) season of the year (2) water temperature (3) diet (4) spawning... Typically, they are reported to look more regularly like this...
  3. Same young blue buck in different lighting…
  4. We have a few Betta fry! Pardon the video dump, but I want to document this process thoroughly. For many fish breeders, Betta splendens breeding is big yawn. But for me, there is a long story. I’ve waited awhile to add these to my “belt” of successes. Video #1 - Betta fry appearance, male Betta moved out… Video #2 - Planning a “feeding port” for Betta fry… Video #3 - Vinegar Eel culture… Video #4 - Feeding V. Eels through the “port”… Video #5 - Harvesting Banana Eels… Video #6 - A second look at Betta fry…
  5. @MelissaRoze et al, if you want to follow my Betta breeding process in real time, I am keeping this thread updated (n.b. the thread moves from Betta imbellis to Betta splendens nearer the end…)
  6. Home from Christmas on the in-laws farm. Here is a look at what has been going on in the fishroom…
  7. (Wait for it… filming videos right now…)
  8. Yeah, it’s very hard to go below 60°-F in a heated home without a chiller. I’m not ready for the $$ plunge yet… but my hope is to maintain ca. 62-65°-F, and simulate “spring” with improvised photoperiod change. Adding improved O2 nearer the substrate may also help. I plan to adapt my DIY venturi pressurized spray-bar down 6-9 inches to experiment that way.
  9. I am not sure that this will work. If you try to add together all of the smaller pumps, the line will build up back pressure, and the little pumps may not be able to push through it. The weakest pump may struggle. Maybe if you establish good outflow from the beginning it could work? How many tanks are you aerating? I use a PondMaster-20 for all of my fishroom tanks.
  10. I am on this journey presently, after having failed a few times and after having bred many other species successfully. Here's a short list: (1) Be ready with a plan in the event of success. - Fry will need very small live foods. I culture Banana worms. After they're large enough, I hatch out live Artemia nauplii (baby brine shrimp). - You'll need to have a plan to keep the air above the water surface as humid as possible for the first two months. Bettas develop a labyrinth organ (as do other anabantids). If that doesn't develop, they can crash at about 6 weeks. - Male and female fry can live together for a few months, but male v. male aggression begins to pick up and males need to be separated to grow in isolation. For my males, I plan to use a 20 gal. long with custom cut Darrice mesh dividers. That allows one common filtration system in subdivided sections. I also have a jug rack that I can repurpose if necessary. Females can grow out as a sorority. (2) Be sure to acquire a healthy male and female pair. - I am just going with a couple that look close enough to pass. Fry I raise will always look better than adults. I selected a Magenta + Lavender + Silvery-pink looking male. Female is the same, with long fins. You'll easily spot the white egg spot between the ventral fins of a mature female. (3) You will want to set up an adequate breeding space. - I use Sterilite -- ca. 15 quart / 3.75-gal tubs that have already long been seasoned, cycled, have kept fish for a long while. I get my clip boxes from WalMart. - I put my male in one, and my female in another. I have peat moss in the bottom, and Java Moss clumps in both. I float large Catappa leaves for the male to build a bubble nest under. (4) Ensure that water and air parameters are all good. - Temperature should be 78-82 F - Water needs to be covered with a lid or wrap to keep the air above the surface humid. This is crucial for Anabantid fry development. (5) Prepare the pair. - Feed with lots of live foods. I use Daphnia and live baby brine shrimp. - I supplement with a variety of frozen foods. Do not overfeed, but be sure to keep them well fed. - I put a small hang-on breeding net cage into the male tub, and add the female there for a few days. She is separated from the male, but easily seen. The male should get excited, and build a bubble nest. - I leave the light on low, non-stop for the next 72-96 hrs. Maybe even longer. This is because fish sometimes “snap” when lights go completely off, and forget their parental duties. This is especially helpful when breeding Angelfish, BTW. Everyone wonders why they eat their eggs. This is one possible reason. (6) When ready, add the female. - Male should have built up a full Bubblenest before a female is added. - Some females will clearly indicate they are “ready” by displaying vertical bars along their sides. However, due to massive ornamental breeding techniques, the wild-caught appearance of many females has been overshadowed by iridescent scales that keep this signal from being easily seen. - Bear in mind that once she is added, he may be very brutal towards her for the next few days. I do keep some added plants in there for her to hide (Wisteria, Indian Swampweed). - Limit distractions, lights, shadows, stresses for next few days. - Keep the lid on full. You want to maximize humidity -- especially tricky in the winter months. - Minimize any airflow (they're Anabantids . . . they can breath air from the surface). This requires a very seasoned, fully cycled breeding tank because the flow will be low and aerobic bacteria colonies that convert ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrate will be low on O2 for a while. I do keep _very, very light_ air flowing through the tiny sponge filter, and through an airstone. Just enough to keep bacterial scum from covering the surface of the water, but light enough that the bubblenest is never in danger. I will add that having peat moss as substrate and Catappa leaves on surface will tend to lower pH, which (along with temperature) may affect the sex-ratio of fry. ______________ The pair should bond and spawn within 48 hrs. Once they have spawned, and the male is guarding the nest, the female needs to be removed. Male stays in until enough fry are free-swimming that it is obvious they are viable. Because the Sterilite bins I use are shallow, there is not too much concern about fry falling away from the surface. I remove male to a separated area in the female tank (I use the breeder net). Fry are fed banana worms, and Artemia. I do not overfeed, and try to change water a fair bit. To set up a water change system . . . I am also trying to preserve the air moisture as much as possible. So, I will be hand-drilling small holes in the top to insert pieces of rigid airline through. These I'll attach to normal airlines, and siphon out stale water / add fresh water with large syringes. I will also use the rigid airline end to feed the worms and Artemia. Here are videos and photos from my most recent set up... I'll add that the Catappa leaves produce a degree of tannin (the tinted water). But I also use pure Rooibos Tea bags to get a desired tint. Here's one of my Daphnia tank set ups... Here's a look at some of my miniature nematodes for feeding fry... And here's how I hatch out baby brine shrimp...
  11. Whether you need to moderate tank temperatures during summertime heat spikes, or set cooler water conditions for particular fish species, sometimes aquarists need the _opposite_ of a heater. As ACO has neatly written up here, there are multiple options for achieving desired water cooling temperature goals. I am experimenting with (1) wrapping my tank with some black insulation, and (2) running a fan. If you have found success with particular products, please do share! I looked around awhile, and decided to go with these: For insulation wrapping, I plan to wrap a 55 gal NANF tank between the lower edge of the upper rim and the upper edge of the lower rim - flat against the glass. I hope to just cover the back and sides. I'll use three sheets, and use Gorilla Tape to cover the edges and keep it from peeling away. This will require some effort, as my 55 gal tank is pretty immovable. The old-school blue background has worn down, and needs to be replaced. I am told that a good fan can help lower water temperature by 3-5 degree Fahrenheit. This brand does not have many reviews, but looking through reviews of other brands, I thought I'd give this a try. Right now, I have kept these wild caught (F0) Catawba River Drainage Greenhead Shiners (Notropis chlorocephalus) since March, 2023. They sometimes turn a bit red... But this is what I am going for -- their full spawning colors... Will keep this thread updated as this project moves forward. I have to believe that it's possible to bred these!
  12. Having become very fascinated these last several years with native north American fish (NANF), I am on a mission to select a most beautiful + most effective three-species tank arrangement that can, theoretically work for breeding, aesthetics, etc. One species that I have not studied much is the Crescent Shiner (Luxilus cerasinus). In breeding colors, it is a stunner. Look at these photos and videos... Man, just when you think you've seen it all . . . these fish are fantastic looking. Unfortunately, there are relatively few examples of them in home aquaria. I hope to learn why that is. Their native range appears to be like this on the map:
  13. (1) Before leaving home, feed live foods heavily. Lots of Daphnia, Baby Brine Shrimp, whatever you have on hand. (2) Adjust conditions to promote spawning behavior: especially for NANF, leave certain tank lights on (i.e. turn _off_ the timer), add a stone tray for riverine egg scatterers, open a vent to a basement fishroom to allow temperatures from central air to lift from mid 60s past the golden threshold of 70-F... (3) After everything has settled down, kids are tucked in bed . . . post a thread about how neat it will be when you return home in a few days to find your fish have been spawning while you were away at your in-laws 😎
  14. DECEMBER 2023 Greenhead Shiner, quasi-colored up. Never any breeding yet though. E-blue comin’ atcha! Diamond blue Discus among the MTS… Ready to make some babies! Fireyblack male / female pair. ”Big Blue” our oldest, largest Discus. Would fill a large salad plate. A colorful cull! If you want him, he’s yours. You just need to pay for shipping. Pseudomugil (luminatus?) males striking a pose.
  15. NOVEMBER 2023 Banded Darter. Hate to admit… not doing so well in my tank. But probably my favorite Darter species. Young lad still catching creek fish in freezing water 🥶 Blueridge Sculpins here. Alabama Rainbow Shiners… most beautiful NANF of all… New breeding project: Betta splendens. I must get this under my belt! Simple store-bought pair. Magenta and lavender colors. Was gifted a cool Clown Pleco! Actually ate a lot of algae. Probably sone cichlid eggs too 😂 Almost in full flame 🔥 Fireyblack Shiner. The last remaining Electric Blue Ram. A real stunner. I’m actually not sure if this is a male or female…
  16. OCTOBER 2023 Adult Swordtails took well to indoor environment. Baby Swordtails born in outdoor tub transitioned smoothly to indoor tank. First of F1-Alabama strain coloring up. Such a beautiful species! Here are the brooders, flexing their natural blue. Temps need to stay below 80° F for them. 70°-72° is great spawning temp. Still catching Largemouth Bass in the cold! Female Dwarf Congo Cichlid ready for spawning. Such a mesmerizing opal colors!
  17. SEPTEMBER 2023 Brothers! Fieryblack Shiners beginning to mature. They only get better and better… A male Jungle Endler. I started breeding these to provide my Nanochromis parilus a snack. They leave adults alone, but eat some fry here and there. Caught this Stone-roller. New species from our creek! Released after taking photo. Brought Swordtails indoors as summer tubbing season closed down. They either only will spawn outside, or they eat all their fry indoors. Here’s the lone male Bluefin Killifish who hatched out in our summer tub from water lettuce shipped from Florida. He lives happily with the Swordtails.
  18. AUGUST 2023 A shot with a Dwarf Rainbow in with the Congo Tetras. This was a zany community tank… Discus, etc. as well. Love the pink Lotus. Every planted aquarium should have one. For us, aquarium fish and sport -fishing are not mutually exclusive. We catch and release, mostly. Top photo is a Yellow Perch, next is a Largemouth Bass, and bottom is little brother just gettin’ the hang of things. Was gifted a new line of wild-caught Rainbow Shiners from Alabama. When happy, possibly the most beautiful fish on the planet.
  19. JULY 2023 Tubbing season in full swing! This was the Swordtail tub. Turned out a Bluefin Killifish egg cane along for the ride on the Water Lettuce. Hummingbirds loved the tall flowers. Acquired some Congo Tetras from a friend who had to shut his tanks down. Very beautiful! Also got three young Discus. Beautiful! No idea why everyone thinks these are hard to keep. They have consistently been some of the hardiest species we have kept. This photo came out nicely! Sweet introduction to a young male F1 Fireyblack Shiner. Greenhead Shiners are beneath / behind.
  20. JUNE 2023 We moved the fish from the HS classroom tank to home. Caught these two in one frame passing. Lots of colors! Sometimes under LED, the Rainbow Shiners appear impossibly beautiful. Males get a full blue head and fins. They will spawn anywhere conditions are right, firing up year round. They turn hot salmon-pink. It is by far the most exciting thing to walk into the fishroom to in the morning. Mr. and Mrs. Southern Redbelly Dace. She is full of roe! A new acquisition: Dwarf Congo Cichlid (Nanochromis parilus). Female here, just added. There was a shipping error, so the fella arrived the next month. Cousins to Kribensis, these are riverine species that spawn in caves. Males can be aggressive, but females are peaceful and much more beautiful.
  21. MAY 2023 Get the boyz OUTSIDE! That’s the mission for warming weather. My son’s love catching and releasing creek fish. We haven’t set up any tanks to keep them at home, but we definitely enjoy them in nature! This male Fantail Darter was very colored up for spawning season. Sculpins are fascinating bottom dwellers. We have a unique species, taxonomically named by an acquaintance up the road who teaches Ichthyology at a State University - “Blue Ridge Sculpin” (Cottus caeruleimentum). Blacknose Dace put on amber hues for spawning season. We got some Lowland Shiners (Pteronotropis stonei) and some Red Swordtails for an outdoor tubbing project. I honestly can’t recall who I ended up selling the Lowland Shiners to. They were nice looking, but a bit feisty towards con-specific species. A new friend built a custom Aquaponics system for me. It has been a marvel to learn about!
  22. APRIL 2023 Breeding this annual Killifish species was a special triumph! Nothobranchius rachovii males are gorgeous gemstones, suitable to small tanks. They rarely live longer than 1-year. This female Rainbow Darter has been with me awhile now. Secretive, she is hard to take a nice photo of. King of small peaceful NANF, this Banded Sunfish (Enneacanthus obesus) rarely swims out under good lighting. But when he does… Kept a few little Electric Blue Rams. Unfortunately, only one proved healthy. Impulse buys. You understand.
  23. MARCH 2023 Worked awhile with “Blue Sapphire” Guppies. A few males presented nicely, but there were so many culls, I eventually moved them along. This was a lesson in buying confirmed lines to start a breeding project. Fry born in your own water will almost always do better than fish you buy. These come as the first species I was part of catching the wild: Greenhead Shiners (Notropis chlorocephalus) from the Catawba river drainage in North Carolina. They’re hardy! But very tricky to persuade to spawn in home aquaria. Rainbow Shiners firing up in my son’s HS Biology Classroom. In the upper right corner, the red-tinted floating flow-through fry container already was holding fry. We raised a bunch with the class over the semester! This fully agitated male Tessellated Darter also came home with us from the Catawba River NC trip. Still living today, but has never presented these colors so dramatically since.
  24. FEBRUARY 2023 Proud of this little fella, coloring up. I bred and raised a number of Rainbow Shiners (Notropis chrosomus). There’s a special thrill to see them color up as they mature. Among the more interesting fish species we’ve kept, the Ornate Climbing Perch lists high. Microctenopoma ansorgii are Anabantids — like Gouramis and Bettas — but they behave much more like Apistogrammas. Sadly, ours would not spawn for us. The group made a nice gift to some fellow aquarists. On his day, wearing his tux, the male Southern Redbelly Dace cuts a beautiful image. Chrosomus erythrogaster are native US fish, fairly easy to acquire from NANF sellers. This one was in no a group I set up in my son’s Biology Classroom at School. Gulf Coast Pygmy Sunfish (Elassoma gilberti) have been a fascination of mine for awhile. This young, subdominant male can’t fully hide his blue potential. My son kept this beautiful male Apistogramma agassizii awhile. In my view, he was one of the most stunning fish we’ve ever kept. Something sudden happened to him, and we sadly lost him without warning. I sold out most of these “Precious Metals” Guppies. There is something special about a large breeding colony of livebearers. Took this photo near the end of the colony in this tank.
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