ApiApi

January 16, 2023

On 1/16/2023 at 1:11 PM, Colu said:

What I would do is monitor for the next week update if you think it's getting worse if it's slime coat it's usually caused poor war quality he's some pictures of anchor worms for comparison @ApiApi

Will do, and thank you for the quick reply!

While anchor worm looks to have the right 'consistency', colour and look to be 'trailing' in the same way, whatever it is on my sewellia it looks to be much smaller and does not branch at the ends like the worms in the pictures. But perhaps it is just early stages?

As for water quality—is there anything that immediately stand out to you in the parameters I posted? In the four years I have kept fish I have only had one outbreak of ich and other than that, never really had to deal with issues of that nature, so this is kind of new to me 😅

January 16, 2023

On 1/16/2023 at 12:37 AM, Chick-In-Of-TheSea said:

Don’t quote me on it, but possibly anchor worms? How long have you had them?

@Colu

I have had them for about three weeks and noticed this for the first time yesterday. They do not spend a lot of time on the front glass, however, so it could be I just have not seen it before now. I am not sure how to recognize anchor worms, however. The tufts are soft, clear white (as seen on the picture), swaying with the water's current and the fish's movement, only 1-3 millimeters long and less than the width of a hair.

On 1/16/2023 at 1:16 AM, Colu said:

It could be excess slime coat have you added anything new to the tank recently any rapid breathing listlessness loss of appetite do you use a water conditioner when doing water changes @ApiApi

The sewellia are the last ones I stocked and nothing but food, water and small amounts of liquid ferts has been added since. None of them show any rapid breathing or listlessness, neither those with nor without the tufts, nor does any of their tank mates. All fish in the tank are quite active, with their tank mates scattering eggs all over the place pretty much daily and the sewellia rarely staying in one place for more than a minute and frequently sparring.

The sewellia are constantly grazing and become very active when there is food in the tank. They are still confused about gel- and tablet foods, butting their heads and swimming in circles around it, but they are quick to 'hoover' it up as soon as it starts falling apart, they also go crazy over frozen cyclops. The rest of the tank pretty much go into a frenzy the moment I open the lid to feed.

I have not been adding any water conditioners during water change (other than gh- and kh/ph buffers for my livebearer tanks) as my tap water does not have chlorine/chloramine or has had any problems with heavy metals. I have never used water conditioners for any of my breeding-, fry grow-out- or community tanks over the past four years and never had any trouble. I have not kept sewellia before, however. Could it be they are sensitive to things other fish, including fry, would not mind?

January 15, 2023

I just today noticed that some of my sewellia lineolata have these white 'tufts' on the outer edge of their modified fins. As such, I am wondering if this is normal (i.e. sensory organs, common growths, results of territorial sparring, etc) or if it could be a sign of disease/parasites?

The six loaches are all very active, frequently sparring, unafraid of their tankmates and not at all shy, and none of the other fish in the tank are showing any signs of disease or stress (rather the opposite as they are frequently scattering eggs).

Any ideas of what this could be?

Tank parameters are as follows:

pH - 6.8

Nitrates - 10ppm

Hardness - GH5

Nitrite - 0ppm

Ammonia - 0ppm

KH/Buffer - 6°d

Water Temperature - 25°C/77F

October 5, 2021

Oh, that is cool!

I have never heard of cave spawning bettas, but it does not sound too unprecedented. There are other cave spawning anabantoides after all, like some of the parosphromenus (licorice gouramis).

Make sure to keep us posted!

October 4, 2021

On 10/4/2021 at 1:11 AM, Odd Duck said:

Obscure gets a new meaning on this forum, doesn’t it? People that have bred fish I’ve never even heard of and I’ve been in fish for a long time with a better than average memory for scientific names. I’ve been surprised at how many species I’ve run across mentioned on this forum I hadn’t heard of elsewhere.

Oh absolutely!

On 10/4/2021 at 1:11 AM, Odd Duck said:

I’ve not really tried to purposely breed many species (other than B. splendens years ago (successful), and more recently the pea puffers (successful but in an accidental way, lol). I’ve bred plenty of others, but not in a deliberate, planned way, just gave them good conditions and whoops, there it is.

That is usually how it goes, is it not? Most of what I have bred has been deliberate, but pretty much allways in response to me seeing breeding behaviour in their display tanks.

On 10/4/2021 at 1:11 AM, Odd Duck said:

My current wish species is B. persephone but I’m looking for a tank raised breeding group but I’m afraid I may have to go for wild caught to find any at all. That isn’t really my goal, I want to push wild caught out of the hobby by providing tank bred fish, not encourage more to be pulled from the wild.

The persephones are some gorgeous-looking fish. As for the wild vs. tank raised, IMHO, it is all about context, but I am thinking 'What did you get done today?' might not be the best place for that discussion 😅

However, getting it established as a tank bred species in the hobby has to start with wilds at some point, and I think that is especially the case with a lot of the wild-type bettas. Being as 'new' and obscure as a lot of the species/strains are, I am afraid we might soon run into problems with the genetics should we pick the broodstock from tank raised individuals only.

On 10/4/2021 at 1:11 AM, Odd Duck said:

If you know or hear of anybody with tank bred individuals or pairs, let me know.

From your choice in meassurements I am guessing you are from the US? I am Norwegian myself, so I probably do not know anyone who could get them to you, but I will keep my eyes and ears open in case I come across some online in the US or with world-wide shipping.

If you were interested in tank raised Apiapis, however, you could try Taylor from Simply Betta on YT. I cannot guarantee that she is shipping, or is even willing to part with some, but I know she has a group that seems to have been breeding well for her.

October 3, 2021

@Odd Duck Haha. One would think so, right?

Unfortunately not, or at least not yet.

I was in the process of getting a group a while back, but by the time I had saved for the fish, tank and equipment they were sold out. So now I am waiting for the importer to get them in again, but it is taking its sweet time.

In the mean time I figured it was a good screen name. Just about obscure enough to not be previously taken on most fish forums.