Fish Folk Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 (edited) Hey hey ya NERMs!! Wanted to encourage some folks interested in breeding to consider Nothobranchius guentheri. African annuals, they only live for 6-12 months. Once mature, they breed every morning, depositing eggs in a small prepared container with peat moss or coconut fiber. That soil is collected every 3 weeks, dried, and then saved in a ziplock bag for a short “dry season” of 8-weeks. Then it is added to a small container of tank water, and voilà! instant fry! They’re excellent for small aquariums — 5.5 gal. is great. Here is a quick look at seven males I hatched and raised over the last 1.5 months… They’re about 2/3 the size of a young Scarlet Badis. Max size is about that of a young female Betta splendens. These are a great “gateway killi” to other annuals. I also keep and breed Nothobranchius rachovii biera 98… They are more of a patience game. Eggs take ca. 6-months to dry before they can be wet for hatching. You can check your eggs periodically while they’re drying to observe them “eyeing up.” Look closely here, and you’ll be able to make out the two 👁 of fry in eggs… I’ve been keeping a rambling journal here on the forum of my Nothos fascination… Edited November 2, 2022 by Fish Folk 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 On 11/2/2022 at 1:26 PM, Fish Folk said: Hey hey ya NERMs!! Wanted to encourage some folks interested in breeding to consider Nothobranchius guentheri. African annuals, they only live for 6-12 months. Once mature, they breed every morning, depositing eggs in a small prepared container with peat moss or coconut fiber. That soil is collected every 3 weeks, dried, and then saved in a ziplock bag for a short “dry season” of 8-weeks. Then it is added to a small container of tank water, and voilà! instant fry! They’re excellent for small aquariums — 5.5 gal. is great. Here is a quick look at seven males I hatched and raised over the last 1.5 months… They’re about 2/3 the size of a young Scarlet Badis. Max size is about that of a young female Betta splendens. These are a great “gateway killi” to other annuals. I also keep and breed Nothobranchius rachovii biera 98… They are more of a patience game. Eggs take ca. 6-months to dry before they can be wet for hatching. You can check your eggs periodically while they’re drying to observe them “eyeing up.” Look closely here, and you’ll be able to make out the two 👁 of fry in eggs… I’ve been keeping a rambling journal here on the forum of my Nothos fascination… I've always wanted to keep annuals, but I'm too scared to buy them at my LFS because who knows how long they have been at the wholesalers for... maybe buying some eggs??? Also the fact that they're annuals just makes it a bit sad when they die each year... but the colours are amazing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 What kind of tank would they need? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottieB Posted November 2, 2022 Share Posted November 2, 2022 This a great thread and a nice write up. I just went through your Journal and found the AB breeder you mentioned. Gonna give some eggs a try so thank you for the info! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted November 2, 2022 Author Share Posted November 2, 2022 On 11/2/2022 at 11:49 AM, TheSwissAquarist said: What kind of tank would they need? Small. 5 or 10 gal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 On 11/2/2022 at 7:42 PM, Fish Folk said: Small. 5 or 10 gal 🎶Christmas is calling🎶 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted November 3, 2022 Author Share Posted November 3, 2022 On 11/2/2022 at 11:22 AM, TheSwissAquarist said: I've always wanted to keep annuals, but I'm too scared to buy them at my LFS because who knows how long they have been at the wholesalers for... maybe buying some eggs??? Also the fact that they're annuals just makes it a bit sad when they die each year... but the colours are amazing! Dutch Killi breeders are world-renowned for selling eggs for hatching. I’m not sure what customs would be like for you, but my guess is that they’d be much easier to acquire in Switzerland than in USA. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schuyler Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 On 11/2/2022 at 5:26 AM, Fish Folk said: Once mature, they breed every morning, Every morning?! Aww man... Now I'm tempted to get some for my tank! I had just talked myself out of it because it the whole 6-16 month lifespan but they look so cool! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted November 3, 2022 Share Posted November 3, 2022 On 11/3/2022 at 12:28 PM, Fish Folk said: I’m not sure what customs would be like for you I tried importing some rainbowfish (rarer variety) from the Netherlands; customs scared me off quite a bit. Waiting time would have also killed the fish, but eggs could be an idea! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted November 4, 2022 Share Posted November 4, 2022 On 11/3/2022 at 12:28 PM, Fish Folk said: Dutch Killi breeders are world-renowned for selling eggs for hatching. I’m not sure what customs would be like for you, but my guess is that they’d be much easier to acquire in Switzerland than in USA. Do you have any names for me to go on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schuyler Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 Alright, you convinced me! They had a pair of Eggersi at my LFS and I decided get them. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted November 5, 2022 Author Share Posted November 5, 2022 (edited) On 11/4/2022 at 8:18 PM, Schuyler said: Alright, you convinced me! They had a pair of Eggersi at my LFS and I decided get them. Beautiful!!!! Are you in USA? Or is home elsewhere? Edited November 5, 2022 by Fish Folk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schuyler Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 On 11/4/2022 at 5:50 PM, Fish Folk said: Beautiful!!!! Are you in USA? Or is home elsewhere? I'm in the USA (Seattle is the closest city people know tend to know) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted November 5, 2022 Author Share Posted November 5, 2022 On 11/4/2022 at 9:40 PM, Schuyler said: I'm in the USA (Seattle is the closest city people know tend to know) Nice! Hope you can get yours spawning. Glad to compare notes any time. Feel free to message me if you’d like to know what I’m learning. I do keep most everything open-book journal here. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schuyler Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 On 11/4/2022 at 7:01 PM, Fish Folk said: Nice! Hope you can get yours spawning. Glad to compare notes any time. Feel free to message me if you’d like to know what I’m learning. I do keep most everything open-book journal here. I'm optimistic. I know he's interested in spawning that's basically all he's been trying to do since getting in the tank. She on the other hand, does not seem interested and has spend the whole time trying to hide from him. I think my first step in breeding then will be to find her some backup... The LFS only had the one pair. I'm definitely going to check out your notes. Hopefully the two species should be similar enough. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted November 5, 2022 Author Share Posted November 5, 2022 (edited) On 11/4/2022 at 10:09 PM, Schuyler said: I'm optimistic. I know he's interested in spawning that's basically all he's been trying to do since getting in the tank. She on the other hand, does not seem interested and has spend the whole time trying to hide from him. I think my first step in breeding then will be to find her some backup... The LFS only had the one pair. I'm definitely going to check out your notes. Hopefully the two species should be similar enough. She needs to be ready. Once well-fed, developing roe, she’ll probably spawn every morning. Adding another trio will get multiple females on the job, and keep males distracted chasing each other around the tank so females can breathe. Because… yes… that’s ALL these males will think about. Edited November 5, 2022 by Fish Folk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schuyler Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 On 11/4/2022 at 7:15 PM, Fish Folk said: She needs to be ready. Once well-fed, developing roe, she’ll probably spawn every morning. Adding another trio will get multiple females on the job, and keep males distracted chasing each other around the tank so females can breathe. Because… yes… that’s ALL these males will think about. Yeah that's what I was trying to say when I said I was going to find her some backup. Hopefully I can get my LFS to order two more females. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 On 11/5/2022 at 1:18 AM, Schuyler said: Alright, you convinced me! They had a pair of Eggersi at my LFS and I decided get them. That was quick @Schuyler! Right, you've convinced me. I'll get some eggs from a breeder.😁 Are those in your non-nano tank @Schuyler?? If so: Great Choice! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grin Ghost Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 On 11/3/2022 at 4:02 PM, TheSwissAquarist said: I tried importing some rainbowfish (rarer variety) from the Netherlands; customs scared me off quite a bit. Waiting time would have also killed the fish, but eggs could be an idea! With the eggs this should not be a problem. The eggs van survive for a few years when they are in diapauze. A colleague of mine recently flew with some eggs from Belgium to Norway, so should not be a problem to survive the flight. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 On 11/5/2022 at 11:20 AM, Simon Buys said: With the eggs this should not be a problem. The eggs van survive for a few years when they are in diapauze. A colleague of mine recently flew with some eggs from Belgium to Norway, so should not be a problem to survive the flight. Would he be willing to ship some to me??? I really appreciate your help! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schuyler Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 On 11/5/2022 at 12:41 AM, TheSwissAquarist said: That was quick @Schuyler! Right, you've convinced me. I'll get some eggs from a breeder.😁 Are those in your non-nano tank @Schuyler?? If so: Great Choice! They're in my big tank. I'm using my nano tank for raising shrimplets and some pygmy cory fry. I guess if I were really serious about breeding and collecting eggs it would be better to keep them in a smaller space but I only have the two tanks for now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted November 5, 2022 Author Share Posted November 5, 2022 @Schuyler I buy pure Sphagnum peat moss with no additives in bulk… I boil a handful in a hot pot… I pull out the sticks, twigs, etc, and then put into a small spawning container. This glass one is excellent… You can hide this in your scape someplace. Replace the peat every 3x weeks. Dry it out, and ziplock bag for 8 weeks. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 On 11/5/2022 at 3:32 PM, Fish Folk said: ziplock bag for 8 weeks. Refrigerate the bag at all?? On 11/5/2022 at 3:32 PM, Fish Folk said: I pull out the sticks, twigs, etc, and then put into a small spawning container. This glass one is excellent… Putting the spawning media in a glass container is a superb idea! I have a friend who covered the entire bottom of a 8 gal tank with spawning mops in the hope to breed white clouds 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fish Folk Posted November 5, 2022 Author Share Posted November 5, 2022 On 11/5/2022 at 10:45 AM, TheSwissAquarist said: Refrigerate the bag at all?? No. Just zip-locked, room temp. Some Killi keepers put i side styros for regulation. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheSwissAquarist Posted November 5, 2022 Share Posted November 5, 2022 On 11/5/2022 at 4:01 PM, Fish Folk said: No. Just zip-locked, room temp. Some Killi keepers put i side styros for regulation. Thanks! I'm just waiting to see if anything cool crops up...rather buy eggs than adults:you never know where they've been🙃 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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