Nothobranchius guentheri - an easy annual

[Fish Folk]

@Schuyler here is an excellent write up on N. eggersi. Looks like they will require a 3-4 month “dry season.”

 

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/5/2022 at 4:05 PM, Fish Folk said:

@Schuyler here is an excellent write up on N. eggersi. Looks like they will require a 3-4 month “dry season.”

 

5-6 months according to the article, and I've also read that some only hatch upon the second contact with water (which prevents wild populations from dying out if there's a short wet spell which soon dries up).

[Fish Folk]

On 11/5/2022 at 11:13 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

5-6 months according to the article, and I've also read that some only hatch upon the second contact with water (which prevents wild populations from dying out if there's a short wet spell which soon dries up).

Next paragraph down clarifies: 3-4 months.

Yes, double-wetting is often necessary.

[Schuyler]

On 11/5/2022 at 7:32 AM, Fish Folk said:

@Schuyler I buy pure Sphagnum peat moss with no additives in bulk… 

I've also seen people online use coconut fiber. Have you tried any other medium?

[Fish Folk]

On 11/5/2022 at 12:32 PM, Schuyler said:

I've also seen people online use coconut fiber. Have you tried any other medium?

Yes! Coconut fiber works very well too. I’ve broken this into pieces, boiled, and successfully used…

One upside of using peat moss is that it lowers pH. Once pH drops down below about 6.4, Ammonia converts to Ammonium. Slightly less toxic on fry.

Edited November 5, 2022 by Fish Folk

[Schuyler]

On 11/5/2022 at 8:05 AM, Fish Folk said:

@Schuyler here is an excellent write up on N. eggersi. Looks like they will require a 3-4 month “dry season.”

 

After reading that I think I made the rookie mistake of seeing a cool fish and assuming it's the same because it has the same genus... Oh well, worst case scenario it dies in six months without breeding and I get to try again with something else 

I have some questions 

1) Is there an obvious was of telling if they actually mated vs her just getting pinned?

2) Do you have any suggestions for getting her food?  With him constantly pestering her she spends most of her time hiding. I'm worried she isn't getting food 

 

[Fish Folk]

On 11/5/2022 at 9:38 PM, Schuyler said:

After reading that I think I made the rookie mistake of seeing a cool fish and assuming it's the same because it has the same genus... Oh well, worst case scenario it dies in six months without breeding and I get to try again with something else 

I have some questions 

1) Is there an obvious was of telling if they actually mated vs her just getting pinned?

2) Do you have any suggestions for getting her food?  With him constantly pestering her she spends most of her time hiding. I'm worried she isn't getting food 

 

I am not sure that I understand what you mean by your “rookie mistake”??

If he is pinning her, he is spawning. Not sure if she will release eggs unless you have a soft spawning medium (e.g. peat moss). Fertilization occurs externally, as eggs are dropped.

I suggest you consider a divider, or some way to protect her. I’ve temporarily moved them into hang-on net breeder baskets. You need more females. Even the addition of another male will give him something other to do than pester her.

Annual killifish males have a relentless spawning urge. They only live for 6 months. Reproduction is virtually what they exist for.  

 

Edited November 6, 2022 by Fish Folk

[Schuyler]

Everyone I can find sells them as pairs.

How do you manage male to female ratios when you're breeding Killifish? It's that less of an issue when you have more?

[Fish Folk]

On 11/7/2022 at 1:08 PM, Schuyler said:

Everyone I can find sells them as pairs.

How do you manage male to female ratios when you're breeding Killifish? It's that less of an issue when you have more?

Killis may be compared to African Cichlids, or even some New World dwarf Cichlids. When there are a number of males, they spread out their aggression, and have their time divided between courting females and sparring with other males.

So, in a Killi colony tank setup, having a few males with more than that many males ensures some degree of division between their activities. Females will fall apart more quickly than males. They will require time to recover.

A 10 gallon tank with 3 males and 5 females is a fine ratio.

An alternative setup is a full colony with many more than this. Males will spawn when females are ready. Just leave enough hiding places for females to escape into. For this reason, I like the planted tank. Here was my first annual setup:

I put a trio in there. The kills kept their spawning pretty dialed into the coconut fiber filled container. Plant cover, etc gave females a break from the male.

 

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/7/2022 at 9:40 PM, Simon Buys said:

Sorry these fish are used for research at a university and are not for sale. They are also not guentheri but furzeri. Hopefully someone local to you can provider you with some eggs.

Ok. Thanks anyway!

[Schuyler]

On another site I had someone suggest to put a spawning mop in the bowl. That way when you collect the eggs you can easily find and count the eggs before packing them in coco coir or peat moss to incubate.

Have you ever seen or tried this?

[Schuyler]

On 11/7/2022 at 12:40 PM, Simon Buys said:

Sorry these fish are used for research at a university and are not for sale. They are also not guentheri but furzeri. Hopefully someone local to you can provider you with some eggs.

Do you have a standardized process for breeding and raising them for research? If so, is that something you would be able to share?

I'm curious how the research begging process compares to hobbyists like us. A lot of what I'm finding in the hobby feels super anecdotal.