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Fundulopanchax sjostedti (Blue Gularis)


Fish Folk
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I have decided to dedicate a 40 breeder to the beautiful and largest-sized member of the west African Fundulopanchax, Blue Gularis (Fundulopanchax sjostedti)

They can grow up to 6-7 inches long, much larger than normal killis.

Here are three male "super models" from the species in vastly different lighting...

578780151_Screenshot2022-11-25at11_06_14PM.png.c387b66b93cd2a92f376a53f041d97ce.png

 

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They're a substrate spawner. Eggs require an incubation period that can take 6 - 12 weeks. Some breeders store eggs in peat . . . others in water with methylene blue.

I am working on several sources for my starting brooders. This will be a slow process. I'll keep this thread unfolding going forward.

Edited by Fish Folk
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They are a stunning fish! I'm glad to see orhers working with them. Please be aware that males can be aggressive towards one another. I wouldn't recommend more than one male in a tank. And don't mix different stains or localities. I would highly recommend joining the American Killifish Association if you're interested in killifish. Their website is full of great information. Have you worked with killifish in the past?

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On 11/26/2022 at 12:04 PM, TxFish said:

They are a stunning fish! I'm glad to see orhers working with them. Please be aware that males can be aggressive towards one another. I wouldn't recommend more than one male in a tank. And don't mix different stains or localities. I would highly recommend joining the American Killifish Association if you're interested in killifish. Their website is full of great information. Have you worked with killifish in the past?

Yes. I’m still quite new. I have bred: F. Scheeli, N. guentheri. N. rachovii. I’m connected with MAKO.

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Glad to see you finally here, @TxFish!

@Fish Folk, he recently did a talk for the local aquarium association and had to deal with some people that had less than stellar listening capabilities.  One asked more than once about creating their own strains and hybrids.  After he talked about why it’s frowned on at least 3 times before they asked.  🤦🏻‍♀️ 

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On 11/26/2022 at 3:40 PM, Odd Duck said:

Glad to see you finally here, @TxFish!

@Fish Folk, he recently did a talk for the local aquarium association and had to deal with some people that had less than stellar listening capabilities.  One asked more than once about creating their own strains and hybrids.  After he talked about why it’s frowned on at least 3 times before they asked.  🤦🏻‍♀️ 

Welcome aboard @TxFish . Education in the hobby is always a recurring need. But a good Fish Club sure is a great place to connect, share knowledge, etc. A fellow PVAS member met us in DC today to buy some of our Precious Metals Guppies, and F1 Mountain Redbelly Dace. It was really satisfying to hand these home-bred fish off to an aquarist with lots of solid experience!

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Import / Export law in Canada 🇨🇦 is strict. I’d love to learn how to ship across the border safely and effectively, but so far no legal way has worked out.

There’s bound to be Killifish societies in Canada though. Killi people are very warm and friendly, in my experience. Maybe reach out to Jim Cumming or Chris Biggs. They’d know where to point you. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I pulled the trigger and ordered a single pair of Blue Gularis this eve. Not cheap. They'll come in quite young -- 8 weeks old only. This will be a waiting game.

But I have reset my 40 gal breeder. On the right side, I'll be continuing to work with Fundulopanchax Scheeli (emerald killifish). On the left side, I'll look forward to trying out Fundulopanchax sjodtedti (blue gularis)...

 

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On 11/28/2022 at 10:45 AM, Fish Folk said:

Killi people are very warm and friendly, in my experience. 

This has been my experience too. I think it's 75% excitement any the fish and 25% wanting more people breeding then in the area so that they can have another source of fish if they need them

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Anticipating young pair of Blue Gularis arriving by mail this week. Pair will be only about 2-months old. This will be a patience-game.

I plan on keeping up a regular course of high protein diet: (1) Baby brine shrimp, (2) Frozen Daphnia, (3) Frozen Brine and Spirulina Brine shrimp, (4) Occassional frozen Blood Worms — chopped. Additionally, small water changes weekly (15%), and regular “tea-bagging” with Rooibos tea for tint and (in my opinion) minor calming properties.

I’ll be making new Spawning mops — though it may be 3-months or more until  they are really breeding. Once they begin spawning, I’ll check the mop weekly for eggs, remove what I find over the course of two weeks into a baggie of lightly damp peat moss. These will stay to dry then for 8-weeks before being “wet” for hatching.

I’ll hatch in floating flow-through fry trays… maybe some in jugs. Clean, tannin-rich, low pH water for fry is my goal. I’m told F. sjostedti fry can take BBS almost immediately. But I’ll have vinegar eels ready just in case they need a hold-over food source for the first week.

I have two 5.5 gal. aquariums to grow out fry in for awhile. I may also sell off my Lucania goodei (Bluefin Killifish) and free up another 10-gal, because I’m also going to be working with F. scheeli, N. guentheri, and N. rachovii biera 98s starting in February, 2023.

It may be that I’ll find someone interested in my Xenotoca doadrioi colony to free up another 20-long too.

At this time, I really prefer to breed Killis  more than Bettas, though I admit an attachment to various Betta species.

These are the banner fish for the American Killifish Association (AKA). Here’s a few more shots of Blue Gularis (Fundulopanchax sjostedti). They can really vary in color form…

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Genetics, lighting, feeding, water conditions, and planted environments  all play a part in bringing out certain colorations.

 

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On 12/15/2022 at 1:03 AM, TheSwissAquarist said:

He’s so pink! Are you sure you got the right species?

Yes! There is quite a wide range of color forms with these. He was quite pale from shipping and acclimation. I also think that as he matures, grows, and adjusts to a new diet, he will darken up.

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