# Killifish



## Luisjose (Nov 9, 2007)

Hi,
does anyone know how easy it is to rear Killifish??
any good source from where to obtain them??
thanks,
JL


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

Aquabid is probably the best place to obtain fish and eggs.

Depending on which species you buy will depend on how easy they are to rear! Fundulopanchax gardneri are probably the easiest as they will take BBS straight away and don't need any special water conditions IME. Pretty easy to get them spawning to when they mature. Others are easy too, it just depends which you like the look of. Have a look on Aquabid at what's available then look at Tim Addis's site to see what they look like and get the info on them.

aquabid.com

Killifish from West Africa


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## icex (Feb 7, 2008)

I have saw killifish eggs on ebay for pretty cheap.. might want to check there.. but aquabid is were I would get them from.


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## yum (Feb 11, 2008)

i've been researching killis for a bit lately. from what i have read, the eggs you buy are generally annuals. which means they live in an environment where their water supply dries up and the fish die. the eggs survive the dry out and are "triggered" to hatch when the waters come back. so the eggs are really hearty. the down side is that annuals live for about a year. the plus side is they spawn EVERY DAY! wow! talk about a healthy $3X drive.  this involves putting in spawning mops or peat for the fish to lay eggs, then removing it, then to get the eggs to hatch you have to remove them, dry them out, then get them wet to trigger the hatching.

the ones that appeal to me are the non-annuals. these fish live in areas that don't dry out and can live longer 5+ years. no special dry out period etc. the gardneri is one favorite type and is recommended as a beginner killi. supposedly it's a very hardy fish as well and the color and fin shapes are incredibly varied.

i originally wanted to go this route then to encourage the GF i let her pick some fish and she picked fancy guppies. meh. i will have to probably put killies on the back burner for now.


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## Jerroldw91 (Mar 17, 2008)

I am actually debating whether to start up with killifish. You can get 75 eggs or so for around $10 off aquabid, so they are expendable. I am just affraid that i will do it all wrong, or they will die fast.


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## ed seeley (Dec 1, 2006)

Jerroldw91 said:


> I am actually debating whether to start up with killifish. You can get 75 eggs or so for around $10 off aquabid, so they are expendable. I am just affraid that i will do it all wrong, or they will die fast.


No fish should be considered expendable. More to the point killi fry will be small and vulnerable fry after they hatch and will need good water conditions and regular feeds.

Yum,
You can buy both annual and non-annual eggs. The non-annual species, IMO, are the best choice for a planted tank for the reasons you have listed. Just look on Aquabid and pick out the non-annual species listed.


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## Jerroldw91 (Mar 17, 2008)

What i meant by "expendable" is if some of the eggs dont hatch your not going to go insane and quit the hobby because there are plenty there to work with. 

They look like interesting fish though. I did some research about them last night and i learned that killifish are finicky fish. Some like to live in groups, others are mean, and it all depends on the fish not the species.


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## dawntwister (Sep 29, 2007)

In googling for info on killifish I found a pair of killifish offered for the price of shipping at this site - http://www.thefishwizards.com/html/fish4sale.htm. The requirement for this offer is to join AKA (American Killifish Association) - www.aka.org. Shipping for me to Georgia, USA is $9.95. I also bought a microworm culture from him for $2.00. I Haven't recieved them yet so comment on the quality of the pair.

I am hopping to breed them to trade for aquarium items at a LFS. Only found one, which is 20 miles from me, which will trade with me.

Most of the killifish at eBay are annual fish. They only live for a year. Aphyosemion killifish and Fundulopanchax are non-annuals that are good for beginners, according to the AKA.


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## cholly (Jun 12, 2007)

I've got a pair of aphyosemion australe (the male is in my avatar pic) and a pair of nothobranchius guentheri in my 15 gallon, along with some pseudomogil gertrudae blue-eyes. The australes breed pretty much constantly. Quite often the eggs escape predation and I end up with fry, some of which have grown to sexable size with no special effort to raise them or keep them safe from their parents or the other fish in the tank.

I think you'll find them easy to breed, yes


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## BruceWatts (Mar 1, 2008)

Aphyosemion australe is my personal favorite and I have bred many species of killies. The males are very active and stay out in the open displaying for the females. They are easy to breed and they come in various color strains that have been bred in the aquarium. Colors include orange, red, gold and the original wild color of chocolate.
A. australe has the common name of Lyretail killifish and the tailfin is very atractive. All and all the best killie for the planted tank IMHO. 

Bruce


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## Minsc (May 7, 2006)

Are the australes as bottom dwelling species? I saw two varieties at my LFS, and 90% were sitting on the bottom. It is possible they had just arrived and were stressed...

They looked great, but I am looking for a species for my 15 that will be out and about the midlevel to the top.


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## cholly (Jun 12, 2007)

Minsc said:


> Are the australes as bottom dwelling species? I saw two varieties at my LFS, and 90% were sitting on the bottom. It is possible they had just arrived and were stressed...
> 
> They looked great, but I am looking for a species for my 15 that will be out and about the midlevel to the top.


They aren't the most energetic of fish and tend to be very deliberate swimmers, but they'll be all over the tank as the mood strikes them.


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## lampeye (Oct 29, 2007)

For my money, the best killie for planted tanks is _Aplocheilichthys normani_ - Norman's lampeye. A school is nothing short of stunning.


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