# My Killies had a baby!



## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

I spotted a teeny baby in my killifish tank. I don't know if there are more, it's a very heavily planted tank. (The whole tank looks like a live spawning mop.)

Does anybody know what I should feed this tiny little fish? I gave it a dropper of tubifex worms (thawed), as tubifex are so tiny that they produce a greyish cloud. Bloodworms for the parents.

These killies are Aphyosemion primigenium (88-10), which are quite a small fish, perhaps about the size of a fully grown female guppy.


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## pinkjell (Apr 22, 2010)

awww, thats awesome! congrats!!!!


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## kemi (Apr 26, 2010)

congrats!
I'm sure you'll find lots and lots in there  I found some in my tank last week, and I still spot tiny ones, meaning freshly hatched vs. already almost 1.5 cm long. They grow fast. I'm honest, I did not provide special food for them, but I make sure there's a bit of leftover pallets on the ground and I watched them nibble on it. Tiny fish, huge mouths


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

"Tiny fish, huge mouths" -- lol, just like their parents!


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## cpool (Apr 30, 2010)

Crushed flake is all I give my killie babies and they do great, if there is one, there will be many more in my experience  They do grow really fast, and that type is really nice. If you end up with a pair from the spawn, PM me and we can trade killies, I have several different kinds right now some great ones with babies also!


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you, CPool! What a great offer!


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## Atom (Apr 21, 2010)

Congrats. Hope you have baby pictures


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## crazy72 (Apr 22, 2010)

Hey congrats, Maureen! Yes, please post pics!

As mentioned in another thread, Hikari First Bites does the job.

Keep us posted.


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## Ursus sapien (Apr 21, 2010)

Also, the fact that it is heavily planted most likely means there are numerous microorganisms. If there is also wood, hardwood leaves, mosses and/or riccia it's become a full blown fry-food factory. 
I also like frozen rotifers (thawed, of course and microworms.


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## kemi (Apr 26, 2010)

Ursus sapien said:


> Also, the fact that it is heavily planted most likely means there are numerous microorganisms. If there is also wood, hardwood leaves, mosses and/or riccia it's become a full blown fry-food factory.
> I also like frozen rotifers (thawed, of course and microworms.


that's exactly what my tank is like and I assumed from the first post that Morainy's is the same


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you for your information and congratulations, everyone. My photography skills aren't quite up to taking pics of one microscopic baby in a planted tank but once it's big enough to capture on film (or if there are others) I will try!

The tank does have wood & such, but no hardwood leaves. I haven't even heard of hardwood leaves! And, who knew that rotifers could be frozen? I do learn a lot here at BCA! Thanks!



Ursus sapien said:


> Also, the fact that it is heavily planted most likely means there are numerous microorganisms. If there is also wood, hardwood leaves, mosses and/or riccia it's become a full blown fry-food factory.
> I also like frozen rotifers (thawed, of course and microworms.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Kemi, what kind of killies do you have?



kemi said:


> congrats!
> I'm sure you'll find lots and lots in there  I found some in my tank last week, and I still spot tiny ones, meaning freshly hatched vs. already almost 1.5 cm long. They grow fast. I'm honest, I did not provide special food for them, but I make sure there's a bit of leftover pallets on the ground and I watched them nibble on it. Tiny fish, huge mouths


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## kemi (Apr 26, 2010)

I got Fundulopanchax Gardneri Mamfensis Ossing, let me know if you want some, I'm sure we can work something out.
I have some pics of the fry on here somewhere, I should update it with pics of the 'potential' parents


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## Scholz (Apr 21, 2010)

well congrats!

How is the little guy doing? 

I've got fry foods if you need them...

Scholz


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## CRS Fan (Apr 21, 2010)

Hello Maureen.

I would suggest frozen baby brine shrimp and/or Hikari First Bites. I have never bred killies but with such a fast growth rate, I would assume a high protein diet is in order. I also have some .5 mm NLS pellets you are welcome to use. I usually crush mine to feed the smaller mouths in my tanks.

Best Regards,

Stuart


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

Thank you, Kemi, Scholz, Stuart. I almost missed your posts. Kemi, I looked up your fish and they look very similar to mine, but the name is completely different. I wonder if they could be kept in the same tank? I am really enjoying the killies! 

Scholz, I really must get started on one of your worm cultures. Sometimes my killies look at me so hopefully, I know they're anticipating something that hasn't been pulled from the freezer. I think that killies may be the only fish that can eat all day long and not be overfed. 

Stuart, thank you for the offer of food but I have some baby food! The only thing is, when I put food in the tank the baby (or babies, I'm not really sure how many, but there's usually one at the front, watching me) gets a bit skittish and hides. I have no idea if he eats or not. I wonder why he hides. Does he think that the parents might mistake him for a bloodworm? Maybe he is right. 

I have been continuing water changes as usual but am uncertain whether this is the right thing to do. Can babies handle the water changes? (They're a bit tricky because I raise the gH, so the tank ends up clouded with Equilibrium mineral salts for awhile and I'm not really sure how the fish feel about that)


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## Scholz (Apr 21, 2010)

Your killi's are tough.... Not a good idea to keep different killifish in the same tank they may interbreed... a big no no in the killi world. The interbreeds ussually produce mule fish... fish that can't breed.... 

Killifish can pound back 20 whiteworms each a day at peak breeding time.... 

Most killifish breeders keep the kh and the gh low... like super low... some people even use rainwater... some salt is a good idea.... very little though 1 tsp per gallon helps fight off velvet.


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## Morainy (Apr 21, 2010)

What!!??? Really?????!!!!

I have been adding Seachem Equilibrium, quite a lot, to raise the gH to the same value that the store's tank has. Ten drops of reagant.

But, you think that these fish really don't need any gH/kH at all? They like rainwater? But! What have I been doing???

Maybe different killifish like different conditions? I've been back to the place where I got them twice to talk about their needs and to check about the Equilibrium.

It would be so much easier for me to give them soft water, but I don't want to put them into shock and kill them. On the other hand, maybe the Equilibrium is poisoning them?

Now I feel very worried about these poor killies. And, twenty whiteworms a day -- that is a lot! I've been feeding my adults bloodworms and Hikari micro pellets (which aren't very micro, but they absolutely love them, or maybe they're just starving). They seem to be in peak breeding condition all the time. So, maybe I should be feeding them more?

I have been looking around for a good book about killifish, do you happen to have one? (I ask because I know that you're interested in killies)

Okay, I won't put different killies in the same tank. I didn't know that they could interbreed. These are Aphyosemion primigenium 88-10.

I've heard conflicting info about the temperature to keep them at, too, so I've got them at about 23 degrees. Do you think that's warm enough? Too warm? Some people told me to keep them at room temperature and others said to keep them at 27 degrees.

I'm just about to start a brine shrimp culture for the babies. If I can hatch the brine shrimp, then I'll be ready for white worms!



Scholz said:


> Your killi's are tough.... Not a good idea to keep different killifish in the same tank they may interbreed... a big no no in the killi world. The interbreeds ussually produce mule fish... fish that can't breed....
> 
> Killifish can pound back 20 whiteworms each a day at peak breeding time....
> 
> Most killifish breeders keep the kh and the gh low... like super low... some people even use rainwater... some salt is a good idea.... very little though 1 tsp per gallon helps fight off velvet.


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## Scholz (Apr 21, 2010)

Didn't mean to cause panic! 23c is perfect! They prefer moderately soft water... I'd just slowy change the hardness to what is easyest ... 5 to 8 degress hardness is recommened... as you are around 10 degress they are probably fine. Most killifish can handle alot of different water conditions.... Like living in a elephant foot print that filled with water after a rain storm.... You are probably feeding your killifish just fine. Don't change that if they seem happy and are spawning then they are happy. There are alot of great websites out there for killifish breeders and fans. I'll put togeather a list and added it to the 2.5 gallon tank journal when I get it started up again. Brine shrimp are a perfect food for the babbies..... they swim where they do... 

Don't change anything if your fish are breeding they are fine and happy....

Didn't mean to cause panic sorry!!! You are doing great!

Scholz


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