Clown killie, Pseudepiplatys annulatus

**Justikanz** · 5th Jan 2006, 01:49

Hey guys, saw a batch of these cute fellas at Feng Yun @Chinatown.

Frankly, the shop is worth a visit. But it's the fish I wanna show now.

Will try to get better pics another day. Have problems loading them...

Settling them in my shrimp tank...

A male:

A female:

**cs_sg** · 5th Jan 2006, 02:36

They're really cool killies, Justikanz.
I got some from Ben (Tiong Bahru) last week!
What shrimps you have in there with your killies?
Won't your killies go after your shrimplets (if there's any)?

**benny** · 5th Jan 2006, 02:47

See my avatar!!!

By the way, they are also know as rocket panchax. Goes by the scientific name of Epiplatys (Pseudepiplatys) annulatus. RonWill has spawned them successfully. Do check out Ronnie's discussion at www.killies.com too.

Cheers,

**Justikanz** · 5th Jan 2006, 11:11

Chyrl, the uncle at teh LFS says it is ok... Anyway, he had them in a shrimp tank too... My shrimp tank has cherries and some unknown shrimps, presumably the blues. I think the red-noses are still alive...

Yes, Benny, your avatar sought of stirred the interest in these cute and not that commonly seen fish.

Btw, they dun grow too big, do they?

The biggest of the group I bought is now a little less than 1" long...

**Fei Miao** · 5th Jan 2006, 11:58

Are these difficult to keep?Lifespan? What are the requirements?

**Justikanz** · 5th Jan 2006, 12:04

Uncle says they will live for 2 years... He kept them at a low pH moss tank... think pH~5.5...

I just hope mine will survive past CNY...

*Cross fingers and pray hard!*...

**cs_sg** · 5th Jan 2006, 15:10

Originally Posted by Justikanz

Uncle says they will live for 2 years... He kept them at a low pH moss tank... think pH~5.5...

I just hope mine will survive past CNY...

*Cross fingers and pray hard!*...

Benny.... thanks for the link.
Good reading there...but need to digest first..

Justikanz Survive past CNY???? Its just less than a month from now!
Haha... you mean the life expectancy of your killies are that short?

I had my last clown killies for about a year before they went 'missing'.

Got to read more on killies.com, Justikanz. Or you can read and simplify the 'cheem-alogy on that site.

**Justikanz** · 5th Jan 2006, 15:23

I was just being sceptical... Never tried them before and so was hoping I dun kill them off so soon!

Uncle who sold me the fish say theu should be able to live for 2 years. So, you were pretty good.

**benny** · 5th Jan 2006, 15:28

Some killifishes are annual species which means their life expectancy is only a year. Others are non annual, meaning that they live much longer. Clown Killifish belongs to the second, but having said that, maximum life expectancy seems to be 3 years.

Cheers,

**cs_sg** · 5th Jan 2006, 15:28

Originally Posted by Justikanz

I was just being sceptical... Never tried them before and so was hoping I dun kill them off so soon!

Uncle who sold me the fish say theu should be able to live for 2 years. So, you were pretty good.

Ok... they won't die so easily one la... more like they are 'jumpers' if you startle them..I saw floating plants in your tank, so they will like yours more than mine! I removed all frogbits (due to NO3 deficiency shown on Blyxa) but hopefully the vals made up for it.

I have them with my juvi angels now. These fellas fight for food with the bigger guys during feeding time

Choy said they'll get to 2.5"!!

Why don't we measure our smallest killie now, and compare the sizes like every month? Sounds fun?

**GaspingGurami** · 5th Jan 2006, 15:34

They can jump. Mine mostly became crispies on the floor. Nice colouration on the tail of yours, Justikanz. Mine were housed with cherries. Never noticed them eating the shrimplets.

How I wish to get some from Benny's avatar's strain. Monrovia is it?

**Justikanz** · 5th Jan 2006, 15:36

Benny's avatar's tail not the same meh?

I better make sure I check the surrounding area when i got home later...

I had previously removed quite a bit of hornwort and frogbits...

**cs_sg** · 5th Jan 2006, 15:52

Originally Posted by Justikanz

Benny's avatar's tail not the same meh?

I better make sure I check the surrounding area when i got home later...

I had previously removed quite a bit of hornwort and frogbits...

yeah, They do JUMP!
I count mine (6 of them as of today) every time I walk past the tank

. You counted yours yet?

**Justikanz** · 5th Jan 2006, 16:03

Haha... Oh dear... I will count when I reached home... And maybe transfer some frogbits from my tank!...

**stormhawk** · 8th Jan 2006, 23:43

Clown killies will usually leave shrimplets alone. As far as I know, they're just about the only "shrimp-safe" killie. That said, I disclaim any responsibility should your clown killies take pot shots at your shrimplets.

With regards to Benny's avatar, those are aquarium strain and not of the Monrovia population.

As for their captive care, ensure the water is on the acidic side. Do NOT attempt to move them around too much. Stress is a major killer in this species and most stocks at the LFSes do not survive long if they were kept in wrong conditions back in the store. I bought 10 from a store some time back and all died despite my best efforts at acclimatising and ensuring a stress-free environment.

They are expert jumpers and if you don't want to find crispies the next morning, please cover your tanks. These guys are surface feeders but they relish meals of live daphnia, tubifex, BBS and on occasions, flake food is taken. Ants, flies or any small insects are also taken.

They are not meant for beginner fishkeepers due to their fragility of sorts but given proper care and feeding, you will be rewarded by the beauty of the males. Their sparring methods will enthrall most people especially when the fins are fully extended. With regards to fry care, they'll pop out every now and then but they are daaammnnn small to start with. Only infusorians are taken in the first few days of their lives. Once they're big enough to handle BBS or daphnia, the worst part is over.

Chryl, "cheem-a-logy" works for some, but not for all I suppose. There's a treasure trove of killie-related info on the threads over at killies.com but like you said, you have to somehow understand the whole deal.

**Justikanz** · 9th Jan 2006, 00:09

They take bloodworms with gutso! Really wonder whether they will take shrimplets now...

That said, given their love for low pH and a tank cover, they might not last THAT long in the shrimp tank...

Would adding Kepatang leaves to the tank help in any way?

**stormhawk** · 9th Jan 2006, 00:40

If your tank has alot of plant cover like thick mossy growths or ferns, the shrimplets will survive most of the time. Clown killies tend to congregate in the middle to the upper water levels and they like to stay just beneath the surface layer amongst floating plant roots.

Ketapang leaves will certainly help them alot. Don't worry about the pH too much. Once they settle in, you won't have much problems with them. Just ensure that you monitor them regular because some might die off during the initial period of settling in. Good luck with them.

**cs_sg** · 9th Jan 2006, 01:16

Justikanz,
My 5 out of 6 clown killies died this morning. All floating up....
Its the same tank which I had planted those crypts.
I moved the remaining one, which is now alone in 15gallon.

Also a few dead Malayan shrimps from the same tank.

**Justikanz** · 9th Jan 2006, 01:18

Oh dear, Chyrl... That crypt seem to had caused a lot of damage...

**stormhawk** · 9th Jan 2006, 03:37

I doubt the crypts had anything to do with the deaths. The thing is, like I mentioned, these fellas are very fragile fishes.

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