Advertisements
Aquatic Avenue Banner Tropica Shop Banner Fishy Business Banner
Results 1 to 19 of 19

Thread: Aphy. BIT Lagos eggs... fertilized?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Choa Chu Kang, Singapore
    Posts
    3,148
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore

    Aphy. BIT Lagos eggs... fertilized?

    Advertisements
    Fresh n Marine aQuarium Banner

    Advertise here

    Advertise here
    Dear all,

    I've been fiddling with the PMBB/Peat Ball* combo in my breeding and hatching tanks, and I have mixed thoughts. (*Canister filter peat packed in stockings).

    Use of PMBB aka Ketapang Oak Tea was previously discussed here.

    There's more eggs in the mops these days but they look kinda 'dead'... it's somewhat creamy color and opaque, not a light honey-brown translucent egg!


    Does this look fertilized to you? It's been a one-week incubation and there's still no sign of frys YET!

    I kinda remember someone mentioning that BIT/BIV eggs are whitish (???). Tom, was it you?

    FWIW, eggs in question and this young male is from the same breeding pair.

    Larger pic here

    Please gimme your thoughts.
    I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
    Ronnie Lee

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Location
    England
    Posts
    55
    Feedback Score
    0
    To me they look a bit too creamy to be viable eggs but as they aren't fungused after a week they should be ok. I found their eggs were slightly less clear but not as much as that. One way to tell if they're ok ... wait and see
    Regards
    Tom

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    558
    Feedback Score
    2 (100%)
    Country
    Singapore
    To me the eggs seems to be unfertlized.
    Au SL

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Woodlands, Singapore
    Posts
    140
    Feedback Score
    0

    Re: Aphy. BIT Lagos eggs... fertilized?

    Quote Originally Posted by RonWill
    Please gimme your thoughts.
    Hi Ronnie,

    I agree with blinkytom. You should wait and see. If you are not sure if the eggs are ‘alive’ test them with a satay stick. That’s what I normally do to solve my doubts.
    Lily Choo

  5. #5
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    2,702
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    For those who are wondering how Lily uses her Satay Stick to test for egg fertility, let me assure you that she doesn't barbeque them over a fire

    I'm not quite sure how Lily does it but her Satay Stick seems to be an essential piece of tool for her. Among other things, she also uses the Sticks to catch fry and search for eggs in peat. She's probably the only killifish keeper in the world who uses such a tool

    Loh K L

  6. #6
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Woodlands, Singapore
    Posts
    140
    Feedback Score
    0
    Quote Originally Posted by timebomb
    She's probably the only killifish keeper in the world who uses such a tool
    Hey Mr Loh,

    If I am not mistaken, another hobbyist here uses the satay stick too, so you see, I am not alone.. :wink:
    Lily Choo

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jul 2002
    Location
    singapore
    Posts
    407
    Feedback Score
    0
    Images
    4
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by timebomb
    she also uses the Sticks to catch fry...
    Lily, is that true? how do you catch fry with satay stick & how to do the 'fertility test'?

    My favourite tool for fry catching is a disposable plastic soup spoon. Must be white. For eggs picking, nothing beats 'the hand'. Is it true that we will spread germs or nasties to good eggs using hand & thrus spoilting them? I have both good eggs & bad eggs using the hand method. Any other tools use by hobbyists?

    Gan.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2003
    Location
    Woodlands, Singapore
    Posts
    140
    Feedback Score
    0
    Hello Gan,

    Once I am sitted at my "killies corner", I feel helpless without those SS. Mr Loh is as bit exaggerating here, I dont catch the fry with a SS, I only chased after them with one!

    Like you, I am using those plastic disposable spoons for catching fry and for eggs picking, I use a metal "bird-nest" tweezer. I've never try touching the eggs with bare hand before, I use a stick. You can easily tell if an egg is bad by poking at it lightly with a SS, dont pierce. If egg is bouncy and slip away, result : good egg. Bad eggs get punctured easily, see, so easy...
    Lily Choo

  9. #9
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    2,702
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    For our foreign friends who may not know what's a Satay Stick, here's a picture:



    The stick is usually used to skewer pieces of meat (chicken, mutton or beef) and barbequed over a fire. When the meat is cooked, it becomes Satay. Satay is a Malay word and our Malay friends here may be able to explain what the word actually means.

    Singapore is well known as a food paradise and Satay is one of the favourite food of tourists and locals alike.

    The sticks can be quite sharp so I really don't understand how Lily can use it to poke her killifish eggs without piercing them. Maybe we have to ask her to do a demonstration for us during the gathering

    Loh K L

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Choa Chu Kang, Singapore
    Posts
    3,148
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by blinkytom
    To me they look a bit too creamy to be viable eggs but as they aren't fungused after a week they should be ok. I found their eggs were slightly less clear but not as much as that. One way to tell if they're ok ... wait and see
    Dear all,

    I decided to pick 'em eggs for peat incubation. Gave the mop a gentle squeeze to remove most of the water and hung it up to drip dry for about 10 minutes (this allows the eggs shell to stiffen a little and easier to pick).

    There's no need for satay sticks... only 2 transulent eggs didn't rupture upon touch.

    As for the PMBB/Peat Ball experiment, I'm impressed it controls/suppresses fungus growth quite well.

    Anyway, I just made more spawning mops so that I don't have to pick eggs!... just do a weekly exchange and water-incubate the egg-laden mop.

    Oh well... better luck next time.
    I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
    Ronnie Lee

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    IL, USA
    Posts
    7
    Feedback Score
    0
    Ronnie,

    Hi! As others have suggested, the eggs are no good. Like other killie eggs, A.biv/bit 's eggs will stay clear and "eye-up" in a couple days if they are fertilized. I never keep lagos before but I've kept A. biv. funge, A. poliaki Monea, A. bit. Benin City and breed them easily.

    How old is your breeder? If the pair is young or too old, they probably will give infertile eggs. I like A. biv/bit, they are beautiful, elegant and quite easy to breed and raise but they will test your patience. It takes them quite a while to mature and start producing fertile eggs. Also, they will produce lots of eggs for you suddenly and then stop producing for several months no matter how well you feed them. This is just my personal experience. When they are ready, they will give you thousands of eggs, you will be surprised how many eggs can be squeezed out from their little bodies. I 've collected close to 100 eggs per day from them before.

    Kean Huat

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Choa Chu Kang, Singapore
    Posts
    3,148
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    Hey buddy, I'm very glad you decided to come out of lurk-mode and chip in your experience.

    I've been collecting more of the Lagos eggs and from observation of embryol development under the loupe, it's also obvious to me that the earlier eggs were unfertilized. These subsequent eggs are as you described; clear from the beginning and becoming 'specked' over a few days.

    There're 3 sets of breeders now; 1M/1F, 1M/2F and 2M/2F. In the 1st two combos, breeders are about a year old, while the last combo are offsprings from a natural setup, so I never really got to see much. These young breeders are about 8-month old (I think).

    Quote Originally Posted by KeanHuat
    I never keep lagos before but I've kept A. biv. funge, A. poliaki Monea, A. bit. Benin City and breed them easily.
    Kean Huat, you're saying the Funge is 'easy to breed' Amongst the killies I maintain, the Funges are misers! I can set them up and wait for up to a month, without getting a single egg! Pray tell, how do you do it? Are you still breeding the A. poliaki Monea and A. bit. Benin City?

    When they are ready, they will give you thousands of eggs, you will be surprised how many eggs can be squeezed out from their little bodies. I 've collected close to 100 eggs per day from them before.
    No kiddin'... that many eggs??!! Please elaborate how you set up the breeders. Are the females conditioned separately? Water 'tweaking', if any, etc.
    I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
    Ronnie Lee

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Singapore
    Posts
    2,702
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by KeanHuat
    I 've collected close to 100 eggs per day from them before.
    Kean Huat,

    That's absolutely amazing!! I didn't know they can produce so many eggs. When I was collecting the eggs from the lagos, I would be happy with a dozen eggs. I suspect the detrimental effects the high temperatures here have on the fish could be much more serious than we thought.

    By the way, Kean Huat, about the plant your friend wanted, I'm sorry I haven't got it yet. But if you read the thread about it on the planted tanks sub-forum, I should be getting some soon. For various reasons that I cannot disclose, I can't get the plant now but should be able to get a fair amount of it later. Please tell your friend to be patient.

    Loh K L

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    IL, USA
    Posts
    7
    Feedback Score
    0
    Ronnie,

    Hi! I haven't be able to focus much on my fish/plants related things in the past few months due to some personal problem/situation. Things haven't got better but I have to tell myself to be more positive and just "follow the flow" instead of worrying too much about it.

    Kean Huat, you're saying the Funge is 'easy to breed' Amongst the killies I maintain, the Funges are misers! I can set them up and wait for up to a month, without getting a single egg! Pray tell, how do you do it? Are you still breeding the A. poliaki Monea and A. bit. Benin City?
    As I have mentioned, the A. biv/bit will really test your patience :P They won't give you any single eggs if they don't want to no matter how well you feed them. If they feel like it, they will give you lots of eggs even you don't feed them. I have 50+ young A.poliaki Monea in the tanks. Due to limited space, I don't breed the A. bit. Benin City now as it's hard to sell them. I had over 20 pairs at a point of time and it took me really long time to sell them.

    No kiddin'... that many eggs??!! Please elaborate how you set up the breeders. Are the females conditioned separately? Water 'tweaking', if any, etc
    Nothing special. I keep several pairs in a 5 gallon tank or just a pair or two in a 2 gallon critter keepers (the small colorful plastic tanks). I don't use live plants in breeding killies(want to save electricity cost), I use mops. Feed them live blackworms and that's it. I never condition and separate the breeders too, too much work. The temp. is about 74 -76 F. No eggs if the temp. goes near or below 70 F.

    Kean Huat

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    IL, USA
    Posts
    7
    Feedback Score
    0
    That's absolutely amazing!! I didn't know they can produce so many eggs. When I was collecting the eggs from the lagos, I would be happy with a dozen eggs. I suspect the detrimental effects the high temperatures here have on the fish could be much more serious than we thought.
    Yea, I couldn't believe it until I saw it myself. In my limited personal experience/case, A.poliaki Monea is more prolific than the A. biv. Funge and A. bit. Benin City.

    Kwek Leong, these fish actually do better in warmer temp. They still do well at around 78-80 F while it's too hot for some killies.

    I would say patience is the key to breed these fish. Give them time to mature and they will do their things

    By the way, Kean Huat, about the plant your friend wanted, I'm sorry I haven't got it yet. But if you read the thread about it on the planted tanks sub-forum, I should be getting some soon. For various reasons that I cannot disclose, I can't get the plant now but should be able to get a fair amount of it later. Please tell your friend to be patient.
    No prob. at all. Please don't bother if it's too much trouble. He will be very happy just to get some as it's hard to find here.

    Kean Huat

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Choa Chu Kang, Singapore
    Posts
    3,148
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    Quote Originally Posted by KeanHuat
    Hi! I haven't be able to focus much on my fish/plants related things in the past few months due to some personal problem/situation. Things haven't got better but I have to tell myself to be more positive and just "follow the flow" instead of worrying too much about it.
    Sorry to hear about the rough patch you're experiencing. Here's wishing you strength to overcome the odds, and pulling it through safe and sound.

    I have 50+ young A.poliaki Monea in the tanks. Due to limited space, I don't breed the A. bit. Benin City now as it's hard to sell them. I had over 20 pairs at a point of time and it took me really long time to sell them.
    I tried looking for a pic of the Ap poliaki Monea and am surprised in not being able to find any! Would you happen to have a link to images of this fish?

    The Ap BIT Benin City is another nice looking fish with subtle colors, which is on my Aphyosemion wish-list, thus I can't understand why these would be difficult to sell.

    ...I use mops. Feed them live blackworms and that's it. I never condition and separate the breeders too, too much work. The temp. is about 74 -76 F. No eggs if the temp. goes near or below 70 F.
    How many mops did you use, and which did the killie prefer... floating or bottom types.

    About blackworms, does it look like Tubifex? It looks like another nice food source to culture but I think it needs cool temperatures, like the whiteworms (I think I need that wine chiller! ).
    I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
    Ronnie Lee

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Willards Md USA
    Posts
    120
    Feedback Score
    0
    Ron,
    Look at this site.They are under the name of Chromaphyosemion.
    http://home.swipnet.se/~w-86183/english.htm
    Deb Bear
    AKA#08746
    SAA#175

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    IL, USA
    Posts
    7
    Feedback Score
    0
    Ronnie,

    Sorry for my late reply, I have been very busy lately.

    Thanks Deb for pointing out the picture of the fish. I was going to direct you to the same site.

    How many mops did you use, and which did the killie prefer... floating or bottom types.
    I only use one mop per tank. They seem to lay eggs in floating and bottom mops. So, either one will do.

    About blackworms, does it look like Tubifex? It looks like another nice food source to culture but I think it needs cool temperatures, like the whiteworms (I think I need that wine chiller! ).
    Yes, I think it's bigger in size. I haven't seen live Tubifex for years, can't really remember its size:P If you want to look at the pictures of the blackworms, go here: http://aquaticfoods.com/

    I used to mail order 1 lb of blackworms from this place every 6 weeks or so. But it's getting expensive, 1 lb cost about 25 bucks. Recently, I've started to convert my killies to eat frozen bloodworms, a little bit cheaper. But the eggs production has dropped quite a lot I personally think blackworm is the best condition food.

    I keep them in a mini fridge and you need to rinse them everyday, else they will die and stink badly.

    Kean Huat

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    Choa Chu Kang, Singapore
    Posts
    3,148
    Feedback Score
    0
    Country
    Singapore
    Kean Huat,
    We all have busy lives, so it's understandable if a response is delayed, but when life's back to normal and you're breeding 'em killies again, shoot me a note, ya?

    I found that site you referred to but they don't ship international. Given that they require daily rinses, I don't think the blackworms will survive the trip anyway.

    Prices quoted ain't cheap compared to the tubifex I can buy at the LFS and I think that's one of the things we take for granted.

    The mindset here must be... live foods is available in abundance that it makes culturing them not feasible... why go through all that trouble?

    To get back on-topic, from the viable Ap. BIT Lagos eggs, I'm tending to the frys now and hopefully, they'd be stable for transport to the gathering.

    Quote Originally Posted by KeanHuat
    I keep them in a mini fridge and you need to rinse them everyday, else they will die and stink badly.
    I'm thinking of experimenting with keeping tubifex in the fridge... what's the temp setting?
    I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
    Ronnie Lee

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •