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Wow, those males are about as 'rainbow' colored as any other fish I've seen!
Folks,
I love Chromaphyosemion and IMHO, the 'Ekondo Titi' population takes the cake.
The pics aren't hot but the pair is, and I'm pulling good eggs off them. I'm drooling for the day when there's another whole tankful of them.
Excuse the watermarks and scratches on the plastic tank but look at those colors!
I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
Ronnie Lee
Wow, those males are about as 'rainbow' colored as any other fish I've seen!
Deborah
Deborah, if you've got the space for killies that are relatively showy (for a Chromaphyosemion, that is) and very peaceful in nature, do consider these. Personally, I don't know of another more rainbowy fish.
Besides these, there's also Aphyosemion splendopleure "Moliwe" and "Mbonge", but I think the MTV award goes to SPL "Tiko" and "Bamukong - Ombe River". [lost my "Bamukong" male but I'm raising a small batch of fry]
I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
Ronnie Lee
Beautiful! Even the female is attractive as she is very nicely shaped. Same charm as a female Heterandria formosa. I've considered trying these guys sometime.
What kind of water you keeping them in?
Ron, lovely fish. I order 3 pair coming in next week. Can't wait to have my hands on them.
Wow, since these pics aren't color-enhanced and unretouched in anyway,
they sure put Ijebu Ode and Umudike to shameAnd they don't appear
to be as shy, either
Thanks for sharing, Ronnie!
Joseph,Originally Posted by nonamethefish
These bitaeniatum will do any tank proud and they aren't particularly skittish, compared to the other BITs I maintain (condusive environment applies), so do consider them.
The USA has the largest base of killie-keepers and it'd be much easier to get your hands on them.
My Ekondo Titi are housed in a 6gal plastic tank that's loaded with hornwort, java moss and some ferns. No light or filtration, albeit for very very gentle aeration from airstone.
Water is about pH6.5 from the peat pellets and has gotten quite tannic from the oak leaves. Last TDS reading is 85ppm. Don't have test kits for other 'stuffs'. Hope this helps.
Kee Hoe,
What 3 pairs are you referring to? Which species? Wished you told me about your order as I was itching for another pair or two.
Bill,
I can do basic graphic editing but no, the Ekondo's pics aren't enhanced in any manner... it's the real stuff!
It's true that the coloration in most BITs are subtle and for some, like the Lagos, Ijebu Ode and Umudike, they're at their best in a well-lit photograph.
No surprise that these are quickly becoming my favourites
I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
Ronnie Lee
Hello
Not to rain on your parade but the Ekondo Titi phenotype belongs to the species Chromaphyosemion cf. splendopleure. Go see here. Don't be put off by the picture. If you see the other cf. SPP pics you will see fish more in line with what you show.
My favourite is still bivittatum Funge. But I must admit I like all the Chromaphyosemion. They are fantastic aquarium fish.
tt4n
Tyrone, thanks for the link to Pohlmann's site and while I don't understand it all, it's good to have another reference.
My favourite reference is Tim's pages and for the 'Ekondo Titi' population, it appears BOTH as bitaeniatum and splendopleure!
Sub-Genus : Chromaphyosemion
Aphyosemion bitaeniatum Ekondo Titi
Aphyosemion splendopleure Ekondo Titi
Comparing what I can visually differentiate, my specimens closely resemble that from Tim's bitaeniatum page rather than the image, courtesy of Rudolf Pohlmann.
As for the BIV Funge, I'll be giving this up shortly. It's taken about 2 years and I can't even get it widely distributed. They're stingy in reproduction despite various environment and I'm running out of tank space.
I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
Ronnie Lee
Re: BIV Funge,
Mine were very stingy with eggs, too, until I added a heater and ran the tank up above 26C. After that, I was overloaded with them! They may get stingy, again when they get old, tho.
Spectacular fish, with good color, and size well above average for Chromaphyos, they are a favorite of breeders who like to win Best of Show.
Wright
01 760 872-3995
805 Valley West Circle
Bishop, CA 93514 USA
That pic on Tim's site is in the wrong class. Chrom. bitaeniatum DO NOT have yellow tips to the dorsal, caudal and anal fins. This is feature of the splendopleure-group (loennbergii, poliaki, volcanum, splendopleure and sp. Likado etc...). Also, bitaeniatum have 2 prominant dark bands running down the length of their body. Further more, there is no town of Ekondo Titi in Nigeria nor is there a river. There is such a town in Cameroon and as bitaenitum does not extend accross the Ndian River (this is the territory of bivittatum) the fish in question has to be splendopleure.
I will write Tim a nasty note later...
tt4n
I liked all the Chromaphyosemion bitaeniatum that I just viewed on a website, but the profile said temps from 71 -76. I'm pretty sure the temps you keep them at are much higher, right?
It would be too cold for me to hatch anything right now (approx 71 degrees inside), but out of something like 20 eggs, how many are likely to hatch for a beginner?
Deborah
These fellas don't seem to like temperatures above 28 degrees Celsius and that would be a good limit to stick by for any species for that matter.
Deborah, given proper handling of the eggs and proper acclimatisation of the eggs to a hatching tray and fresh water, they will hatch in good enough numbers as long as fungused eggs are removed quickly and without breaking them in the water. Otherwise the fungus will spread easily to the other developing eggs.
Many factors decide the "hatchability" so to speak, of the eggs so if you're lucky a hatchrate of about 50% is already good enough.
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
Thank youMy temps normally wouldn't get to 28 C as I keep the air conditioning on in the house at 24 C, but with the lights on the tank it can possibly go to 27 C. The tank right now is at 21 C, but I don't have a heater on it (only plants and snails in there right now).
So 50 % hatch rate would be a best-case scenario. That works for me, I only want a few fish.
Deborah
Deborah,
If you love Chromas, you'd flip while visiting Alf and Anita's Gallery (I know I did)
As for hatch rate, the best result I've gotten was 100% if only eggs in advanced embryol development were sent Express in breather bags. Eggs in/on damp peat suck big time, often under 30%. Whichever way it's delivered, dunk ASAP in aged aquarium water, as these will pop without warning.
Infusoria, paramecium and other microfoods would be a good way to start off the little fellas.
Temp-wise, my Ekondo Titi are throwing good eggs at 24ºC / 75ºF and suspect less so at higher temps. (I get practically nothing during warmer months)
When your weather is favorable for receiving eggs, go for it!
I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
Ronnie Lee
Tyrone,
Tim's site and vast information have served me very well and it would be a dis-service to him if you pop that note (you're kidding, right?)
As for BIT having the 2 dark bands, I notice the juvenile Chrom. splendopleure 'Bamukong-Ombe River System 1999' that I'm raising, will display also the bands when spooked (in both sexes, more so with the females).
More pics here.
I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
Ronnie Lee
You are missing my point (but in truth it wasn't really well stated). BIT will show the bands to some degree regardless of mood. At the least you will be able to see the black marking behind the gill and the lower band beginning from the caudal peduncle. Happy SPP like what you show (and especially the cf. SPP populations like the Ekondo Titi) will at most show small fragmented red markings behind the gill and a thin rosy red lower band.
The bottom line is that Ekondo Titi is a town in Cameroon and BIT is not found across the Cross/Ndian rivers (here it is replaced by BIV). Your fish, in colour (take a good look at the fins) conforms to a cf. SPP and certainly not a BIT phenotype. If you doubt my opinion (a healthy attitude IMHO) send the pictures to Rudolf Pohlman for adjudication. He is very friendly and will reply... probably with a long discourse about the cf. SPP. Sonnenberg's paper is also very informative as it describes the entire genus with along with the means to tell the members apart.
tt4n
The PDF version of Sonnenberg's paper that is being circulated has some inherent defects as in missing data bits and almost all of the pictures and illustrations.
Tyrone, if you happen to have a good copy of this publication please email the item to me. I would be more than happy to have a good look at it.
On a sidenote, did a check on Multimap and came up with several locations.
There's an Eko-Onde in Nigeria, situated close to a place called Ikirun.
There is however, an Ekondo Titi in Sud-Ouest province, Cameroon, as Tyrone has mentioned but there is also an Ekundu-Titi slightly to the north of this locality. It is true however that Ekondo Titi should belong to splendopleure or whatever sp. or cf. that fella is. The locality of Mbonge is just slightly to the south of this locality and is also stated as belonging to Chrom. splendopleure.
Fish.. Simply Irresistable
Back to Killies... slowly.
Jianyang,
I have a copy somewhere I must just dig it up...
Coincidently, I have of the Mbonge Fp. marmoratus. A very handsome fish. Later on in the year I will try to send some eggs over to Singapore but I'm not betting on it arriving alive. The eggs are about 80% fertile but production is a bit low at 21°C. I will have to wait for things to get warmer then I will pop some in peat and hope for the best...
tt4n
Is it true that generally, eggs in peat develope slower for this family?
Tyron, I would love to have some after someone having more experience had secure the species in Singapore.
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