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Thread: Problem with Notho. rachovii

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    Problem with Notho. rachovii

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    Hi everyone, I bought a trio of Notho. rachovii at the meeting, they are kept in a fairly big plastic tank with a sponge filter. There is a plastic bowl with peat inside. I feed them everyday with live food which they eagerly accept but the problem is that they don't seem to be interested in each other; just swimming about.

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    Kennedy,

    What sort of plastic bowl are you using? One common mistake among many new killifish hobbyists is that they use breeding bowls which are transparent. Fish are usually not that clever so if your bowl is transparent, they won't be able to find their way in. And when they do, they can't find their way out.

    The best breeding bowls are those that are opaque and has openings large enough to let the fish in but not the peat out.

    Loh K L

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    Yes, I am using a transparent container, those use for food packing. The fishes seem to be able to get into the bowl and get out occasionally, spending the rest of the time swimming about also the male is at least 2 time bigger than the smaller female . Where do you think I can find containers which you describe.

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    If your fish had been in the bowl, there's a chance that they have already laid eggs inside. You can change the bowl but I would advise that you store the peat and dry-incubate it for 6 weeks.

    As for where you can find breeding bowls, you can try using an ice-cream tub. They are opaque and if you cut a hole on the lid, it would be perfect. You have to weigh it down with rocks though but I suppose you already did that with your plastic take-away food container.

    Loh K L

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    I have changed the bowl yesterday, I am wondering how do you see whether if there is eggs in the peat, because the fishes may not go in during the day.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kennedy_ng
    I am wondering how do you see whether if there is eggs in the peat...
    Very slowly, with a magnifier and torchlight :wink:

    Kennedy, it takes a while to recognise what is and what isn't an egg, from the pile of peat. Sort through it a little bit at a time over a white sheet of paper.

    Me? heh... sometimes I still can't find eggs!
    I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
    Ronnie Lee

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    How do you tell whether the fishes have lay their eggs inside the bowl?

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    Quote Originally Posted by kennedy_ng
    How do you tell whether the fishes have lay their eggs inside the bowl?
    You can never be sure until you see the eggs, Kennedy. The eggs are quite big but if you have never seen them before, you may have problems finding them. The best way to look for eggs is to spread the peat on a white sheet of paper and go through it slowly with your fingers or a toothpick.

    For furthur information, you can read up on this by going to:

    http://www.killies.com/Collecting1.htm

    Loh K L

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    I didn't check the peat as I don't see the fishes going into the bowl at all, either the female go in or the male go in, never together.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kennedy_ng
    I didn't check the peat as I don't see the fishes going into the bowl at all, either the female go in or the male go in, never together.
    You can't be sure there are no eggs until you check, Kennedy. Although you probably were watching the bowl constantly, you couldn't possibly be doing that 24 hours a day.

    When I collected my first bag of peat from my Notho guentheri's, I was using a plastic food container like you too. I thought there were no eggs inside and actually wanted to throw the peat away but decided to go through it with a toothpick. I found a few eggs and 2 months later when I wet the peat, there were more than 300 fry.

    Sometimes, there were plenty of eggs when I thought there were none. But on other occasions, there were zero eggs when I thought there were plenty. Fish going in and out of a bowl isn't a sure sign that eggs have been laid. Some fish like to hide inside the bowl because they feel safe inside.

    By the same token, if you don't see the fish going into the bowl, it doesn't mean there are no eggs. It could be when they went in to lay eggs, you weren't watching, that's all.

    Loh K L

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    So do think I should just take out a little peat to check or remove the whole bowl and incubate the eggs that may be in it. After changing peat, how long do think it is a good time to check the peat for eggs?

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    I have learned a simple lesson a long time ago, I use clear containers, not clear containers, small holes, large holes etc. and have arrived at a simple principle.

    If killies are eating, and swiming about then they are spawning. I seldom check any peat for eggs. I collect the peat, squeeze it in a net and just prioir to storing it, break the peat apart, sometimes an egg appears clearly visibile. I then make egg on the bag, meaning I saw at least one......... My assumption is always that there are eggs. It is too easly to store peat and wet it.

    What amazes me about this is the incubation times you talk about, I cannot get rachovii until a minimum of 6 months at 78 degrees F, and more likely 7 to 8 months.............................

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    Tony, our tropical climate aids in reducing the time for the eggs to develop. If you try staying in Singapore for a day, I believe you yourself would not like the humidity and heat of our climate. I personally don't like the weather here but I gotta stick with it because I don't think I'm going anywhere anytime soon
    Fish.. Simply Irresistable
    Back to Killies... slowly.

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    Hi Tony,

    The climate here helps us to get most fish earlier than people living in cooler climate.

    I wet most of my nothos after 3~4 weeks of incubation and 4~5 weeks for most Simp. (But my Simp Costai is still clear after 3 months of incubation!! :sad
    One of the reasons why I do not put down the expected wetting date on bag of eggs I sent oversea is due to the climate is different.

    However I hope that incubation period could be longer as I hope to maintain more species.

    regards
    Gwee Sia Meng
    AKA 08742
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    Fish List

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    Quote Originally Posted by gweesm1
    The climate here helps us to get most fish earlier than people living in cooler climate.
    Which was why Kwek Leong and I were always arguing over the incubation times! What we experienced and what details we find online doesn't always correspond!

    If you don't believe me, do the best research you can and I'll bet that there's nothing mentioned, or no incubation chart for temps in the 31º~32º Celcius region.

    But my Simp Costai is still clear after 3 months of incubation!! :sad
    Sia Meng, I wish those Terranatos dolichopterus would hatch a little sooner...

    However I hope that incubation period could be longer as I hope to maintain more species.
    You need a wine chiller as bad as I do! Maybe we can share one... you keep annual eggs in there, I keep whiteworms!
    (Psst... any idea where I can get a good deal on a used minibar fridge or a wine chiller??)
    I'm back & keeping 'em fingers wet,
    Ronnie Lee

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    Quote Originally Posted by TonyT
    What amazes me about this is the incubation times you talk about, I cannot get rachovii until a minimum of 6 months at 78 degrees F, and more likely 7 to 8 months.............................
    Tony,

    You will be even more amazed to know that some hobbyists here are reporting that they found eyed-up eggs in the peat as soon as they were collected. I've also heard reports of hobbyists hatching Notho rachovii eggs in as short a time as 2 weeks.

    For a very long time, Ronnie and I didn't realise that the higher temperatures here can speed up egg development times by huge margins. We knew eggs will develop faster here but we never thought it would be that fast.

    Loh K L

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    Shorter Incubation time

    Well, to tell you the truth, I do enjoy the longer incubation periods. In some cases it helps pland what I have room to raise, and in other cases, there is a longer time window in having to wet eggs. This helps me someitmes.......

    Now on teh other hand, I really would like some species incubation periods to be much faster !!!! especially when I lose a spawning pair and am out of production for 6 to 8 months.

    There is something good to be said for each option, and as with everything else, when we adjust to the "rhythm" of our own fish rooms we become more successful.

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