Aph. Australe Questions

[Capt.]

Hello. I recently bought my first pair of killies, aph. australe orange. So far I have collected a few eggs from their mop. The eggs are sitting in a container with a small amount of water.

My question is regarding raising and feeding the fry. When the fry hatch will they be free swimming right away? Should I transfer them to a raising container immediately? I have a good sized container filled with java moss to raise them in.

Will they be able to eat microworms right away? I have a culture ready now. I have also heard of feeding green water. I don't really want to do this in the hatching container. Any suggestions are appreciated.

[CM Media]

When the fry hatch will they be free swimming right away? Should I transfer them to a raising container immediately?

Upon hatching from the egg, the fry is free swimming in 20 minutes. It'll be best if you can transfer the fry a day after it hatched to a raising container as uneaten food will contaminate the unhatch eggs.

Will they be able to eat microworms right away?

The fry upon hatching from the egg will be able to take newly hatched Brine Shrimps as first food. So microworms which is smaller would not be a problem for the fry.

It's better if you could sign off with your name. Here, we sign off using our real names. :wink:

[RonWill]

My question is regarding raising and feeding the fry. When the fry hatch will they be free swimming right away? Should I transfer them to a raising container immediately? I have a good sized container filled with java moss to raise them in.

Hi there "What's your name" Capt. Kirk of StarFleet Enterprise :wink:,
These young frys will hug the bottom upon hatching and I usually leave them in the tray for a day before I transfer them to a raising/grow-out tank (or larger tray). Just make sure that the water isn't too different.

Will they be able to eat microworms right away? I have a culture ready now. I have also heard of feeding green water. I don't really want to do this in the hatching container.

I usually don't feed fry in the hatching tray (no point mucking up the hatching water), nor feed anything on the day of transfer.

Since you've already prepared a container with java moss, it's likely that there'll be small micro-organisms that the fry can feed on. If the fry have not hatched, it's a good time to add a drop or two of Liquidfry No:1, to build up the infusoria count. Green water is also a excellent food source.

Keep the water level in the container low... say, 4 inches, so that the fry don't have to work too hard looking for food. By the 3rd day, I feed lightly with microworms/BBS.

Have fun and keep us updated.

[Capt.]

Hello. Sorry for not giving my real name I did not realize. My name is Christian.

Thank you for the helpful advice. I didn't think it would be a good idea to feed in the hatching container. What is a good method for transferring fry from hatching container to larger raising tank?

Nice meeting you, Christian

[RonWill]

Hi Christian, glad to have you here and do make yourself at home.

Hatchlings, or newly hatched fry, are quite delicate and can be safely scooped up with a deep spoon or what we call, a 'soup spoon'.

If you're careful, a turkey baster will work just as well.

[Capt.]

Thanks for welcome Ronnie.

Good idea about using a spoon! I never thought of using anything like that but I think it will work well. Right now I only have 4 eggs that are between 3 and 6 days old. I separted the pair for a couple days hoping that will help egg production. As soon as I released the female today they were mating like crazy.

Would it be a good idea to check the mop daily? I've heard from some that they will eat their eggs but others have said they won't. Any thoughts?

Thanks, Christian

[timebomb]

Would it be a good idea to check the mop daily? I've heard from some that they will eat their eggs but others have said they won't. Any thoughts?

Christian,

It is definitely a good idea to check the mops daily. Australes are prolific egg layers so if your pair is healthy, chances are you should see eggs everyday. As far as I know, they won't eat the eggs although some hobbyists have reported that their australes do.

By the way, why don't you put your eggs into your raising container as soon as you collect them? Let them hatch there and you won't have to transfer the fry around. Is this a good idea or what?

Loh K L

[RonWill]

Would it be a good idea to check the mop daily? I've heard from some that they will eat their eggs but others have said they won't. Any thoughts?

Kwek Leong & Christian,
I set up AUS breeding trios (1M/2F) and collect the mop every Sunday. Sure, I won't collect as many eggs since the other 'idling' female may eat some, but I guess I can afford that. When you're a parent of 3, "free-time" and tank space is a premium.

The spawning mop goes straight from the breeding tank into large, square take-away containers with ventilation holes in the lids. Overnight tap water, a clump of java moss* + a small piece of ketapang leaf accompanies the mop (when the mood strikes, I might squirt a dash of water that I know is loaded with infusoria).

*As my moss has been 'seasoned' in separate containers that's regularly dosed with Liquidfry No:1 and a swish of microworm media (whenever I stir up my MWC), I don't need to add anything else to the hatching containers.

Being square, it stacks up very easily and conserves precious space in my 'utility closet' outside the apartment (I'll post the pic after I've updated my 'Synthetic Media Culture' page).

AUS eggs will develope in the dark and hatches between 7~14 days, and I don't do anything to it.... sometimes, I ignore it for another week! .

By the time I'm ready to deal with more fry, out they come from the 'closet', free-swimming and already very stable for transfer.

I swish the mop around in the hatching container and do it again in another container, in case there're fry hiding in the mop.

Discard half of the water in the hatching container and slowly add / siphon / transfer** water from the grow-out tank.
**I use an air tubing with a single valve and do a slow drip (if I feel like it, or for "extra-precious" fry).

Otherwise, I'll just add big scoops of water!... when I'm lazy! :wink:

Transfer the frys to the grow-out/raising tank as previously covered and you should do just fine.

If you have more questions, which I doubt, all you need to do is holler! :wink:

[RonWill]

Christian,

Here are the pics I mentioned earlier and if you're short on space, you can stack these trays together...


Spawning mop tray-stacks with 4 freshly inoculated grindal cultures (without label)


Round fry grow-out trays, all aerated, sitting on the bottom rack of the 4-tier rack that I'm using now.

...which is alot neater than my earlier mess. Can't see? Click here for larger pic.

[Capt.]

Thank you again for all of the excellent advice. Loh K L and RonWill you have been a good help.

Do you think amano shrimp (also known as japanese swamp shrimp) will eat eggs? I have been seeing the shrimp crawling on the mop quite a bit lately.

[froo]

I love to see your rooms of tanks, killitray piles, mess and order. Every picture will help and inspire me to do new steps forward in this world of killies.

/Pär Jansson

[RonWill]

Thank you again for all of the excellent advice. Loh K L and RonWill you have been a good help.

You're welcomed, Christian, and do stick around for more fun!

As for shrimps, I've tried 'Malayan', 'Cherry' and 'Amano', the amano being the most aggressive, most efficient algae eater and fastest to hunt down a dying fish (sometimes they chase the poor dying fish in groups!)

Amanos also have the biggest appetites, hence I don't trust them with my precious killie eggs or have any in my breeding tanks/partitions.

I opt to use the Cherry shrimps which are very docile and doesn't annoy the 1cm fry either. They're great to have around for scavengers and scraps, that would otherwise foul the water. Dwarf corys are also great tank-mates for killies.

I have been seeing the shrimp crawling on the mop quite a bit lately.

If your killies are spawning, you'd better keep an eye on the shrimps!

[RonWill]

I love to see your rooms of tanks, killitray piles, mess and order.

Pär, you looking at how desperate killie-keepers deal with space and resource limitations.

There's no challenge like maintaining as many killie species in the smallest space possible, and I'm glad you find that inspiring!

Maybe IKEA can come up with a better solution!

[timebomb]

Do you think amano shrimp (also known as japanese swamp shrimp) will eat eggs?

Christian, I'm not sure about the Amano shrimps but I believe most algae-eating shrimp will not eat killifish eggs. In fact, I found out that they actually help to keep the eggs from fungusing. Here's a web page you may be interested in reading:

http://www.killies.com/Incubating2.htm

Loh K L

[froo]

Maybe IKEA can come up with a better solution!

Yes, they might do, but every new solution can inspire to rebuilt the IKEA shelf GORM and STEN.

/Pär

[Capt.]

I'm beginning to think that something may be eating the killie eggs. I am not finding any eggs when I am checking the mops. It is strange because when I first introduced the spawning mop I found some eggs. Now none.

There are small snails, an amano shrimp, and some endler's livebearers. The endler's are like smaller versions of guppies in case you are not familiar with them. Is it possible they are eating the eggs or more likely the fish have stopped producing?

[zmzfam]

Christian,

I suspect that the endler's are having a good snack! Even when a trio is put into a breeding tank on their own, the other female might gobble up some of the eggs that's laid by the first female.
Why don't you try removing them to another small tank and see how's the eggs production there.

[Capt.]

Zulkifli removing the pair is a good idea. I have a suitable container that I could use however do not have an extra heater. It is quite cold in my basement and I think the fish may survive but egg production will be low.

Maybe I will try to move the endler's over to another tank I have and see if that helps. There is a good possibility the endlers are eating the eggs?

[zmzfam]

There is a good possibility the endlers are eating the eggs?

It is a possibility. Another possibility is that the female is exhausted. But as long as you feed them consistently, that should not be a problem.
Try removing the endlers first and see how it goes.

[Capt.]

Well I found 3 eggs tonite so there is still hope. I am going to remove the endler's tomorrow and see if that helps. I am really hoping it does