Newbie with a Macquarium

[atwoodings]

Hello,

I am an online friend of KL's and he suggested that I post to this forum with my killie questions as the people here have excellent knowledge.

Let me begin by saying that I am not a newbie to aquariums. My main tank is a 55-gallon planted community tank. I have been into the hobby for perhaps 10 years. I am, however, completely new to killies.

My husband and I built a Macquarium from an old dual-floppy Mac SE. The tank will only hold about one gallon of water. With so little volume, my only choice of fish seem to be either bettas or killies. Bettas, though beautiful, I find boring. Killies seem like the much more interesting choice.

My questions: Do you think killies would do well in one gallon of water? What is a good beginner species? Can I have more than one killie in such a small volume of water? Where does one acquire killies online? No local fish stores deal in killies. Are killies too much work, and should I go for the more boring, but easily maintained, betta?

I really do appreciate any advice. I have no knowledge of small-volume aquariums or killies.

Sincerely,
Angel Woodings.

[RonWill]

Hi Angel,
Welcome to the forum. Any friend of Kwek Leong is a friend of ours :wink:

Your Macquarium is interesting, albeit small. Have it been retrofitted with a modified under-gravel filter or at least, some aeration? If not, do you intend to have plants, where it also act as natural filters.

With that one gallon, aggressive or overly-amorous males will be out. That will include most Nothobranchius. I believe Aphyosemion species would be a better choice and eggs are readily available via Aquabid.

Besides bettas and killies, colorful guppies can be considered since these don't jump as readily.

[atwoodings]

Hello,

Thank you for the welcome.

To answer questions first, my husband fashioned a small grow light within the Macquarium. He didn't want to install one on top as he didn't want to ruin the illusion of the computer being a functional computer. I asked for a grow light because I insisted on some plant life. Plants, to me, are essential to the health of an aquarium, and the beauty.

I was going to put a small Java Fern in there and perhaps Java Moss. I choose hardy plants as the environment in such a small aquarium with low light will be a bit harsh.

I have a very small sponge filter with aeration. I still need to find a small heater.

Someone pointed me to the AKA website, and I was reading their Beginners Guide. I learned that I should either use Fundulopanchax or Nothobranchius since the water in Central Texas is so hard. (We call it "liquid rock.")

Thank you for letting me know that Nothobranchius would not be a good choice. I also learned, as you mention, that killies like to jump. There is a large hole in the top of the Mac. I will have to talk to my husband about a solution for that. Does anyone have suggestions for that? Can I just perhaps put netting over that?

Would Fundulopanchax be a good choice for me? The AKA website suggested Fp. gardneri, Fp. filamentosus, or Fp. sjoestedti as good choices for beginners. Do these remain small enough for a one-gallon aquarium?

I have so much to learn. I hope I don't try the patience of the people here too much.

Sincerely,
Angel.

[stormhawk]

Hello Angel,

Welcome to our forum. :wink: I don't think a Fundulopanchax would stay that small for that kind of tank and diffusing aggression amongst the males would be difficult given the size of the tank in question.

The 3 mentioned species of Fundulopanchax are good for beginners but not suited for life in a small tank given their size, especially the sjoestedti. Provided you can condition the hard water in your area to slightly softer or acidic water, you have a whole lot of species to choose from.

Small killie species able to thrive in such small conditions (provided water conditions are alright) would be the following:

Pseudepiplatys annulatus - Clown Killie
Poropanchax normani - Norman's Lampeye

A usual choice for beginners would be the common Aphyosemion australe. These are available quite easily I think since most killie hobbyists have had them at one time or another. There are beautiful native killies from the States that would be suited for such small tanks. One that I can think of would be Lucania goodei or perhaps parva. Even natives like the Cyprinodons would be OK for the system I think.

Maybe Wright can shed more light on this matter since he's in the US too. :wink:

[atwoodings]

Thank you very much for all the advice. I think I will try the Aphyosemion Australe. I don't think it will be too hard to keep one gallon of water softer and more acidic than is normal for Central Texas.

I showed some pictures to my husband on Aquabid and he is pleased with the choice. And his mind is already working towards a solution to the hole in the top of the Mac.

I'm a bit nervous about stepping into a new part of the hobby, but I feel happy that I'm starting with a "beginner" fish. I shall post a picture of the Macquarium with my beautiful beginner killies when we have it up and running.

Thank you very much again,
Angel.

[stormhawk]

Well its always better to start off with a beginner fish like the australe. Its a nice fish nonetheless, especially the chocolate variant. They're breed quite easily too. I keep mine in fresh tap water with a pH of 7.4 They're not showing any problems and the best part is, they're spawning like rabbits. I got several fry from my pair already and they are by far the easiest to spawn killie. :wink:

[whuntley]

Maybe Wright can shed more light on this matter since he's in the US too. :wink:

No way. It's now 7:50 PM here, and the light is fading fast.

FIL were mentioned and are Paludopanchax, hence much smaller than GAR and SJO. I'd say go with a single pair of Fp. filamentosum, if you are willing to contend with tiny fry that may need infusoria before they readily handle bbs. This is the only reason they are considered difficult by some authors.

If not available, pick a good gardneri strain, but resist using a trio. One female will foillow a breeding pair and eat all the eggs.

australe would be good too, but do not like really soft water. They are a coastal and estuarine species that likes a bit of salt, if the other electrolytes are there, too.

Wright

[timebomb]

Hello, Angel,

Welcome to Killies.com forum. I'm kind of surprised you didn't use Angel as your nickname. It would be perfect for you and it would have been wonderful to have an angel in the forum .

I hardly collect eggs anymore or I would send you some eggs of the Notho rachovii's or Aphyosemion australes. They're easy fish to keep and breed and the former is reputed to be one of the most beautiful of all tropical fishes.

If you have to buy from Aquabid, buy the eggs of the common species as rare eggs can be very expensive. The Killifish hobby is more widespread and well-established in the United States than in Singapore so it shouldn't be too difficult for you to get the common species. But let us know if you can't find anything. I'm sure some of the guys here will gladly help you out. We love angels :wink:

Loh K L

[atwoodings]

Hello KL, Hello everyone!

Thank you for such a warm welcome. I didn't use "angel" because it is almost always taken when I sign up for a new forum. I have just got into the habit of using atwoodings, which is never taken.

I have been reading about Aphyosemion australes as I prepare for the new additions to the house. I think I'm going to use blackwater extract as I don't feel like messing with peat. And maybe a tiny bit of bogwood as well.

I've also read that they like a heavily-planted tank. Though that may not be possible, I can maybe manage a medium-planted tank in the Mac. I'll have to think of some more hardy plant varieties. Maybe an anubius nana to go with the java fern.

The more I read, the more excited I get! The Macquarium was just going to be a conversation piece, not really a tank. But now it's turning into a proper tank!

Sincerely,
Angel.