Killies Breeding tank.

[taygu]

Killie Breeding Tank.
I have finally prepared a tank intended to breed Killies fish particularly the Northo. The tank is about 22 cm x 15 cm x 15 cm. I have used some gravel cover with ADA soil to achieve a PH of about 6.6 to 6.8. I have run the tank for more than a week and the PH has been very stable. The water temperature is from 23 to 25 degree Celsius. I did not measure the watter hardness yet.

I have used a plastic container and cut a hole of about 2 inch on the cover. I have used some peat as the base for breeding.

Do you think that size of the tank and conditions of the water is suitable to start the breeding?

You comments and guidance is highly appreciated.





Thanks.

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[timebomb]

Taygu,

Over here, we prefer that members use a real name when they post. If, for some valid reason, you rather not identify yourself, it's okay with us too but please take note that many of us here consider "anonymity" to be a sign of "insincerity". That said....

Nothos (without the r) can do well in small tanks but from my own experiences, they prefer bigger tanks. If the water level is close to the top of your breeding bowl, there won't be enough depth for the fish to swim into the bowl. There should be several inches of water above the bowl. If you're thinking of solving this problem by adding more water to the tank, be careful. Nothos jump and fish in a new tank will definitely jump at the slightest opportunity.

Are you using a filter? If not, I would suggest you put in an air-filter. How many fish do you have? Are you using a male to several females? If you have only a pair, it would be good to use some rocks and plants as hiding places for the female.

Finally, are your fish stable yet? I get the impression, reading your other post that you bought the fish recently. Unstable fish won't lay eggs; they won't be in the mood. Make sure the fish are healthy and well-settled down before putting in the breeding bowl. Feed them with live food.

Unfortunately, we can't see your picture. If you have problems uploading the pic, send it to me by email and I'll upload it for you.

Loh K L

[TyroneGenade]

Hello

For many years the standard Notho breeding tank for me was bare base tank of dimensions 30 x 22 x 22 cm with a cover glass and small air driven box filter filled with shell grit and some filter floss.

A tub (preferably wide and shallow for first time spawners) was used, filled with about 2 cm of peat and a few pebbles.

The fish were fed frozen foods and flake. Water changes were done 1x a week. Uneaton food was removed religiously.

Such a tank was good for a small group of foerschi but not really appropriate for anything more than a trio of guentheri.

As I now look to the future I think anything less than a 45 x 30 x 22 cm tank is too small for Nothos to really do well.

If you can, separate the sexes for a few days and then put them together to spawn for a day or two.

Nothos are not fussy about water but prefer it stable rather than intermittently perfect. Aim for a pH above 6.5 to ward off velvet.

Good luck