CLown killies

[stormydax]

hi guys,
I have read up on the past forum however did not read about the issue below : I have a profantec fan blowing at my tank, therefore there is constantly a strong current at the water surface.

May i thus know if clown killies can take this kind of current?...

thanks

yours sincerely,
Jeff

[stormhawk]

Hello Jeff,

The surface agitation may disturb the clowns a little bit. How strong is this Profantec fan? If the water surface is constantly moving out in large ripples then its not going to be good for the clowns. If the fan produces a gentle stream of air running across the water surface, then its okay. Otherwise the clowns may run for cover and spend more time in places with less surface agitation.

[stormydax]

hi ,
If thats the case, then how do people that uses fan keep killies?thanks. The profantec fan is actually quite strong.Will surface/floating plants do the trick?

I think my ph is a bit too high( Ph :.Right?

thanks

yours sincerely,
jeff

[stormhawk]

Hi Jeff,

Yes floating plants may help. If you have a thick growth of floating plants the clowns will feel at ease but such a thick carpet of floating plants may block out most of the available light from reaching the lower levels of the tank.

I'm not sure if your pH is high because you didn't specify your pH in the first post. Without such details I cannot give u a definite answer.

[RonWill]

Jeff,
Even though I've come to acquire more colorful killies, the ANN remains in my favourite list and have maintained/bred/raised them under various conditions.

I don't have a decent planted tank, just fish tank with plants, but with strong surface agitation, besides the loss of CO² fertilization, you need a group of them to feel comfy. A single pair will usually look quite 'lost'.

The ANNs are very adaptable to varying water parameters (at least for my stock) and have done well in pH5·5~7·2. They don't mind the current, so long as that current brings food with it

ANNs are great jumpers too, especially when they are stressed. I've maintained mine in uncovered containers/tanks and they're still there, hiding in a forest of plants (that others have pruned and wanted to throw away).

Show me pics of your ANN tank and we can discuss further.

[stormydax]

hi guys,
I do not have a recent pic as i have deleted it away from my memory card. However, i posted the pic in petfrd sometime back.

thread as : http://www.petfrd.com/forum/showthre...ht=Shrimp+tank

ron, i have not added in the killies as yet because do not want to kill them if my tank is not suitable...

thanks

yours sincerely,
Storm

[stormydax]

Hi guys,
I just bought two clown killies and they do not seem to feed on the small crushed pellet i fed them. Please let me know what type of food to feed them with.

thanks

yours sincerely,
Jeff

[keehoe]

I think clown killie doesn't eat anything not moving.

[RonWill]

I think clown killie doesn't eat anything not moving.

Yes and no. If the ANNs are used to live foods, they will also take to fresh-frozen daphnia or BBS, but feed these 'dead' food sparingly as ANNs don't feed off the bottom. Have scavengers like shrimps, snails and pgymy corys to clear uneaten food.

Jeff, the killies I've raised that will take to slow-sinking pellets are GARs and some Aphyosemion. AFAIK, ANNs don't eat prepared flakes or pellets, although their fry will consume APR and spirulina.

If your ANNs are around 1cm, they are probably stressed and won't eat for a day or two. I was also wondering why you bought only 2 because having a small group help start a feeding frenzy and hasten their adaptation to new environment.

My response won't help much as I feed almost exclusively live and cultured foods to all my killies

[stormydax]

Hi ron and keehoe,
thanks for your reply. The reason i bought two is becuase there are only two left.haha.I could not find anywhere else that sell clown killies.Anyway, i am only inteding to get 5 to try out first, just in case the parameters of my tank is not suitable.

ron., may i know what u suggest that i feed them with?

thanks

yours sincerely,
Jeff

[stormhawk]

Hello Jeff,

I have two female ANN and they were adopted from a fellow hobbyist who wanted to give them away.

They're feeding well on tubifex and daphnia. They also ate flake food on the surface of the water.

For tubifex you will need a worm feeder. If the worms sink too fast for the clowns to eat, then they will ignore most of these worms that reach the bottom of the tank, especially if there is gravel at the bottom.

[whuntley]

Bbs are a fine food for ANN, I think. Set up a hatchery and try them for a while. They may give you too many eggs and babies, but you can suffer through that, can't you?

Wright

[stormydax]

hi guys,
5 of my clown killies jumped out of my tank...anyway to reduce the chances of them jumping out?

thanks

yours sincerely,
jeff

[zmzfam]

Jeff,

Put in lots of floating plants. Basic will be to put a cover over your tank.

[stormydax]

hi guys,
I was out for a show and when i returned 4 jumped out of the tank again. In total, i lost 9 clown kilies.I have already added some floating plants and a cover, though the cover only covers a the front of the tank. There is still some holes inbetween, but those are small holes.Yet, they manage to jump out of the tank...

thanks

yours sincerely,
storm

[Shae]

Trust me if there are holes, your killies will find them. Its a shame you lost the ANN's they are very pretty fish, i have been after some for a very long time know. Supposedly they are quiet hard to breed. or so i hear from the NZ keepers that used to have them, but i think thats due to the fact that our blood lines are old and there has been so much inbreeding that they are becoming very hard to get and breed.

If my killie tanks are uncovered there is generally, alot of water sprite, indian fern, riccia or floating hygophilia in the tank aswell.

Shae

[whuntley]

ANN's reputation for being difficult is based mainly on two things:

1) The eggs do not survive handling, on average. Never try to pick from mops.

2) The hatchlings are very tiny and need ample infusoria to grow to a size where they can eat normal foods.

This means that a "natural" breeding setup works best for most folks. A densely-planted tank, with only ANN will generate babies at a slow but steady rate. The babies first show up hiding in the meniscus along the edge of the tank, and should be removed as soon as spotted. [Eye dropper or Chinese soup spoon work about equally well.] The parents are not cannibals, but older babies are, so they need to be separated into near-equal sizes or you will have high attrition rates.

Wright