Hi from Puerto Rico

[hl0107]

Hola from Puerto Rico,

I recently found this forum and is fantastic. I acquire a pair of Fundulopanchax Gardneri "Misaje" and they are in a 10 gallon aquarium with a sponge filter, Naja Grass and mops. Also got a trio of Aphyosemion bittaeniatum in another 10 gallon with the same setup. They are relatively young and I recently got about 6 eggs from both of them with only one hatch from the Aphyosemion and three from the Gar. I put them in a small container with water from the aquarium and a little methylene blue. Any advice for keeping these fish and the eggs would be greatly appreciated.

Gracias, Hector.

[timebomb]

Hi, Hector,

Welcome to the forum. It's sure good to hear from hobbyists living in faraway nations. Puerto Rico? Now where is that on the world map? It sounds like one of those countries where their Miss Universe representative consistently makes it to the top ten Or is that Costa Rica?

You're doing fine with your Killies. I've never tried methylene blue myself but as far as I know, in small dosages, it won't work. You have to dose heavily, to the point where the eggs turn blue before the medication becomes effective. I still think using an algae eating shrimp to keep fungus at bay is one of the better methods. One of our forum users, Diapteron Dave, I think, discovered recently that the Amano shrimp, also known as Yamato numa ebi, is good for keeping non-annual eggs in good condition.

As far as I know too, young adults produce more eggs than old ones. Collect as many as you can when they're young and fertile.

Loh K L

[hl0107]

We are a small island in the Caribbean and territory of the US. Yes that’s us, our representative are always between the finalists. I tried with small cherry shrimps and they ate the eggs in one night. I don’t know if they ate them because I didn’t saw them but when I check the eggs the next morning they were gone and only the two shrimps. So I wouldn’t use those shrimps again.

Thanks, Hector.

[Diapterondave]

Perhaps I jumped the gun on those amano shrimp. It seems only the small ones work. Though not all the eggs are gone I find fewer then i put in. The smaller Neocardonia sp do work better. I have been working with the two and I do feel the Neo cardnio sp are far better. They do work mind you but when I get a large spawn for some reason i do see a decline in eggs that make it. I also think they may eat or attack the babies when they hatch because I had a dozen or so eyed up eggs all doing great for a long time but only a few made it to free-swimming.
And now to my Boriqua welcome to the forum. I am also from the Island so I had to say hello. Soy de Cayay bienvenidos.
To help you get started in killies please send me your address and ill be happy to send you some eggs I have from the killies im working with.

Hector,

Like it has been explained on this forum small shrimp will do a wonderful job of egg incubating. I also feel the feces promote good bacteria etc and keep a healthy environment for the eggs. Other methods work but you have to fiddle with it a while. I have even put a mop in a shallow tray with java moss and in a few weeks i had babies. so if you just need toi get a few fry it wont be long there are so many methods. If your tank is pklanted heavily like with the najas grass you said you have you will very likely get fry anyway. I can also send you a shrimp with your eggs if you cant find them locally. BTW there are so many cool fish in Puerto Rico I want to go back and collect some next time i go. When i was a boy we collected some very cool large predatory shrimp they would eat most fish we put with them. There are also Rosy Barbs all over the island that are just breath taking. There are many cool black water streams in Puerto Rico I would not be surprised to find any Killies. I know cuba has some native rivs I belive. Glad to have met you please e-mail me [email protected] Your in PR but I can still ship to you as normal mail so it will be easy to send you eggs.

[hl0107]

Hello,

David you are from Cayey , Im from Guaynabo. I think that shrimp is the Macrobrachium acanthurus and you are right the Rosy Barbs are great. Some friends here collected some a few moths ago and the colors a great. When you a ready come here and collect some fish I can give you a hand. We also got two aquarist organizations, one in the west side of the island and one in the metro area. Both organizations sometimes make trips across the island to collect different fishes and they know some great spot to catch some fish. I’m going to take your word and email you.

Thanks Hector

[whuntley]

Hi Hector,

Welcome. I lived in Puerto Rico for a little over a year. Even married my 1st wife there. We lived in Isabela in 1953. [She was as pretty as some of your beauty queens, but actually came from Bishop.]

Put me down for one of those collecting trips, OK?

Wright

[hwchoy]

David, rosy barbs all over Puerto Rico is not cool I'm afraid. They don't belong there and they shouldn't have been. Unfortunately this is what we have done to many of our planet's ecosystem.

Here in Singapore we have lots of feral guppies, which should have been over at Trinidad and not over here at all!

Tell me more about the livebearers you have over there.

[stormhawk]

Puerto Rico is home to some killifish species. Apparently the hermaphrodite killifish named Kryptolebias marmoratus.. or Rivulus marmoratus as it was previously called is native to the island.

There's also some endemic livebearers like Poecilia vivipara. See this list for known freshwater fishes that inhabit the waters of Puerto Rico.

http://www.fishbase.org/Country/Coun...oup=freshwater

There's really alot of introduced species on the island!!

[Piscesgirl]

It's so interesting to me to read of places where tropical fish would survive if released (even though I'm not suggesting to do that!). Now, I have to find such a place that never has severe weather like hurricanes or anything else

[whuntley]

Deborah,

Might as well rule out earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons while making up that list. :-) Central Africa may be the only place that qualifies, but I somehow don't see you moving there, when you won't even hire Smith and Wesson to guard your mailbox.

I missed all the hurricane fun, my year in Puerto Rico, but I was on the last plane into Biloxi in the big one that nearly missed us there but chowdered Mobile.

It was the last storm of a season very much like this one (Oct. 1950). It was two cycles ago. That is, we have had two quiet periods and two active ones, since 1950. Maybe we can blame weather cycles on "global warming."

Wright

[Piscesgirl]

I have not problems with either Mr. Smith or Mr. Wesson the only problem would be sitting by my mailbox and waiting for the culprits! If it was within viewing distance from my house, then that would be a different story That said, I think I agree with you that I don't think Central Africa and I would be very compatible.

All those severe weathers are on my list, Wright!

[stormhawk]

Deb, you can move to Singapore.

We got no hurricanes, typhoons, etc. Only the occasional storm thats all. But hopefully nothing bigger.

And nope, you don't need a guard with a Smith & Wesson rifle to watch over your mailbox.

[whuntley]

Minor technical point. I'm not aware Mssrs Smith and Wesson made rifles.

They did make some fine handguns, though. I agree with Deborah that sitting out in the cold just to pepper some culprit's butt with a snake load is too much misery for too little gain.

Wright

[hwchoy]

most Singaporeans are more familiar with rifles and MGs than handguns I'm afraid a small number may be familiar with submachines. only pilots and police get handguns.

[Piscesgirl]

Deb, you can move to Singapore.

We got no hurricanes, typhoons, etc. Only the occasional storm thats all. But hopefully nothing bigger.

And nope, you don't need a guard with a Smith & Wesson rifle to watch over your mailbox.

Are there no tsunamis either? *perks up* I have to admit it has a certain allure to it. My only problem is my horse and my dogs. They have to come too! Oh, and I would need a job.

a small number may be familiar with submachines.

[hwchoy]

a small number may be familiar with submachines.

yes yes, why bother with Mr. Smith and Mr. Wesson when you can have Mr. Heckler and Mr. Koch ? in fact you will find them right at the airport walking about along with Mr. SAR and Mr. Colt.

[hl0107]

Hello everyone.

Is nice meeting you all and I hope to learn more about these wonderful fishes. Right know I only have these two species but I hoping to get some more soon. When I begin keeping fishes someone tell me that this hobby can be very addictive and he was right . Now I got 9 aquarium and 3 small ponds outside.

Saludos, Hector.