Tolerance with heat

[Boube]

Hi all,

It's my first post here but I read you for a few weeks. I'm french and I live in Montpellier. I have got some killies few years ago and I come back to them now. I have maintained A. australe gold, A. striatum LEC 93/29 and Pseudepiplatys annulatus.
The problem is that there was a summer with a very high temp in my little flat, and all aphyosemions died. The temp rose up to 31-32°C or 88-90°F.
My new flat is quite less hot so I would like to try again. I will also place a fan on top of my tank.

I would like to ask you something. I see that lots of members of killies.com live in warm countries. But majority of killies like "fresh" water (near 20-22°C or 70°F). So : do you have any air-conditioning or do you choose species who like warm ? What kind of species are able to cope with some weeks in summer with a water temp near 30°C or 86°F ?
Thank you in advance for your help, and please excuse my poor english !

[TyroneGenade]

In summer in SA I lower the water level in the tank, and increase the aeration. I also feed lots of fatty foods like cyclops. That seems to help a great deal with the Aphyosemions.

[timebomb]

Welcome to the forum, Aurélien. We're glad you took some time to read the posts before asking your first questions.

In Singapore, we don't have the seasons. It's hot the whole year round and temperatures can reach as high as 33 C even when indoors. As I type, there's a thermometer in front of me and that's the temperature now - 33 C. Heck, it's a real warm and humid day today. I just took a shower but the sweat is pouring down my back.

Although Killies prefer lower temperatures, I think the A. australes wouldn't mind if the thermometer hits 32 C. The same however, isn't true for the A. striatum. This Killie prefers it cold. So far, most of us here in Singapore have failed to keep this species alive for very long as our tanks are rather warm. As for the P. annulatus, Ronnie is the best person to answer your question.

Using a fan to cool down a tank is a good idea. Over here, many aquatic plant hobbyists use small cooling fans to bring down the temperature of their tanks. The fan or fans (depending on how big is your tank) has/have to be just above the water surface for it to work effectively. It cools by evaporation. In other words, the faster your water evaporates, the cooler your tank. If your ambient temperature is around 32 C, the fan can lower it to about 28 or 29. It may seem like a small drop but that's enough to keep your fish happy, I think.

Loh K L

[RonWill]

...do you have any air-conditioning or do you choose species who like warm ? What kind of species are able to cope with some weeks in summer with a water temp near 30°C or 86°F ?

Hi Aurélien, the temperatures in my tanks using Henri filters varies between 24°~27°C and I try not to kill cool-water killies with our hot climate. I refrain from using a chiller since that will kill my wallet.

The construction and installation of the filter can be found in this thread; Henri deBruyn mini wet/dry filters

Pseudepiplatys annulatus are not difficult and quite tolerant to pH and higher temperatures. Those I breed are tested in water pH4~7.5 and 24°~32°C.

You might some answers here at Breeding the Epiplatys (Pseudepiplatys) annulatus or try using the 'search' function with your keywords. Let us know if we can be of further help.

[Boube]

Hi !

Thank you for your answers.
The filters you describe in the topic related in your post are very interresting ! I will try this for sure. But for the moment my lids are not adapted.

Ok for the AUS, they seem to be OK for summer hot periods.
Do you know about other Aphysemions or small Fundulopanchax that might be tolerant to high temperatures ?

Thank you for your help.

[RonWill]

...But for the moment my lids are not adapted

I live with one belief; that objects are 'dead' (inanimate) but the mind is alive, meaning, things are never as impossible as it seems (although I've been known to be wrong).

Aurélien, post a picture of your tank lid and follow-up on the Henri thread. Some of us here are die-hard DIY'ers and might be able to come up with something (without getting you and your hobby getting kicked out of the house )

Most Fundulopanchax I know are better tolerant to higher temps but not so for all Aphyosemions. I've had heat related issues with keeping the following species alive;
A.elberti
A. exigoideum
A. striatum
A. primigenium

Others may know better though.

[panchax]

For Fundulopanchax how does sjoestedti fare in warm 28-30'C water? And we can expect Gabon/Congo Aphyosemion not to do ok in warm water in general?

[whuntley]

It depends on where they originate.

The coastal lowlands can be very warm, but many highlands fish from the central masiffe (sp?) are used to fast-moving, cool streams with ample oxygen. That is tough for those of us living in warmer locations to maintain.

Here in the high desert, I have two temperatures -- too cold and too hot. It snowed here, yesterday, but can get up to 48C or so in summer.

Wright

[panchax]

Thanks. Are there lowland killies that have overall coloration matching highland killies such as exigoideum or ogoense group?

[stormhawk]

I'm not sure if there's any lowland killies that are as nice as the exigoideum or ogoense-type group.

panchax, I understand you are from Thailand. Could you at least give an introduction of yourself? Thanks.

[whuntley]

Thanks. Are there lowland killies that have overall coloration matching highland killies such as exigoideum or ogoense group?

Hi "panchax." How do I address you?

Yes, there are many. I tend to get a bit bored with the red and blue fishes of the highlands. Sure, jorgenscheeli can be tough to breed in warmer water, but when you are done, you still just have another blue and red fish.

Lowland bright fish include our familiar AUS as well as such beauties as Fp. oeseri, SJO, ANN, or Fp. walkeri. If you want something less common, look at A. calliurum. Many of the Chromaphyosemions come from the coastal regions, including BITs, BIVs and A. splendopleure.

It is a simple fact that early sailor-importers could get fish near the coast easier, so many of the oldest species in the hobby are from the coastal lowlands. Don't knock them if you have not seen some of the Paludopanchax from W. Africa. Fp. arnoldi (the original bright yellow strain) and the lovely lavender Fp. filamentosus from around Lagos are hard to beat.

If you are uncontrollably hooked on a red and blue fish, check out oeseri or the A. striatum look-alike that needs only very slightly cooler water. [No where near as cold or oxygenated as needed by most highlands fishes.]

HTH

Wright

[panchax]

Thanks Mr. Wright. I am indeed hooked to the blue/red fish by a giant hook straight through the mouth ^_^ Having blue/red fish that can thrive in warm water would be great. Oeseri and related species are very attractive for me, but it is hard to match Ogoense GHP 80/24 [which I assume wouldn't survive the heat?].

That said I am indeed interested in Fundulopanchax in general, but locally only Gardneri of some type seems to be avaliable with some regularity .