Aphyosemion Campomaanense

[richardkwan]

Hi all,

I was just told that I have successfully bid for 30 eggs of A Campomaanense from Kenjiro. I'm a bit surprised as I was just testing it out, being my first time. Just like the picture of the fish and bid.

As I searched the net, realize that it is a new found species and not much info on it. Any bro here can give me some advise on it? Btw, where can I buy a grindal worm starter culture? Thanks.

Being my first time, I don't know if I can be successful in raising any fry, but if I do, I would like to share with any bro who would be interested in this species for FREE!

Thanks in advance for your advice.

Rgds,
Richard

[jeremiahtan]

Hey bro,

maybe you can check out this thread for the grindal worms: http://www.aquaticquotient.com/forum...rm-Vinegar-Eel

[richardkwan]

Hi Jeremiah,

Thank you so much. That was very helpful!

Rgds,
Richard

[RonWill]

Richard, IIRC, Stormhawk was also incubating a batch of Aphyosemion campomaanense eggs. Not sure if he said something about fuzz balls or...??? Perhaps he will chip in later.

Transportation stress is often underestimated and if you're successful in hatching and raising the fry, may I humbly suggest not traumatizing the little ones until they're about 1cm. Then you can share them around as you please.

It's always good to spread a large safety net but do request for updates from those who benefited from your generosity, since that's the only way to know the local status of any killie.

[stormhawk]

I won a bid for 35 eggs from the same seller, paid for EMS shipment from Japan. Eggs arrived in good order but out of 35 I think there was only 25 or so eggs that survived. Many were already eyed-up or so, and some others in advanced stages of development. I wetted the peat however but almost all the eggs started fuzzing up over the next few days, even in the acid water in the tray. However, your experience may differ so I wish you luck with them. Note, they will come with very little but soggy peat. I would suggest just leaving them on the peat until they're ready. While I like this species, I am waiting for a Malaysian friend of mine to have some luck with his pairs. Who knows, maybe in the future I can obtain adult/young pairs from him in Malaysia.

[RonWill]

Guys, I was just thinking... perhaps it *might* be a good idea to add a tinge of methylene blue solution to the hatching water to minimize fungal/bacterial bloom. While said treatment is believed to harden the egg shell somewhat, it's still better than losing the egg, especially when it's in advanced embryol development.

For tough-to-hatch eggs (or you can see the little bugger struggling to break out), injecting CO² into the hatching water doesn't sound like a bad idea. Alternatively, put the eggs into a 35mm film canister, blow your bad breath into it, cap and shake vigorously. [yeah, I know... 35mm canisters are vintage stuffs but I still have some ]

Richard, please prepare your microscopic soup in advance and try grab hold of some microworms and daphnia, so the young fry won't starve to death. Add a generous spread of java moss and a few red ramhorn snails as well, to rid any uneaten foods. I no longer maintain MW cultures but the shopmaster at GC usually have tubifex/daphnia on most Thursdays (for his regulars and kakis).

JianYang, I was digging into my gmail archive for some killie stuffs and found the SG Killie Census... both 2004 and 2005 editions!! Please check your email inbox (if it's still the same. If not, SMS me new addy). I don't think there's a need for updates since new additions are far and few in between but it will give the rest of the folks here, an idea of killie species maintained in the past.

[Now let's sit back and watch the rest drool and lament they couldn't be there sooner!! ]

[stormhawk]

Great, now I don't have to dig them up from my old hard drives hahaha.

[RonWill]

Ya... but where do you suggest I host another set online? Not sure if Gmail or Photobucket has such sharing/hot-linking features but once you've posted it up, update on a new thread... see if you can get it 'stickied'.

[stormhawk]

There's Google Documents. I know my friend has an Excel spreadsheet up there somewhere, and works fine.

[richardkwan]

Hi Ronnie & JianYang,

Thanks for the very good advices. Really appreciate them.

A quick question. Will Malaysian trumpet snails cause any danger to the eggs?

Thanks and rgds,
Richard

[RonWill]

Will Malaysian trumpet snails cause any danger to the eggs?

Richard, nuke the suckers!

While they *might* be useful to aquatic gardeners, minimizing substrate compacting and perhaps functioning as scavengers, MTS are notorious for seeking and eating eggs... ask me how I know.

Aside from being difficult to rid, hiding during the day and burrowing into the substrate, their hard shells make them difficult to crush. The worst is that in adverse conditions, they shut their 'trap door' and go dormant. Bleaching the tank or sun-drying the substrate doesn't always ensure total eradication and I usually resort to tearing down the setup, baking stuffs in the oven or using controlled treatments.

Not all snails are bad though and I particularly favor ramhorn snails so much so that I actually take the effort to breed them, mostly maintain mono cultures. All my hatching and growing-out tanks are always 'equipped' with a couple of young RHS to clean up fungicized killie eggs and/or clean up uneaten foods (before heavy feeding foul up the water). RHS's poop is inert but becomes food to feed bacteria, which in turn feed micro-fauna that tiny fry need before moving on to larger foods.

[stormhawk]

That's why I make it a habit to raid Ronnie's place for red ramshorn babies...

[RonWill]

*Note to self* - Impose a 30-meter no-cross border for JianYang, from where I work or play with water!!

Folks, I learn something new lately... one of my experiments went wrong and I killed a tub of RHS!! Maybe I'll try this on MTS someday...

[richardkwan]

Hi Ronnie,

Thanks for the advice on MTS.

Sounds like you and MTS really cannot get along and beyond reconciliation

Rgds,
Richard

[TyroneGenade]

See http://www.bka.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=267 for an in depth article.

[richardkwan]

Hi Tyrone,

Thank you so much for the very helpful info.

Rgds,
Richard

[richardkwan]

Hi all,

I finally received the eggs this afternoon after a saga with Singpost...the eggs were in the warehouse since 29 June!

Duly put the eggs into the water and just prayed (I was feeling hopeless thinking about what my poor eggs have been through...). Surprise, surprise.... I found 4 frys after 3 hours!

Just wondering how the eggs could have survived for so long in the hot environment in a warehouse! Amazing!

Rgds,
Richard

[stormhawk]

I think it was an air-conditioned warehouse, that's why they survived.

Congratulations with your 4 fry. I wish you luck with them.

[richardkwan]

Hi Jianyang,

Thanks for the good wishes.

So far, 18 eggs have hatched. 1 died and 1 struggling with inflated belly. How do I help this poor fellow who has been struggling since yesterday?

Thanks and rgds,
Richard

[stormhawk]

If it's spinning around or having difficulties swimming, there is little that you can do. Belly sliders are common in this hobby, and some can even survive to adulthood and spawn.