Question: Need Help Hatching Killies
I've just received some eggs through the mail and was told to add water. I've added my water and the container is being lightly aerated upon the suggestion of a friend of mine. It is kept at ambient room temperature during the day, which is 78. The water consists of half tap and half rainwater.
My question is how long should I wait to redry the peat, or should I just turn off the air stone and let whatever eggs may be in there to water incubate. Just in case it makes a difference these are A. striatum eggs.
My question is how long should I wait to redry the peat, or should I just turn off the air stone and let whatever eggs may be in there to water incubate. Just in case it makes a difference these are A. striatum eggs.
Answer:
Striatum are plant spawners, as are the large majority of killifish. They are also among the most gorgeous of killies. Sometimes we do them a disfavor by calling them beginners' killies.
Hatching
Striatum leave their eggs hanging on plant parts, gravel, sticks, hair algae or what-have-you. Shipping eggs on wet peat is a convenience, however you don't want to put the eggs back on that peat. The eggs should hatch in approximately two weeks, less time if it is hot weather. If you see any unhatched eggs, take an eyedropper or food baster and draw them off. Leave them in clean, but "seasoned" water (this would be for more water incubation) in a jar, plastic box or bowl well out of the bright light.
If the eggs look pretty dark and well developed, draw the eggs and some water and put them in a well rinsed, soapless pill bottle, cap it and carry it around with you. Body motion and heat should "force" those eggs to hatch. Let the bottle temperature return to room temperature before pouring them back in with their siblings. I would recommend opening the adjusting bottle - but only if it could be placed out of harm's way.
It is easier to raise the fry if they all hatch out about the same time. Some people would have you remove or pour off the hatched youngsters into a newly set up tank. Others, including myself, recommend just adding some more of the same kind of water to the container they were hatched in and adding some plants (Java moss or water sprite are excellent, a lot of others will do). The plants serve to give them shelter, some oxygen, help with waste removal, and will have microscopic creatures on their leaves and stalks which the new born killies can graze on. You should be getting your other foods ready for them already.
Feeding the Fry
If the killie fry are free swimming, they are probably ready to eat. Wait only if they still have a stomach protuberance indicating that their yoke sack is not yet absorbed. If you are hatching brine shrimp as fry food, don't hatch a lot at a time. Soon after the baby shrimp (nauplii) have emerged from their cysts (shells), feed them to the Killie fry. Feeding baby brine shrimp is something of an art form. It is easy to learn, but also easy to over feed.
Over feeding can cause serious problems if the uneaten brine shrimp is left too long (over a day for instance). Killies are not vulnerable to many diseases. Velvet can develop if a lot of uneaten brine shrimp is around. Decaying brine shrimp seems to provide a perfect environment for the velvet. (This is a concern when raising Corys, Rainbowfish, Bettas and Anabandids too.) I recommend placing a few small pond snails in with the hatched fry (not with the more vulnerable eggs) so that they can eat any left over shrimp. Thus avoiding problems caused by decaying leftovers.
Vinegar eels or micro worms are good foods, but the fry will outgrow them and soon need more. As the young fry approach 1-2 cm they can be weaned onto finely powdered flake food. Run your finger along the food dust that accumulates on the inside of flake food containers.
Although easier said then done, several small feedings a day is ideal. Living in a less than ideal world, we do the best we can. A morning feeding of live food allows the fry to hunt them for some time. They stay active and exercised (and don't spend their time in vandalism and writing their names on the tank side).
A controversial food, because it comes from freestanding water outside of one's residence, are newly hatched mosquito larvae. Their egg rafts look like little pieces of charcoal scratched out with a fingernail. There is no controversy about them being wonderful fry food. Usually they will obligingly bob around until eaten. Either hatch them in a cup of water or just dump the egg rafts in with the fry (Be aware that snails will also eat the rafts). If the baby "mossies" are fed in large numbers, they may grow as big as the fry. In that case, use a turkey baster to draw the mosquito larvae out. Feed them to someone who can appreciate them.
About the Water
Do partial (10-30%) water changes as often as you can. Many of us start out doing these changes a couple of times a week or daily with our first batches of killie fry. As we get more killies and fry, the number of water changes dramatically declines to about once a week. That is unfortunate, and is why people new to killies sometimes have some of the largest, nicest specimens.
Modest filtration is useful. Either a small sponge filter or a piece of hard airline tubing used to provide water movement will do. If a corner box filter is used, take off it's top so fry don't get caught there. Bubbling should be slow enough that you can easily count the rising bubbles. Water movement should be gentle. These fish, especially the fry, are not naturally found in a current.
Room temperature is fine. While there are warm water killies, sometimes we do our killies a disservice by keeping them too warm. In warm temperatures food they could transfer into growth or egg production, is used just to keep their metabolism going.
In time, give the growing fry more space. They can start in just a couple of gallons (4-10 liters) of water. As they grow, a five gallon or ten gallon tank would be better for "grow out". Increase the air flow a little. The record is varied as to whether they might jump out, but it is wise to cover the tank, perhaps with a piece of glass or a scrap of plexiglass. Certainly adults can and will jump. Even if the fry don't jump, there is less evaporation if the tank is covered. Dirt, other pets (especially thirsty dogs or curious cats) and children don't get in as easily.
Good luck and all the best! Scott
Striatum are plant spawners, as are the large majority of killifish. They are also among the most gorgeous of killies. Sometimes we do them a disfavor by calling them beginners' killies.
Hatching
Striatum leave their eggs hanging on plant parts, gravel, sticks, hair algae or what-have-you. Shipping eggs on wet peat is a convenience, however you don't want to put the eggs back on that peat. The eggs should hatch in approximately two weeks, less time if it is hot weather. If you see any unhatched eggs, take an eyedropper or food baster and draw them off. Leave them in clean, but "seasoned" water (this would be for more water incubation) in a jar, plastic box or bowl well out of the bright light.
If the eggs look pretty dark and well developed, draw the eggs and some water and put them in a well rinsed, soapless pill bottle, cap it and carry it around with you. Body motion and heat should "force" those eggs to hatch. Let the bottle temperature return to room temperature before pouring them back in with their siblings. I would recommend opening the adjusting bottle - but only if it could be placed out of harm's way.
It is easier to raise the fry if they all hatch out about the same time. Some people would have you remove or pour off the hatched youngsters into a newly set up tank. Others, including myself, recommend just adding some more of the same kind of water to the container they were hatched in and adding some plants (Java moss or water sprite are excellent, a lot of others will do). The plants serve to give them shelter, some oxygen, help with waste removal, and will have microscopic creatures on their leaves and stalks which the new born killies can graze on. You should be getting your other foods ready for them already.
Feeding the Fry
If the killie fry are free swimming, they are probably ready to eat. Wait only if they still have a stomach protuberance indicating that their yoke sack is not yet absorbed. If you are hatching brine shrimp as fry food, don't hatch a lot at a time. Soon after the baby shrimp (nauplii) have emerged from their cysts (shells), feed them to the Killie fry. Feeding baby brine shrimp is something of an art form. It is easy to learn, but also easy to over feed.
Over feeding can cause serious problems if the uneaten brine shrimp is left too long (over a day for instance). Killies are not vulnerable to many diseases. Velvet can develop if a lot of uneaten brine shrimp is around. Decaying brine shrimp seems to provide a perfect environment for the velvet. (This is a concern when raising Corys, Rainbowfish, Bettas and Anabandids too.) I recommend placing a few small pond snails in with the hatched fry (not with the more vulnerable eggs) so that they can eat any left over shrimp. Thus avoiding problems caused by decaying leftovers.
Vinegar eels or micro worms are good foods, but the fry will outgrow them and soon need more. As the young fry approach 1-2 cm they can be weaned onto finely powdered flake food. Run your finger along the food dust that accumulates on the inside of flake food containers.
Although easier said then done, several small feedings a day is ideal. Living in a less than ideal world, we do the best we can. A morning feeding of live food allows the fry to hunt them for some time. They stay active and exercised (and don't spend their time in vandalism and writing their names on the tank side).
A controversial food, because it comes from freestanding water outside of one's residence, are newly hatched mosquito larvae. Their egg rafts look like little pieces of charcoal scratched out with a fingernail. There is no controversy about them being wonderful fry food. Usually they will obligingly bob around until eaten. Either hatch them in a cup of water or just dump the egg rafts in with the fry (Be aware that snails will also eat the rafts). If the baby "mossies" are fed in large numbers, they may grow as big as the fry. In that case, use a turkey baster to draw the mosquito larvae out. Feed them to someone who can appreciate them.
About the Water
Do partial (10-30%) water changes as often as you can. Many of us start out doing these changes a couple of times a week or daily with our first batches of killie fry. As we get more killies and fry, the number of water changes dramatically declines to about once a week. That is unfortunate, and is why people new to killies sometimes have some of the largest, nicest specimens.
Modest filtration is useful. Either a small sponge filter or a piece of hard airline tubing used to provide water movement will do. If a corner box filter is used, take off it's top so fry don't get caught there. Bubbling should be slow enough that you can easily count the rising bubbles. Water movement should be gentle. These fish, especially the fry, are not naturally found in a current.
Room temperature is fine. While there are warm water killies, sometimes we do our killies a disservice by keeping them too warm. In warm temperatures food they could transfer into growth or egg production, is used just to keep their metabolism going.
In time, give the growing fry more space. They can start in just a couple of gallons (4-10 liters) of water. As they grow, a five gallon or ten gallon tank would be better for "grow out". Increase the air flow a little. The record is varied as to whether they might jump out, but it is wise to cover the tank, perhaps with a piece of glass or a scrap of plexiglass. Certainly adults can and will jump. Even if the fry don't jump, there is less evaporation if the tank is covered. Dirt, other pets (especially thirsty dogs or curious cats) and children don't get in as easily.
Good luck and all the best! Scott
