INDEX
KILLIFISH
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THE FISH
Killifish (F. gardneri)
Fundulopanchax gardneri
| HABITS |
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It is possible to keep these killies in a community tank with other fish of a similar size or larger, but they should not be kept with long-finned fish, as these will be shredded! Males will start their own Fight Club. They should be kept in soft, slightly acidic to neutral water having a pH level of 6.5-7.0 and at a temperature of between 72ºF and 80ºF. There are 4 subspecies of this fish, which until quite recently was known as Aphyosemion gardneri. They are gardneri gardneri and gardneri clauseni from Nigeria; the less commonly seen gardneri lacustris from Cameroon; and gardneri mamfensis from both countries. You must have either 1 male with 1 or 2 females, or a group of 3 or more pairs to soften the violence between the males. Keep the aquarium well covered as adult fish can leap several inches out of the water.
Text supplied by the BKA for more information about killifish, visit the British Killifish Association website at www.bka.org.uk
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| SIZE |
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These killies grow to 8 cm, but will breed at half this size.
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| FOOD |
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These fish will eat pretty much anything except low quality flake, but prefer live or frozen foods. See recommended sera Foods below,
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FOOD
TYPES |
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| SEXING |
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The colouring varies considerably amongst the males, not only between the subspecies, but also within the regional variations as well. The females are fairly similar in appearance, having shorter, more rounded, almost colourless fins and sandy-brown to grayish-brown bodies with red dots on their flanks.
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| BREEDING |
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A male with 1-2 females in a small, well furnished tank with soft, slightly acidic water between 74ºF and 80ºF will spawn on fine leafed plants or breeding mops, and in soft substrata like peat. Eggs, which can be found at all levels of breeding mops and among fibers of peat substrata, if provided, are like tiny glass beads about 1.5 mm in diameter. It is best to move the eggs on breeding mops to a separate tank or container having about 5 cm of water from the parents' tank, in case the adults get peckish between meals. The fry will hatch in 14 to 21 days. The fry will take newly hatched brine shrimp upon hatching. If the eggs are spawned in peat, this can be removed from the tank, squeezed to release most of the water, left until just damp and stored for about 8 weeks in a plastic bag or container. At the end of this period, drop the peat in a tank as described for the breeding mops and the fry should hatch within 48 hours. This simulates the natural drying out of some streams and pools in the dry seasons, where the eggs survive the drought and are triggered into hatching when the rains return and refill the waterways. Fish that use this optional breeding style are called switch spawners.
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The Fish
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