heff Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 Does anyone have these little gorgeous fish? How are they to keep, breed, watch, etc.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanGofCalgary Posted July 26, 2011 Report Share Posted July 26, 2011 Pseudomugil furcatus I don't keep them, but if I am not mistaken, Gary Lange brought some eggs with him to both the Edmonton and Calgary spring workshops? possibly it was another species. I think they've been around town though at Riverfront and possibly Pisces. You could call and check with them if they have any. Check also with Rick of the Calgary Aquarium Society. (I think he's on this forum, someone else will have to tell you as who, because I don't recall). He's probably our biggest 'local' expert on the rainbows and other fish from that area of the world, like the furcatus. Overall I would anticipate that they are very similar to breeding other rainbows. Set up a species tank, or at least one that can't mix eggs, and put in a spawning mop. Good feed of live food, like bbs, white worms, etc. and collect eggs. hatch in a good amount of methylene blue *(there are other antifungals, that is just the one that I prefer). If I am not mistaken, I think the Pseudomugil's require some food at the microworm level for the first week or so. Vinegar eels, or other substitutes probably would work too. then get them on bbs and raise em up! Another option to live food is the line of Golden pearls that you can get from Harold (Fairdeal) locallly, or order online from Ken's foods. I honestly don't know how succesful you might be with that over live food, but as an fyi I tend to supplement most of my live food with Golden pearls just to make sure of a balanced diet potential. I think most fry will eat the live food first but most have readily taken the Golden pearls too. I tend to put in some golden pearls about 5-10 minutes before feeding live food. Just the way I do it, I'm sure there are better methods that others can describe They're a very pretty little fish, and I'm likely to try spawnning them some time in the future, just have too many other spawning projects going on right now! Dan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfong Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 Gary brought up pairs of Pseudomugil gertrudae 'Aru II' and eggs as well to the Edmonton and Calgary workshops. Keep them in a covered planted tank as they like to jump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jewels Posted July 27, 2011 Report Share Posted July 27, 2011 (edited) I have kept these for a few years. My fourth generation should be along in about a month or so. They are certainly a hoot to watch. The males are constantly displaying, and the females establish a pecking order as well. They will enjoy as much cirulation as you can provide -even after they get blown around the corner they will come back for more. I prefer to set up two males with four or five females in a heavily planted tank. Eggs can hatch in a week ; so I pull every one out after the sixth day. Don't believe everything 'ya read- mine have bred @ 17-18 C. I have never spied on with an 'egg sack' proper. They sure are tiny. Mine get by on high quality skunge until I notice them. As I have never used live foods for them, they get by on krill fines and homemade food. Not that I feel this is the ultimate and singular path to success - its just all I have been prepared to do. I lose a few from time to time. My vitality meter is askew as I am more familiar with livebearer fry; which are notoroiusly hardy. Blue-eyes are more fragile in comparision. Parents are highly predatory, although fry may 'appear with adults' they certainly won't be making a long apperance. Fry are slow and spend to much time in the open. I had a three week old guppy fry wipe eight out of a thirty gallon overnight. Edited July 27, 2011 by jewels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heff Posted August 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 Wow, that's a ton of info. I've seen a few in forktails at big als from time to time and watching them show is a sight to be seen. Their tolerance of alkaline water is a plus but having them prey on their young is not ideal. Oh well; same problem with my celestial pearl danios. Thanks for the info. When I get my third tank up and running, I think these will be a fantastic primary fish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanGofCalgary Posted August 4, 2011 Report Share Posted August 4, 2011 That's interesting on your CPD. Mine do NOT predate their young. However, I did add a few very young dwarf rainbows and they ate all the fry! haha! I took them out about a month ago and the fry are starting to make a comeback in that tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heff Posted August 9, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 I picked up a half dozen of these guys from big al's yesterday ($4.99 less 30% sale) and tossed them in with my CPDs. Where the CPDs were hiding before, now they're out shoaling with the furcatas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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