Australis Q

[jvision]

OK, so I've separated my pair of A. australis - F in a 3 gal tank (where the spawning will take place), M in a 5 gal tank. I'll be conditioning them for several days - the whiteworm cultures are pretty weak, but they're starting to pick up, and are working. Also feeding the killis w. baby cherry shrimp (gutloaded w. NLS) - the fish haven't taken to the NLS pellets, yet... might have to pick up some flakes?

My question is, should I have any form of filtration for these guys. Just 1 fish in 3 & 5 gal (well, more like 2.5 and 3 gal - the tanks aren't filled all the way) doesn't seem like there's a huge need. And, Oxquo mentioned keeping them in 1 gal jars. Should I add an airstone, at least? But, these guys live in puddles and such in the wild, so I'm not thinking it's a necessity. I've got some giant duckweed in each tank as well - think I'm going to stop in at Henry's to see if he has any Salvinia (or, anyone want to donate a handfull?).

[Oxquo]

I like to feed them up in divided 10 gallons but even seperate jars will do. Just do daily or every second day cleanings. The best vaccuum I have seen yet is a $1.00 turkey baster. Clean the bottom even every 2 days and make sure they see each other, it adds to the spawning intensity. Water properties providing no extremes is not as big of an issue as with nothobranchius. When You have fed them up and personally, if You can't find live food buy some frozen daphnia, bloodworms and artemia eggs hatch fast and build eggs quickly. As 5 days gets near transfer the female to a fresh jar of tank water, add mop, floating is good fo austrailles but a top and bottom work well together, the bottom mop if nothing else catches any eggs that don't adhere. Make sure to offer live though. Finely chopped heart can work well too but they need time to adjust to it. Fresh hatched bbs is not only good for conditioning and maintenance food but for fry later on as well. Some will suggest bbs for fry off the start I say for Aphys and fundulos atleast 3 days after the egg sac is gone they should eat micros, this helps the way smaller females survive. The key here is to get more gals than guys or atleast even. So after 5 days of separate containers, live food is best as it lives till it gets eaten go with bbs and save the flake for the maintenance tank. 3 feedings a day and the fish seeing each other but not able to spawn they will be pumped. Then female goes in a clean jar one gallon, add mop or mops, let her get established then add male and stop feeding for the day. allow them to spawn all day, two if You like but one should do it for australes. When it's all done, return the fish to a larger maintenance tank. and feed well, they probably will even take flake with relish at this time. Sponge filter in the maintenance tank nothing in the spawning jar. Make damn sure to use a lid on all tanks and jar no gaps they will be carpet before they spawn. Now squeeze water out of the mop or mops. Starting at the top squeeze downwards but don't slide your hand down as you'll rake the eggs out. grab by the top. squeeze, move your hand down squeeze again. Chances are You will never squish a fertile egg but You need no squeeze with all You have. Basically You are milking the mop like with a cow. Now You have a choice. Pick eggs or just hatch the mop in the clean jar. If You choose the latter You can just add acriflaven or if You are lucky blue meth to the jar and leave the mop in. Depending on temp it can be around 14 days give or take 2 or 3 for water hatch or up to 21 for a peat hatch. Do water changes up to 10% daily or bi-daily with water from the parents tank. Add fresh tap to the folks tank never the fry or egg tank. Remove fuzzy eggs with a turkey baster or egg dropper. If Picking eggs My favorite way is film containers. Pick eggs with thumb and fore finger sqeeze gently, if it pops get rid of it, eggs will be pinhead size or less and hard little glass beads. Place no more than 12 per film container and if using blue meth add one drop to 1 cup of water then use that to fill the film containers half way. Open the containers once a day or atleast two days. Within three to four days the eggs should "eye up" exactly as it sounds. Not just have eyes but healthy eggs will actually grow with their eyes pointing up and looking right at You. Keep removing the fungus eggs as You see them, though once an egg is eyed up it has never gone fungal that I have seen. Every 3-4 days change half the water, mix another cup of parents tank water and one drop of blue. You may not use all the water but it's easier than getting a half of a drop. On Day 12 start doing the old, open container, blow in container "as much CO2 as possible, close container, shake like hell, You can't shake them too hard, open container and remove hatchlings to another container with clean parents tank water or a small tank. Sponge filter in the fry tank should be steady but not boiling. You can repeat the force hatch idea several times a day if You want. Carrying the container around in Your pocket where it is warm this also helps. On day three after the first hatch if you still have an eyed egg or two add a few microworms to the container, it is believed the worms chew them out of their shell. wait till the egg sac is gone " sometimes that day but likely in 3 days" feed micros for three and then BBS. For extra safety, place java moss in the rearing tank well before the fry hatch, they will feast on natures food until you feed them should their sac disappear before You notice. Feed 3 times daily with daily or bi-daily water changes still from the parents tank for up to 5 weeks. After 5 weeks You can give them 10% tap water changes. If there seems to be aggression separate small fish and large fish but australes are usually pretty good to each other but extra java moss or hornwort gives them safe keeping. An even better hide out can be plastic scrubby pads curly cues I think they call them They come in Yellow green and red can be snipped and unravelled so they make a crazy plant like nest from hell. females love this stuff as it is not easy for the bigger males to squeeze through. Some fish will even spawn in it. Anyways give it a try. If You need cultures in Edmonton contact some ACE members, Ken Ealey, Michael Pham or even Tuan, He may still have a good daphnia culture going, your killies will go nuts for daphnia. Grab some bbs eggs and get them hatching. Killies are prone to eating a little flake but live food = egg production. See if You can get Your worms to eat NLS then Your killies will get the filler and live food at the same time. I like feeding a little food on the worms and then spritzing it a little. Also try putting Your grindals or whites in no deeper than 1" of media, 1/2" peat and topped with 1/2" organic peat based potting soil. moist but not soaked. You will see that the worms will do better in the peat based potting soil but the pure peat bottom keeps them closer to the top. good luck and happy spawning, soon you'll be picking eggs like a chicken farmer.