How to hatch Killifish Eggs

Hi,
So I really want a killifish of some sort, I have kept notho killifish however they usually died within a year (I think it's due to their lakes in West Africa drying up every year) and they are expensive.

I was browsing eBay and came across killifish eggs for loads of different types of wonderful killis.

I was just wondering how would I go about hatching the eggs?

Ethan


Edit:
Ok so what I've gathered from research this is what I'd need to do:

1.) Mix the eggs with damp aquarium sand.

2.) Leave the sealed freezer bag in a warm place for a few months (could I take it to the side of my canister filter?)

3.) After eyes are visible mix the contents of the bag with some rain water.

4.) After a day add the fry to a planted breeder box in the aquarium to acclimate

5.) When killis are fully grown add to aquarium (I'd probably keep 1 male and female pair and give the rest to my LFS)

Ethan

 

Most ebay killifish eggs will be from Chinese or other overseas sellers and will probably not be shipped well enough for cold weather. If you wait until later in the year when it is warmer you will have better results.

The eggs will come in a small packet of peat moss so you do not need to transfer them to sand (never heard of this), just place them in a room temperature location away from strong light. They will (should) have a collection & hatch date written on the package. The hatch dates are often wrong so you will need to check them every few weeks around the given hatch time.

 

Most ebay killifish eggs will be from Chinese or other overseas sellers and will probably not be shipped well enough for cold weather. If you wait until later in the year when it is warmer you will have better results.

The eggs will come in a small packet of peat moss so you do not need to transfer them to sand (never heard of this), just place them in a room temperature location away from strong light. They will (should) have a collection & hatch date written on the package. The hatch dates are often wrong so you will need to check them every few weeks around the given hatch time.

Hi,
Just checked the seller's location and they are in Stoke-on-trent (not sure if you are familiar with UK geography but according to Google it's 138 miles from London, where I am).

Approximately how long should they be left for?, The eBay page says 10-16 weeks, also what ratio should I keep males to females?

Also is there a way to preserve eggs? (Like freezing to prolong hatching time)?
If this won't work / is crule I won't do it.

Ethan

 

LOL, didn't notice you were in the UK... Great that you have a local supplier.

The incubation time and best sex ratios will depend on which type they are. The seller should be able to answer these questions as they will have first hand experience with them.

Eggs can not be frozen but you can sometimes extend their hatching time by not wetting them for maybe a few weeks to a month after they are eyed-up.

 

Look up the British Killifish Association. They'll give you all kinds of help. Pretty sure they have a website.

 

Hi,
So I checked out the bka and it looks good but it's £17 a month to subscribe ☹️. If I seriously get into killifish breeding I'll do it as I can see it would be useful.

I have my heart set on these guys:


Would they work?

I have a 20G with the following:

7 zebra danios
3 bumblebee gobies
1 kribensis

My kribensis is very peacefull, he dosnt mind the other fish.

I keep my ph at around 7 but it may lower a bit as I have tannins beginning to leach from the driftwood and I plan on adding I Indian almond leaves.

Also it is a heavily planted tank with overkill filtration so I'm not to worried about bioload.

Ethan

 

Nice looking killifish!

These are non-annuals so the egg hatching process is different than the notho's you originally mentioned. They will need to go into a hatching tray immediately when you receive them. The eggs should hatch about 2 to 3 weeks after they were laid. Again, the seller should provide any specifics needed for them.

 

The fish in that photo is not a pure GAR Lafia, that location has no border on the analfin. Here's a non-gold Lafia:



It is likely a cross between two subspecies, F. g. gardneri and F. g. nigerianum. No telling which locations, though the presence of the Gold strain is obvious. Not a bad beginner fish, just can't pass it on as Lafia.

 

The fish in that photo is not a pure GAR Lafia, that location has no border on the analfin. Here's a non-gold Lafia:
View attachment 399807

It is likely a cross between two subspecies, F. g. gardneri and F. g. nigerianum. No telling which locations, though the presence of the Gold strain is obvious. Not a bad beginner fish, just can't pass it on as Lafia.

Ok,
I don't really mind, would these guys be more colourful?


Also I've been in conversation with the seller and he is really helpful.

He will ship them in water, should I float them in something like a butter box?

Also I will grow them in a planted breeder box with miss and frogbit, will that do?

 

I would recommend raising them in a separate tank, not in a mesh basket, as they will hatch out small enough to go through that mesh. I used shoe and sweater boxes to start killifish fry. If placed high enough that they will stay above 19C, they do not need heat. A small air pump and airstone or small filter will keep the water circulated, the plants will help filter and provide a healthy environment. Excess food can be cleaned from the bottom daily.

Whichever strain you get should be the one you like. I will say, either fish will have more color than those photos if you keep it with a dI'm light. Those appear to have been raised under strong lights, which will wash out the body color if they are raised that way.

 

I would recommend raising them in a separate tank, not in a mesh basket, as they will hatch out small enough to go through that mesh. I used shoe and sweater boxes to start killifish fry. If placed high enough that they will stay above 19C, they do not need heat. A small air pump and airstone or small filter will keep the water circulated, the plants will help filter and provide a healthy environment. Excess food can be cleaned from the bottom daily.

Whichever strain you get should be the one you like. I will say, either fish will have more color than those photos if you keep it with a dI'm light. Those appear to have been raised under strong lights, which will wash out the body color if they are raised that way.

Ok,
The mesh holes are really small, I can put sand in the box and it will hold.

I like the second pic so might get that one.

Also my LFS said they would take my excess off me and I have a friend who is starting a tank and may take one, but that all depends on how many I get.

Also I found this from when I had my nothos:

 

Would they work?

I have a 20G with the following:

7 zebra danios
3 bumblebee gobies
1 kribensis

I would be careful with your other fish. In my experience F. GardnerI are some of the more nippy killifish. They can be terrible fin-rippers. I have a pair that practically shredded the fins of all the cories and other fish in their tank overnight. The krib should be able to hold its own but I would worry about the danios when the kills get larger. Not a very good community fish Imo.
Just my two cents though...

 

I would be careful with your other fish. In my experience F. GardnerI are some of the more nippy killifish. They can be terrible fin-rippers. I have a pair that practically shredded the fins of all the cories and other fish in their tank overnight. The krib should be able to hold its own but I would worry about the danios when the kills get larger. Not a very good community fish Imo.
Just my two cents though...

Ok,
Ill see how it goes, I can always Rehome or set up a new tank. £7 wouldn't be a huge blow to the wallet.

Ethan

Here goes nothing...

 

Good luck!

What are you planning to use for the fry food? These should be capable of eating baby brine shrimp from day one.

 

Good luck!

What are you planning to use for the fry food? These should be capable of eating baby brine shrimp from day one.

Hi,
I'll feed them some frozen brine shrimp and garlic (what I feed my coral).

Strange question, would they accept reef roids? I think it's a blend of plankton but is it just for reefs?

Ethan

 

Sounds like a recipe for disaster. The standard foods for killifish fry is live baby brine shrimp or live micro worms. I don't know of anyone having success with frozen or prepared foods.

On this page, https://www.aka.org/beginner/, scroll down to "Foods for Newly-Hatched Killifish Fry"

 

Sounds like a recipe for disaster. The standard foods for killifish fry is live baby brine shrimp or live micro worms. I don't know of anyone having success with frozen or prepared foods.

On this page, https://www.aka.org/beginner/, scroll down to "Foods for Newly-Hatched Killifish Fry"

Oh,

Would 'sea monkeys' work, I think they are just overpriced brine shrimp?, I may be able to find some live daphonea at my LFS

Ethan

 

Sea Monkeys are engineered creatures, designed to hatch instantly for entertainment purposes. I have no idea if their nutritional value is comparable to regular bbs.

Live daphnia will be great after they are a month or two old.

BTW, the two pictures you posted is not how your fish will actually look. These are manipulated s with the color greatly enhanced. The picture Chromdome52 posted is more inline with actual color intensities in killifish.

 

Ok,
I'll leave the sea monkeys, I know the pics will be different it's like coral, the same piece can look totally different interested different lighting.

Ethan

Post


Edit: all in the tub

 

The ones that have turned solid blue, or are opaque white, are infertile. Remove them or the fungus will infect and kill the good eggs. Spread the eggs out in that container so that the fungus can't spread from contact.

The people I know would never have shipped eggs without verifying that they were fertile first.

 

The ones that have turned solid blue, or are opaque white, are infertile. Remove them or the fungus will infect and kill the good eggs. Spread the eggs out in that container so that the fungus can't spread from contact.

The people I know would never have shipped eggs without verifying that they were fertile first.

I can't see any solid blue ones, there is some mesh in there , I'll double check. The guy put antI fungal medication in there which is the blue dye.

Ethan

 

That's methylene blue, which isn't actually an anti-fungal, though it does inhibit growth. There may be fibers from his spawning mops, which again, indicate a sloppy job of collecting and packing the eggs. But I think I see some fungus already starting on them in that first photo.

 

That's methylene blue, which isn't actually an anti-fungal, though it does inhibit growth. There may be fibers from his spawning mops, which again, indicate a sloppy job of collecting and packing the eggs. But I think I see some fungus already starting on them in that first photo.

I found one bad one (near the camera reflection) I isolated it in a test tube, do you think it's deseased?

Ethan

 

Likely it was infertile when laid. Infertile eggs absorb the meth blue easily, which does slow down any fungal growth. Some eggs have a blue tint, but are clear, or have embryos visible inside. Those are the good eggs.

 

Likely it was infertile when laid. Infertile eggs absorb the meth blue easily, which does slow down any fungal growth. Some eggs have a blue tint, but are clear, or have embryos visible inside. Those are the good eggs.

Ok,
I did some poking around and saw some white ones, I tried to remove them but most eggs were stuck to the fibers, will they be ok? And is there a way to remove them ?

 

Ok,
I did some poking around and saw some white ones, I tried to remove them but most eggs were stuck to the fibers, will they be ok? And is there a way to remove them ?

A 3ml pipette works well for removing bad eggs. You can also use it to suck up a bunch of them and then squirt them back into the water to help separate them. Gently of course.

 

Ok,
So my pharmacy sells little syringes for feeding kids medicine I picked one up and separated the white eggs in a small test tube.



Ethan

Update-
So I went to check on the Killifish eggs and ...

There are small eyes looking at me


I also bought a micro worm culture for them to eat once they hatch, there are a good 30 eggs with eyes they seem to be moving around inside the eggs so hopefully they will hatch soon



Ethan

 

You will want to change the water every 3 days or so. Take all of them out and either put them into another clean container or clean the one they are in and return them. A layer of bio-film will develop on the bottom of the container which can harm the eggs.

 

You will want to change the water every 3 days or so. Take all of them out and either put them into another clean container or clean the one they are in and return them. A layer of bio-film will develop on the bottom of the container which can harm the eggs.

Ok,
I was taking a bit of the water out daily and putting new tank water in, I was also blowing the bottom gently with a turkey baster to move the water about. I think something may have hatched, there is a small thing swimming about, it bet be a bit of dust casting a shadow but I'm not sure.

Should I start a small Qt tank up with an airstone powered filter for when they hatch or will they be alright in the tub?

The microworms are growing nicely on the sides of the tub

Ethan

 

The fry will be fine in the tub for a month or two so long as you keep up the water quality. A little java moss, an airstone (gentling bubbling) and a snail or two will give them a good environment to grow for a while.

When they hatch you'll be able to tell them from a bit of dust, lol.

 

The fry will be fine in the tub for a month or two so long as you keep up the water quality. A little java moss, an airstone (gentling bubbling) and a snail or two will give them a good environment to grow for a while.

When they hatch you'll be able to tell them from a bit of dust, lol.

Ah,
I'm not sure what to look for, I though one was born too early .

I plan to put them in a breeder box when they get bigger in a few months, there's no room in the tub for a snail, mabey some moss. I have some nerite snails arriving tommorow so I'll see if there are any small ones in the pack for the fry.

Ethan

Fry!

Fry!

In he space of 5 hours I went from 3 to 30



When can I start feeding microworms?

 

When can I start feeding microworms?

Now.

Congrats!

 

Now.

Congrats!

Cool thanks ,
Just did a small WC it seems that every time I look 10 more appear .

I put a few microworms in and they kind of looked at them , I couldn't tell if they are them or not.

I'll keep you updated.

Ethan

 

I couldn't tell if they are them or not.

This is one reason I like using BBS, the fry's belly will turn orange when the eat them. But don't worry, they will eat the microworms.

 

This is one reason I like using BBS, the fry's belly will turn orange when the eat them. But don't worry, they will eat the microworms.

Ok,
I just checked again and I can see some worms still at the bottom, will they have trouble seeing them as they have just been born?

Also how much should I add? I added a tiny amount earlier.
And how often?

Ethan

 

will they have trouble seeing them as they have just been born?

No, they won't have a problem finding the worms. It is instinctive for them to eat anything that wiggles and is small enough to fit in their mouth.

Also how much should I add? I added a tiny amount earlier.
And how often?

In general you want to have a constant supply of food for your fry. They will eat them throughout the day. The microworms will live for around 6-10 hours in water so a small amount in the morning and then sometime in the afternoon or evening would be good. Just be sure to remove any dead ones, snails are useful for this.

 

No, they won't have a problem finding the worms. It is instinctive for them to eat anything that wiggles and is small enough to fit in their mouth.


In general you want to have a constant supply of food for your fry. They will eat them throughout the day. The microworms will live for around 6-10 hours in water so a small amount in the morning and then sometime in the afternoon or evening would be good. Just be sure to remove any dead ones, snails are useful for this.

Ok,
I have a small horned nerite snail in my tank would he be ok.

I can try and find a lid for the container so he doesn't escape

Ethan.

 

I have a small horned snail in my tank would he be ok.

No, nerite snails are herbivores. If you can get them, small (younger) ramshorn snails are about the best for fry containers.

 

No, nerite snails are herbivores. If you can get them, small (younger) ramshorn snails are about the best for fry containers.

Oh, that's really annoying , a few months back I had them as pests on my plants and they were everywhere and then I upgraded and started with a blank slate .

I think my LFS sells then for ponds for about 20p. I'll see what I can find...

Ethan

 

To be clear, snails are not a "must have" for raising fry, they just make things a little easier. They will eat the leftover and/or dead food which can begin to rot fairly quickly. And, their excrement will rot a little slower but it is also a lot easier to remove. If you are able to keep up the water quality without them then the fry will be fine.