yes those are least killies but I really don't like the common name since they are not a killifish at all, I like to call them pygmy livebearers or just their latin name Heterandria formosa since they are so tiny, especially the males. I have a whole bunch of these and they definately reproduce quickly. It looks like yours are all females, although if they were by themselves you may end up with more anyways if they were in contact with any males before you got them.
Bluefin Killies at the Pet Shop
Started by
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, Feb 15 2007 02:17 PM
75 replies to this topic
#43
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Posted 08 March 2007 - 12:22 AM
Like the little livebearers you did find, bluefins don't do well with larger fish and are very small themselves. It would be good to set up a small tank, 10 gallons or less and heavily planted, for them. Also the formosa can be kept with bluefin killies and some other very small species, this makes a very nice "micro" community. For example I have several 10 gallon tanks heavily planted that have formosa and dwarf crayfish. I also have a tank with some bluefin killies, swamp darters, and a banded pygmy sunfish. Also as I said above the picture I posted is of a fish that was outdoors in a natural setting, I have never seen one stay that brilliantly colored once brought indoors, so don't expect to find one that looks like that.
#46
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Posted 10 March 2007 - 09:46 PM
So. This thread again. 
Stopped in at the Airport Hwy PSP on the way home from work today. Apparently, their manager hasn't been letting them sell _anything_ that came in with the shrimp because they got in trouble for selling tadpoles that came in inadvertantly with DNR. Which I'm all for, of course. So, the guy apparently had been having a rough day and was just like "They're not for sale." to which I inquizitively asked why and he tells me "We don't know what they are, so we can't sell them." and I said something like "Well, if I tell you WHAT they are, can you sell them?" and he just kinda was like "Whatever" and got the bag.
I had a 4 species day at PSP. They only have bluefin killies there now, and I took all the nice ones.
Other nabs were a swamp darter and two sailfin mollies. As well, there were two other "white with black bars" killifish which I thought at first a seminole, but now considering the mollies, who knows where they got these fish. They might be similis or whatever that the Atlantic coast cousin is. The bars are pretty distinct, and kinda crooked, if that reveals anything. I've only ever seen the big adults, and that was at a body length away in a high discharge spring (Rainbow River).
Fastest trip I've ever made to Florida. Now if they just coulda had some flagfish, I woulda had everything I wanted. But I guess I shouldn't complain
Todd
Stopped in at the Airport Hwy PSP on the way home from work today. Apparently, their manager hasn't been letting them sell _anything_ that came in with the shrimp because they got in trouble for selling tadpoles that came in inadvertantly with DNR. Which I'm all for, of course. So, the guy apparently had been having a rough day and was just like "They're not for sale." to which I inquizitively asked why and he tells me "We don't know what they are, so we can't sell them." and I said something like "Well, if I tell you WHAT they are, can you sell them?" and he just kinda was like "Whatever" and got the bag.
I had a 4 species day at PSP. They only have bluefin killies there now, and I took all the nice ones.
Other nabs were a swamp darter and two sailfin mollies. As well, there were two other "white with black bars" killifish which I thought at first a seminole, but now considering the mollies, who knows where they got these fish. They might be similis or whatever that the Atlantic coast cousin is. The bars are pretty distinct, and kinda crooked, if that reveals anything. I've only ever seen the big adults, and that was at a body length away in a high discharge spring (Rainbow River).
Fastest trip I've ever made to Florida. Now if they just coulda had some flagfish, I woulda had everything I wanted. But I guess I shouldn't complain
Todd
#47
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Posted 10 March 2007 - 10:04 PM
Pretty soon this thread will be a forum all it's own. I'm yet to see a Swamp darter there yet. Maybe this will be the week.So. This thread again.
Stopped in at the Airport Hwy PSP on the way home from work today. Apparently, their manager hasn't been letting them sell _anything_ that came in with the shrimp because they got in trouble for selling tadpoles that came in inadvertantly with DNR. Which I'm all for, of course. So, the guy apparently had been having a rough day and was just like "They're not for sale." to which I inquizitively asked why and he tells me "We don't know what they are, so we can't sell them." and I said something like "Well, if I tell you WHAT they are, can you sell them?" and he just kinda was like "Whatever" and got the bag.
I had a 4 species day at PSP. They only have bluefin killies there now, and I took all the nice ones.
Other nabs were a swamp darter and two sailfin mollies. As well, there were two other "white with black bars" killifish which I thought at first a seminole, but now considering the mollies, who knows where they got these fish. They might be similis or whatever that the Atlantic coast cousin is. The bars are pretty distinct, and kinda crooked, if that reveals anything. I've only ever seen the big adults, and that was at a body length away in a high discharge spring (Rainbow River).
Fastest trip I've ever made to Florida. Now if they just coulda had some flagfish, I woulda had everything I wanted. But I guess I shouldn't complain
Todd
#48
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Posted 11 March 2007 - 10:57 PM
I went to Pet Supplies Plus in Toledo and just bought three Bluefin Killifish for 11 cents a piece! Anyone else regulary find interesting native fish in their local pet shops?
Yep. I went to the one really good fish store here in Anchorage, and found--in the FEEDER tank no less--Bluefin Killies, Golden Killies, a juvenile Flagfish and a small Swamp Darter. All for about $0.59 apiece. Needless to say 7 Bluefins, 4 Goldens, the Darter, the little Flagfish were quickly purchased, along with an adult pair of Flagfish (NOT in the feeder tank, but not expensive either). I regarded it a rescue operation of sorts, and had to set them up in a bare 10gal for a few days.
Now all are residing in a fully planted (overgrown, actually) tank, the males of all species except the darter have "colored up", taken up stations in the plants or in the cavities of a twisted piece of grape-wood placed in the tank, and active coursthip is going on. All are feeding well on live tubifex (the ONLY live food available here in winter--mosquito/midge larvae etc. are available in summer if you catch your own), and various frozen foods--noticeable preference for bloodworms and glassworms.
Anyone with an idea about how I could obtain company for my lonely little darter (who has doubled in size) feel free to write, either here or via e-mail (MslmRedNek14@AOL.com)!
Sincerely,
Grumpy
#49
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Posted 12 March 2007 - 12:41 AM
i got 6 of them at my lfs and well they always get them... so i have a supplier... they charge 30 cents for them because they have to catch a specific fish. otherwise they are 10 cents...i also got a mosquito fish and some other fish that i dont know what the hell they are... i was told they are a type of guppy but they dont look like it... they have dorsal fins build like a blue fin but they are redish orange and yellow tails.. any ideaS?
LOL--I've sweet-talked the girl at my store to let me catch my own fish from the ghost shrimp/feeder tanks. $0.59 for 'em, but prices are high in Alaska. BTW, I agree with those who diagnosed your mystery fish as Xiphophorus variatus. There are established breeding populations of 'em in HI, I think FL too--maybe other places with geothermal springs...
Grump
#50
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Posted 12 March 2007 - 11:30 AM
You might have to wait, but they might get in more swamp darters.
Once I got about six swamp darters from a local fish store where I live here in NC.
They all eventually passed on but I kid you not the ghost shrimp tank was full of em.
Just keep checking back every so often.
Once I got about six swamp darters from a local fish store where I live here in NC.
They all eventually passed on but I kid you not the ghost shrimp tank was full of em.
Just keep checking back every so often.
#51
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Posted 12 March 2007 - 11:54 PM
That is a great photo! Hopefully if mine spend a couple months outside they will look like that.
If you're willing to fight w/filamentous algae (I am), a 10gal full of these guys in a south-facing window will get you comparable colors as well. When wife returns w/camera I hope to submit some pics of my Bluefin/Golden Topminnow/Flagfish tank...
Grump.
#52
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Posted 13 March 2007 - 08:42 AM
This is the best I have for now. I took this pic several years ago with a Sony digi cam that copied the image to a floppy disc. Notice the yellow anal fin. Still trying to get a newer, better pic of the yellow-finned and red-finned morphs. Would be good if they were a little more cooperative.Did I read that right? Yellow-finned morph? Pics would be greatly appreciated.
#54
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Posted 13 March 2007 - 11:14 AM
That's what I'm calling them. The yellow-finned version is just like that only yellow on the anal fin instead of red. Usually, but not always, have a touch of the same color on the dorsal, like yours does.Would this be considered a red-finned morph?
#55
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Posted 13 March 2007 - 09:21 PM
i got mine to eat tropical fish flakes by wardleys the day i got them... they acted starved so i guess they would have eaten anything i gave them... but that was 2 months ago and they eat it like its going out of style... i occasionally will give them brine shrimp or blood worms
#57
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Posted 14 March 2007 - 01:57 PM
Rock Spring in Kelly Park a few miles N of Apopka FL has L.goodei with both red and blue anal (maybe yellow too but i dont recall - its been several yrs ago and didnt know i was "supposed" to look for yellow). L.parva (rainwater killie) dominant males from this site are beautiful yellow with red/blue fins similar to goodei. they school together with rainwaters mainly on the bottom and bluefins hovering just above. This spring also has Het.formosa, mollies & gambusia (plain & spotted forms of both), several sunfish spp, lmbass, gar, blackbanded darter, seminole killie, coastal shiner(?). did NOT see flagfish, leptolucania, sailfin or taillight shiners here, but its worth looking again. nice place to snorkel but go on a weekday when the tubing traffic is lighter. its NOT warm: 68-70 F water temp. BTW aquaticeco.com is in Apopka too, dont know if theyre open for walk-in sales.
#58
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Posted 17 March 2007 - 04:47 AM
I second "keepnatives" ID. I have just obtained some blue fin killies that come in with the grass shrimp from florida like one person mentioned. The dorsal on the ones I have are more elongate than the photo you posted Ed. And on the larger male the tail is red. I have seen one at Caspers place and very nice. Beautiful dorsal on the male. Nice fish. Anyone have info on spawning these little jewels??
#59
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Posted 18 March 2007 - 12:44 PM
Hey, found this topic pretty interesting. Nativecajun, did you pick up the bluefins locally; I've been keeping my eye out at several of the fish shops around Chattanooga but haven't seen them. If you did get them locally, where abouts did you pick them up (if you don't mind)?
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