9 replies to this topic

[doubleatraining]

I have Leptolucania ommata and Bluefin Killifish in a 29g heavily heavily planted tank.

 

I had scuds established but the Bluefin demolished them in a matter of days. There are some ramshorn snails, a BN Pleco, and now a pair of Threadfin Rainbows.

 

I feed scuds, frozen bloodworms, and frozen brine shrimp to the ravenous fat cow Bluefins. LOL

 

I feed microworms to the high maintenance Threadfins.

 

The Lepto keep hidden, are shy, barely come out even when everyone else is eating....they are all alive and I don't seem to have lost any but I have NO idea what they eat.

 

Should I be concerned?

[Joshaeus]

I am no expert, but Leptolucania killies are quite shy and are unlikely to thrive with the tank mates you mentioned they are being kept with (all of which are much larger than the Leptos...the rainbowfish are also far more hyperactive); they are also somewhat picky eaters and are often hesitant to eat dry foods (though they are not as bad about this as pygmy sunfishes). I personally would give them a small species tank, perhaps a 5 gallon.

[doubleatraining]

I am no expert, but Leptolucania killies are quite shy and are unlikely to thrive with the tank mates you mentioned they are being kept with (all of which are much larger than the Leptos...the rainbowfish are also far more hyperactive); they are also somewhat picky eaters and are often hesitant to eat dry foods (though they are not as bad about this as pygmy sunfishes). I personally would give them a small species tank, perhaps a 5 gallon.

Just spent the last hour trying to catch 16 VERY ungrateful fish out of a heavily heavily planted 29g tank. lol.

I got 13 and hope to catch the next 3 over the next few days. Luckily I had a 5.5 planted with some project neo shrimp breeding in. Will try feeding them micro worms. I dont need them to eat pellets. I also have a culture of scuds in this tank and some seed shrimp. Maybe they will eat them.

They seem to already like the more heavily tannened(real word?) water and smaller tank. Maybe they will breed?

[Joshaeus]

Just spent the last hour trying to catch 16 VERY ungrateful fish out of a heavily heavily planted 29g tank. lol.

I got 13 and hope to catch the next 3 over the next few days. Luckily I had a 5.5 planted with some project neo shrimp breeding in. Will try feeding them micro worms. I dont need them to eat pellets. I also have a culture of scuds in this tank and some seed shrimp. Maybe they will eat them.

They seem to already like the more heavily tannened(real word?) water and smaller tank. Maybe they will breed?

Perhaps...the shrimp will likely eat some of the eggs, though. I've heard of colonies of L. ommata being kept self sustaining for four generations in a 2.5 gallon (I don't recall precisely who on this forum kept that colony, sadly...). They are often found in soft, acidic waters in the wild, but Brian Zimmerman (of Zimmerman's fish) mentioned to me that he had no trouble breeding them in hard, alkaline water, so they really are not all that fussy in that regard.

[Michael Wolfe]

Only two words needed here... earthworm flake

[doubleatraining]

They are enjoying the microworms now that they have their own tank. They seem very happy in such a small space.

[Joshaeus]

They are enjoying the microworms now that they have their own tank. They seem very happy in such a small space.

Hooray! I hope they spawn for you. From what I've read, they spawn daily (or almost daily) when they are well conditions so long as temperatures are 70 fahrenheit or above, but the fry are VERY small and need infusoria or a similarly sized food for 1-2 weeks before they will take adult microworms or baby brine shrimp. I have learned from my research that newborn microworms are only 180-290 microns long (or .18-.29 millimeters) and less than a fifth of a micron wide, so I have found that you can pour your harvested microworms (or in my case, walter worms, which are slightly smaller) through a 25 micron sieve to separate the adults from the juveniles (which slip right through the sieve) and feed these to the larval fishes. I am not sure the juvenile worms crawl up the sides like adult micro worms do, though...while my cultures do have worms crawling up the sides a few days after they are innoculated, I have generally been harvesting them off of a paper towel I place on top of the culture (I rinse the top side of the paper towel off into a container when I want to harvest, then use the sieve as mentioned above).

[doubleatraining]

Hooray! I hope they spawn for you. From what I've read, they spawn daily (or almost daily) when they are well conditions so long as temperatures are 70 fahrenheit or above, but the fry are VERY small and need infusoria or a similarly sized food for 1-2 weeks before they will take adult microworms or baby brine shrimp. I have learned from my research that newborn microworms are only 180-290 microns long (or .18-.29 millimeters) and less than a fifth of a micron wide, so I have found that you can pour your harvested microworms (or in my case, walter worms, which are slightly smaller) through a 25 micron sieve to separate the adults from the juveniles (which slip right through the sieve) and feed these to the larval fishes. I am not sure the juvenile worms crawl up the sides like adult micro worms do, though...while my cultures do have worms crawling up the sides a few days after they are innoculated, I have generally been harvesting them off of a paper towel I place on top of the culture (I rinse the top side of the paper towel off into a container when I want to harvest, then use the sieve as mentioned above).

 

Good to know. My nicest male is still in the 29g tank.....smart fish is HARD to catch with all the plants.

 

I'd hope that with the snails, scuds, abundance of plants, and seed shrimp.....the fry would find plenty to eat?

[Joshaeus]

 

Good to know. My nicest male is still in the 29g tank.....smart fish is HARD to catch with all the plants.

 

I'd hope that with the snails, scuds, abundance of plants, and seed shrimp.....the fry would find plenty to eat?

Perhaps...I just don't know how many pygmy killifish adults can be in a 5 gallon before they eat the fry as quickly as they are produced. I have yet to keep this species, but it is on my bucket list and I have done a decent amount of research/forum posts about it (plus a Tropical Fish Hobbyist article on them when I was still subscribed to that fish magazine).

Edited by Joshaeus, 23 June 2020 - 12:20 PM.

[doubleatraining]

Perhaps...I just don't know how many pygmy killifish adults can be in a 5 gallon before they eat the fry as quickly as they are produced. I have yet to keep this species, but it is on my bucket list and I have done a decent amount of research/forum posts about it (plus a Tropical Fish Hobbyist article on them when I was still subscribed to that fish magazine).

I'm hoping that the amount of plants/moss in the tank will protect the fry.