agaff4 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 after 3 months my notho beira rachovi are starting to colour up . the photos dont really do them justice, the have a beautiful blue sheen over vibrant orange stripes. but they still have a bit of growing to do. i have quite a few babies about 30 so was thinking of selling them off as pairs so if anyone wants to express there interest in this interestin little gems you can post here. i was thinking of bringing some to the brisbane betta gathering. the petshop has offered to buy my killis but they havent mentioned any figures, and i dont think theyd give me very much so i think ill see if i can sell them privately anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agaff4 Posted June 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 ok well my preliminary head count, which was just a quick count while they were busy eating shows that there are atleast 6 pairs and it looks like there are more feamles then males so maybe some can be made into trios. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted June 21, 2009 Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 I'm interested in a trio! but I'll have to see if I can get hold of some more tanks! These guys only need little ones right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agaff4 Posted June 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 yeh they dont really need big tanks, there husbandry is quite similar to bettas i guess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 you need to watch the pH more than with bettas though, especially as some killies don't tolerate a low pH yet the peat you use for spawning does acidify the watre. they also tend to require some salt in the water, or they can succumb to velvet. But it varies from species to species. There is a wealth of information at the killifish forum, which I am allowed to link to now! http://killifishaustralia.forumcircle.com/index.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 I am very glad that rule on linking was modified! Thanks Lisa. I actually have a problem with keeping my ph low, it only really goes bellow 7 if I have it black with peat, so these guys may like it here. I'm off to do some reading! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agaff4 Posted June 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 luckily whenever i change any of my fishes water i add salt so i shud be safe with that :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jess Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 Looking great Are they just beautiful fish? Bender, Nothos prefer alkaline water, not acidic like other species. There also do well in some salt too. I use marine salt to help buffer the water and keeps it stable and I boil the peat before I use it which helps it less likely to drop the pH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiguy Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 Can I ask the source of the Rachovii??The male photographed by Michael in the thread "visit to killiguys fish room "is only 6 weeks old.Im suprised they are not more colourful,they look quite unusual although the Biera 98 is supposed to go through a phase of looking unusual but by 3 maonths should be fully coloured.Mine are the Aquarium strain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agaff4 Posted June 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 well i think since it was my first batch of killis i wasnt exactly sure what was going on, i didnt put a heater in there container till a a couple of weeks ago and thts when they started to shoot up and colour up. so i think they were kind of supressed by the cold. i got my eggs from my uncle who lives in mackay and has a freind who is into breeding exotic fish and parrots so he was able to hook me up with some Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiguy Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 Thats really good news.We dont have the Biera 98 strain in Australia(up to now)As fascilitator of the Nothobranchius conservation group in Australia I am very interested in these fish.Perhaps we could do a swap of fish or eggs.My Notho list is below and I have fry or eggs of most ready to go. N Korthausae Red/Yellow N Guentheri TAN 97/2 N Guentheri blue N Rachovii Aquarium strain N Eggersi Kigongo TAN 05/43 N Orthonotus Nhangu MT 03-4 N Palmqvisti PM me and we may be able to work something out Regards Doug McColl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killimike Posted June 23, 2009 Report Share Posted June 23, 2009 Maybe a darker background would help bring out the colours of the rachovii? Or are they in a photo tank, maybe they are just a little stressed. Good advice so far for nothos! It's totally normal to do so, but it helps not to think of killies as 'killies', a monolithic group. Their care and attributes will vary alot. I think it's probably more helpful to treat them by genus. So treat nothbranchius, which these are, pretty much the all the same, but very different from Aplocheilus (panchax type killies), or Fundulopanchax or Aphyosemion and so on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Thanks Killimike! I went to Killifishaustralia, and tried my best just to stick to the notho's for information. There sure is a lot of differences between the different types of killi. I've managed to get hold of a 1ft tank, 20 litre, which if I understood what I read, should be right for a trio of notho's. They need a heater, and a sponge filter (although some say not) and do best on live food esp bbs. My alkaline water should be good for them, but I need to keep an eye on it because the peat will make it drop. Does this all sound about right? Are these guys on live food? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agaff4 Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 yes they are on BBS. but i have a problem they are starting to drop like flies. im not sure why i come back from work and 10 are dead. ive decided killies are just tooo hard for me. bettas are soooooo much easier to take care of. hopefully there health will stabilise again but i think i wont be selling them for now if there will be any for sale. i think ill leave killis for the experts like killiguy. i thought i was going really well, but something must have happened. oh well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckie Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 is it velvet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agaff4 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 no its not velvet for sure its not any kind of fungus nor white spot. i dont know. like i said i think im happy with bettas lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Oh no, that's terrible, especially now we know there aren't many of these in the country. Have any clear symptoms shown up? Do you have a water test kit for amonia, nitrate and nitrite? If not, perhaps you could bring a water sample with you on Saturday, I'll bring my kit. From what I've read pH is important for these guys too, it would probably be worth checking it hasn't dropped too low as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agaff4 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 it could be the PH and no i dont test my water. i dont normally need to because it comes straight from our water tanks. we dont have town water where we live. i dont believe it is ammonia because i had just done a 50% water change because i changed there tank and location. im thinking that maybe the larger water change and the change of environment may have triggered the deaths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiguy Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 (edited) PLEASE dont give up!!!!! you are the only peron in the country with that stain.I would check you pH Nothos hate acid water.If you can add 1tsp of marine mix salt per gallon or rock salt plus rift lake salts or even bicarb to get the pH up and for some buffering capacity to be present.Nothos are jewels and worth keeping.Rachovii is not an easy fish to deal with.I can send free eggs of N Geuntheri(pictured I hope) when my breeders are larger if you PM your address. If your killi contact can get further Notho eggs I would be very pleased to contact him.These fish are my passion and many may be extinct in the wild.I have a moderate number I can trade if that is his preference <a href="http://s565.photobucket.com/albums/ss94/killiguy/?action=view¤t=NGuentheriZanzibarTAN972.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i565.photobucket.com/albums/ss94/killiguy/NGuentheriZanzibarTAN972.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> Edited June 25, 2009 by killiguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agaff4 Posted June 25, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 OK guys ill try a little harder I still have 11 fish left so there is still some hope. i Just wish they werent so difficult to understand. i have some new hatchlings aswell at the moment so hopefully they so ok but man do they make me want to pull my hair out sometimes. and killiguy your probably gonna want to kick me where the sun dont shine after this but i actuly did have the beautiful N Geuntheri and they were going exellent, i got them to 3 months and they were fully coloured up, but then they got white spot problemsm, did a 90% water change which was probably my first problem and put in the medication and soon after they all went belly up. I was kiking myself. How do you do Killiguy. with bettas im like a pro i bread them raise them fine. but killis im like a 2yr old kid with a pet goldfish. hopefully with persistance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bsas2 Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 These guys are beautiful. I would love to see the real thing (not just photos). Do you look like having any for sale, or even some spare eggs? If so, how much? I'm on the Gold Coast. Keep up the good work! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killiguy Posted July 8, 2009 Report Share Posted July 8, 2009 Keep hanging in there.They are not very hard as long as 2 water issues are delt with :High pH 7.5-8.5 and salt 1tsp per gallon otherwise they become very disease prone esp velvet.They grow fast so need lots of food and are not keen on flake,but go crazy for frozen blood worms.N.Guentheri is safe in this country so a kick is not needed.I have about 70 sexable subadults at the moment.But no one else has the Biera 98 strain of Rachovii.All other Rachovii in this country despite comments to the contrary(My fault I thought they may have been Bieras)are the aquarium strain and derive from my fish(very beautiful and as good as the Biera at maturity)Current nothos in Australia (3 people have all 7 )are: N Korthausae Red/Yellow N Guentheri TAN 97/2 N Guentheri blue N Rachovii Aquarium strain N Eggersi Kigongo TAN 05/43 N Orthonotus Nhangu MT 03-4 N Palmqvisti I have fry or eggs of all of these.If anyone is interested PM me Regards Doug AKA killiguy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bender Posted July 16, 2009 Report Share Posted July 16, 2009 How are your notho's going now Amir? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agaff4 Posted July 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 17, 2009 i have a healthy trio that im looking after. im hoping to condition them nicely and then try my luck in breeding. hopefully it goes well. but its a shame i had lost so many otherwise healthy fish Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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