Delta Killifish(Aphyosemion deltaense)

This beautiful killifish is a great addition to any advanced hobbyists collection. There are a few captive bred color varieties but it's hard to improve on something that is naturally this colorful. The Delta Killifish pictured above is a wild caught male.   The Delta Killifish is one of the killifish species from Africa that lives in waters that may dry up completely during the dry season. For this reason, some people consider this to be an annual species but they will live longer than one year if their home waters do not dry up completely. Its eggs are able to exist for extended periods out of the water, insuring the survival of future generations. Since this type of killifish is generally not long lived, they are best kept with the intention of breeding them.

Distribution : 

   The Delta Killifish was described by Radda in 1976. Originating in Africa, they are found in swamps located between the delta of the Niger River and the Warri region of Nigeria. 

Status:  
This fish is not listed on the IUCN red list.

Description:  
The Delta Killifish are extremely attractive. The body is elongated with long broad well-developed fins, and round scales. The head is flattened on top and the mouth upturned, they have no barbels. Males are the most brightly colored. Their background color can variable, light greenish bluish or a tan to light brown. There are dark reddish spots running along the center of the body, forming a broken line that extends through the tail. Another dark reddish line runs horizontally through the bottom lobe of the tail fin. There can be lines or spots run diagonally through the upper lobe as well as spotting on the upper portion of the body. The horizontal lines are accented with edging in a lighter blue-green or cream. The fins and tail are orangish to orange-red and the dorsal fin can also have dark red spots. The coloring of the female is more subdued with fewer colored spots.

Size - Weight :
   This fish will reach about 4 inches (10 cm), but females are about 1/2 the size of males.

Care and feeding :   

The Delta Killifish are carnivores. They will eat most smaller sized fresh, frozen or dried foods but will look their best and will be more likely to breed if fed mostly live or frozen items.
   This fish is a bit demanding to keep so it is not recommended for the casual hobbyist. Because of their relatively short life span of 1 to 2 years, they are best suited for a single species tank that is setup with breeding in mind. If you succeed with breeding them, it would be fine to keep some of the excess males in a community tank so you can enjoy their bright colors. They will do fine in smaller tanks of only 5 to 10 gallons. For breeding, brackish water is suggested.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:  

This is a species that will swim in all parts of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:   

Temperature: 75 - 84° F (24 - 29° C)
   Hardness: 2 - 12° dGH
   Ph: 6.5 - 7.2

Social Behaviors:  

The Delta Killifish are not aggressive towards other species but sometimes the males will fight with each other. The best setup would be one pair per tank.

Sexual Differences:   

The males are brightly colored. Females have little or no color, shorter fins and are usually about ½ the size of the males.

Breeding/Reproduction:   

The breeding tank for Delta Killifish should be a 5 to 10 gallon bare bottom tank filtered by a small sponge filter. Brackish water is suggested. The water temperature should be kept at a constant temperature between 75° and 78° F (24 - 25.5° C). Plants or spawning mops should be included but these are not for specific breeding purposes. They are there to give the female a place to occasionally hide and rest.
   The Delta Killifish is considered to be a substrate spawner. The best way to accomplish this is with a bowl filled with clean, untreated peat moss. The fish will dive into the peat to spawn. Once the eggs have been laid, remove the peat and dry it mostly but not completely on some newspaper. Then place the moss in a plastic bag, seal it and place the bag in a dark area that has a constant temperature of about 78° F (25.5° C). In 3 to 4 months, place the moss in a small tank containing clean water and the eggs should hatch in 1 to 4 days. Feed the young baby brine shrimp until they are big enough to handle larger foods.

Availability:  

It may take some work to find this fish. A few Delta Killifish are wild collected but these numbers are relatively small. If your local fish store is not able to get some for you, try contacting your local killifish club. It is possible that some of their members may be breeding them.

source :http://animal-world.com

Blue Panchax Killifish

Aplocheilus panchax







The lively Blue Panchax is one of the best known and most popular of the killifish species. This is because they are inexpensive, colorful and hardy. What more could you want in an aquarium fish? They can be kept in a community setting with moderately peaceful fish of the same size or larger, though they may snack on smaller species. If you plan on keeping more than one, they need a fairly large aquarium (at least 20 gallons) as the males can get quarrelsome.
   The Blue Panchax comes from a large area in Southeast Asia and because of this large distribution, it comes in many different color schemes. The basic coloration is an iridescent blue body with a black spot on the dorsal fin. Some races will have varying amounts of red or orange on some of the fins. The body coloration may include small spots of yellow, green, red or orange. One of the most popular varieties, the Orangetail Killifish seen in the picture above is from India and has a bright orange tail.
Distribution:   The Blue Panchax Killifish was described by Hamilton in 1822. They are found in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Nepal, Cambodia, Viet Nam and Sri Lanka. They are generally found in ponds, fields, and canals; inhabiting clear water areas that containing large amounts of vegetation or among the roots of mangrove trees.
Status:   This fish is not listed on the IUCN red list.
Description:   The body of the Blue Panchax Killifish is slender and elongated, the dorsal fin is set far towards the back half of the body, and the scales are round. The head is flattened on top with a pointy snout and upturned mouth, they have no barbels. The basic coloration is an iridescent blue body with a black spot on the dorsal fin. Some races will have varying amounts of red or orange on some of the fins. The body coloration may include small spots of yellow, green, red or orange.
   One of the most popular varieties, the Orangetail Killifish from India, has a bright orange tail (seen in the photo above).
Size - Weight:   This species maximum size is about 3�½ inches (9 cm).
Care and feeding:   The Blue Panchax Killifish are carnivorous. They will eat most floating prepared foods that are small enough to fit in its mouth and will greedily accept frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp.
   This is a very hardy fish that is easy to keep. A tank size of 20 gallons or larger is recommended if you plan on having more than one of this species in your tank. As with many fish, the lampeyes will do best and are most effectively displayed in tanks which simulate their natural habitat. A well lit planted aquarium with a dark substrate will showcase this fish best. Provide good filtration and do regular water changes. A tight fitting lid is a necessity because this is a fish that likes to jump.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:   Panchax Killifish will spend most of their time near the top of the aquarium.
Acceptable Water Conditions:   Temperature: 68 - 77° F (20 - 25° C)
   Hardness: 5 - 12° dGH
   Ph: 6.0 - 8.0
Social Behaviors:   The Blue Panchax Killifish are generally peaceful towards other varieties of fish but will sometimes quarrel amongst themselves. Usually this fighting will not cause any damage. They are best kept with other moderately peaceful fish of similar size or larger.
Sexual Differences:   The males and females of this species look very similar so sexing can be difficult. Males are sometimes a bit darker in color.
Breeding/Reproduction:   The Blue Panchax is an egg layer that is relatively easy to breed. A healthy pair may lay 130-300 eggs daily for several weeks.  They will generally spawn among fine-leafed plants, Java Moss, or a clean spawning mop. It is relatively easy to remove the spawning substrate containing eggs, and replace it.
  The plants/mop should be removed daily and replaced with new ones. The egg laden plants/mop should be placed in a tank containing clean water with the same quality parameters as the parent's tank. The eggs hatch after 11-15 days. After the eggs hatch, the fry will have an obvious egg sac on their bellies. The fry can be fed nauplii and powdered dry foods after their eggs sacs have been absorbed.
   Some of the fry will grow faster than others so there is the possibility of cannibalism. If you want to successfully raise as many of the fry as possible, you will have to sort them by size so this doesn't happen. Pay close attention when feeding, as foods if uneaten can quickly foul the water.

         Scientific Classification           

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Actinopterygii
• Order: Cyprinodontiformes
• Family: Aplocheilidae

source: http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/Killifish/BluePanchaxKillifish.php

Banded Lampeye Killifish

Aplocheilichthys spilauchen









 Banded Lampeye Killifish have a very gentle but attractive coloration. A planted tank is an excellent way to showcase your specimens. They are especially pleasing when contrasted against a dark substrate in a dimly lit aquarium. With their bright red eyes, you can see why these fish are included in the lampeye group of killifish.
   A lively but peaceful schooling fish, the Banded Lampeye can be a great addition to any community tank. They live in the mouths of rivers in Western Africa so they will do well with non-aggressive brackish water fish, but they will also do just fine in a freshwater tank with peaceful tank mates.


Distribution:   The Banded Lampeye Killifish was described by Duméril in 1861. They range from the mouth of the Senegal River to the mouth of the Congo River in Western Africa where they inhabit estuaries, mangrove swamps, and brackish water.
Status:   This fish is not listed on the IUCN red list.
Description:   The body of the Banded Lampeye Killifish is rather cylinder shaped with short rounded fins, and the scales are round. The head is flattened on top and the mouth is at the tip, they have no barbels. They have a subdued cream to light brown coloration with an iridescent silvery blue along the center of the body, strongest on the back half. The Male will have silvery blue cross stripes on the base of the tail and more intensely colored fins than the female.
Size - Weight:   This fish will reach 2.75 inches (7 cm).
Care and feeding:   Banded Lampeye Killifish are primarily carnivores. They will eat most smaller sized aquarium foods but they will look their best if fed mostly live or fresh frozen foods such as bloodworms or brine shrimp.
   As with many fish, the lampeyes will do best and are most effectively displayed in tanks which simulate their natural habitat. A dark substrate in a dimly lit aquarium will showcase this fish best. As they are a bit shy dense vegetation along the back and sides will provide hiding places. Leave open swimming space in the middle.
   Since their maximum size is less than 3 inches, they will do well in a 10 gallon tank as long as the water is kept clean. Provide good filtration and do regular water changes. The mouths of the rivers they originate from have freshwater mingling with the sea so their natural water conditions range from fresh to brackish. You can keep them in freshwater, but a brackish environment is preferable and can be created by adding 2 - 3 teaspoons of salt for each 2 1/2 gallons of water. If you plan on attempting to breed them, brackish water is suggested.

           Scientific Classification

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Actinopterygii
• Order: Cyprinodontiformes
• Family: Poeciliidae

source:http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/Killifish/BandedLampeyeKillifish.php