Its Wild

I’m the birb that gets embarrassed by her man

“Stay tf away Kevin I swear to gawd”

More little cows.

Great question! Well, a lot depends upon your preferences, what’s available and what sort of water chemistry you can provide. Killifish vary enormously from species to species, and individuals can vary in behaviour quite substantially, though rarely to the extremes that you find in Bettas. I think the ideal beginner species are Aphyosemion striatum, Fundulopanchax gardneri, Aphyosemion australe and Pseudepiplatys annulatus. I’d also include Poropanchax normani in this list, though they tend to be viewed somewhat differently. Depending upon availability, there are many other species that would make excellent starter killies, but because these are the most commonly bred they also tend to be the boldest and most adaptable. Some general rules for killifish (again, though, there are always exceptions): - Avoid tank mates: depending upon the species, killifish can be very aggressive towards other species or excessively shy and easily intimidated. I’ve housed adult and juvenile Chromaphyosemion with other peaceful species of similar sizes with disastrous results, while behaviour with conspecifics was comparatively mild. If breeding, it’s unlikely that any successful attempts will be made in a shared tank. Whatever you do, unless absolutely certain that the research checks out, DO NOT mix killifish species…- Avoid mixing killifish species: some species have the potential to mix well, but many of the issues that occur with keeping killifish in communities apply here. On top of this, females of many species are very similar in appearance, and neither we nor the males are necessarily able to tell them apart. Mixing species has resulted in the creation of hybrids, which only adds to existing taxonomic confusion. Even housing killifish of the same species originating from different collection points can have a highly detrimental impact, as intraspecies morphology/colouring can differ even in populations occurring a few miles apart. For this reason, collectors and breeders will always label the fish according to species and collection point in order to preserve the original gene pool. The majority of beginner killies are ‘aquarium strains’, meaning that populations may have been mixed over the generations. Provided these labels are applied, there’s no harm in keeping or breeding them. SO! It’s one killifish species per tank!- More is better than fewer: pairs are not a terrible place to start, but they’re definitely not the ideal. Males are almost always far too boisterous for the long-term health of the female when kept in pairs, and if kept like this too long, it could result in the death of the female. Trios are much better, and if possible, a harem or larger mixed group would be perfect. Provided the males’ attention is dispersed, females should be fine. If there does appear to be a female getting too much attention and showing signs of stress, then moving her or the male to another tank or breeding box should allow her to recover.- Include a tight-fitting lid: these guys are all notorious jumpers. In the wild, this behaviour allows them to vacate pools which are no longer habitable (there are some amazing videos of them hatching and breeding in elephants’ footprints!) and find new ones, but it’s a hellish problem when keeping them in aquariums. Any gap, no matter how seemingly small, is a possible escape route, so for the first few days after bringing them home, the water level should be kept at about the halfway point and the rim/edges of the tank covered by something like a tea towel. As they grow more comfortable, the water can be raised and extra covers removed.- Decorate heavily: all killifish like decor, and live plants are the favourite of the vast majority. In the moderately acidic-neutral conditions that many easier killies like, plants should thrive. Leaf litter is also excellent, given the tannins and humic/fulvic acids produced. They also provide excellent shelter and food for fry, which can pop up unexpectedly beneath a leaf! If the water is already on the softer side, then leaves with fewer water chemistry-altering properties should be used. Collecting locally is always a good (free!) option. Aquarium wood, sand and soil can all be used and would certainly be appreciated. - Dim lighting is best: many killies come from dark pools shaded by trees, and would have very little exposure to the strong lighting we often use in our tanks - it’s why their colours are so naturally bright. Tannin staining and floating plants go a long way here, and should help prevent jumping and stress.- Slow flow: again, with the majority of killies coming from slow-moving to stagnant water, heavy flow must be avoided. If using a filter powered by a pump, the lowest setting should be used. Sponge filters are ideal, in this instance.I’ll post the rest of the answer in a sec - tumblr’s not letting me edit or add pics.

I’ve probably missed a ton of stuff here (it’s 1am and the brain = lard…also just remembered Nothobranchius…dammit), but I hope that helps!

Scout Returns With News Of Quicker Checkout Line To The East 

© Matt, CC 2.0

Same, actually.

Source

Leah with the Scythe. California, 1975 - by Ilka Hartmann (1964), German/USA

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