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Retirement and forum shutdown (17 Jan 2022)

Hi,

John Howell who has managed the forum for years is getting on and wishes to retire from the role of managing it.
Over the years, he has managed the forum through good days and bad days and he has always been fair.
He has managed to bring his passion for fish keeping to the forum and keep it going for so long.

I wish to thank John for his hard work in keeping the forum going.

With John wishing to "retire" from the role of managing the forum and the forum receiving very little traffic, I think we must agree that forum has come to a natural conclusion and it's time to put it to rest.

I am proposing that the forum be made read-only from March 2022 onwards and that no new users or content be created. The website is still registered for several more years, so the content will still be accessible but no new topics or replies will be allowed.

If there is interest from the ITFS or other fish keeping clubs, we may redirect traffic to them or to a Facebook group but will not actively manage it.

I'd like to thank everyone over the years who helped with forum, posted a reply, started a new topic, ask a question and helped a newbie in fish keeping. And thank you to the sponsors who helped us along the away. Hopefully it made the hobby stronger.

I'd especially like to thank John Howell and Valerie Rousseau for all of their contributions, without them the forum would have never been has successful.

Thank you
Darragh Sherwin

infos on Aphyosemion australe

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06 Feb 2015 15:43 #1 by anthonyd (Anthony Debesne)
Hi guys,
I have been doing some research on the lyretail chocolate killifish but the more i look the more confused i get.
The recommended tank size range from 15 L to 80 L...
It is recommended to keep in pair but it is as well recommended to have a ratio of 1 male to 3-4 females...
I have a tank 350x350x 280 roughly 30L, would this be suitable for a pair or a mâle and a few females ?


Thanks
Anthony

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06 Feb 2015 15:57 #2 by JohnH (John)
Anthony, the male Australe, like most Killies, can become a 'little bit' over amorous towards his entourage so potentially the higher ratio of females will help spread this activity somewhat.
Having said that, I've had a pair (1m, 1f) together with no problems in a 12"x12"x6" section of a segmented breeding set up with them living in almost perfect harmony so as usual it's very hard to make hard and fast rulings (I must add that this segment was pretty full of Java moss, which might have helped the accord).
So I would suggest the larger ratio and plenty of hiding places for the females to retreat to.
Your tank water volume would be almost double that of mine so it would be worth a try - but, as ever, keep a close eye on behaviour...sometimes the females can be quite aggressive to one another too.

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


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It's a long way to Tipperary.

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06 Feb 2015 17:00 #3 by anthonyd (Anthony Debesne)
Thanks John,
Would you recommend these as a first breeding project, from what i read they are no too fussy and some young will survive even when kept with the parents ?

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06 Feb 2015 17:12 #4 by igmillichip (ian millichip)
australes would make a great starter breeding project if you're wanting to get into killi breeding.

Irish Tropical Fish Society (ITFS) Member.

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06 Feb 2015 17:37 - 06 Feb 2015 17:40 #5 by anthonyd (Anthony Debesne)
Thanks Igmillichip
, hope to get those along the borelli when i m up in Dublin :)

Anthony
Last edit: 06 Feb 2015 17:40 by anthonyd (Anthony Debesne).

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06 Feb 2015 17:44 - 06 Feb 2015 17:49 #6 by JohnH (John)

australes would make a great starter breeding project if you're wanting to get into killi breeding.

As Ian suggests they would be 'just the job' - in fact they were the very first Killies I kept and bred for me in their tank.
That was an awfully long time ago now though. In those days they were far more water critical than they are now - I had to use rain water, I remember.
You have probably read that the eggs do not need a 'dry' period - in fact I personally think removing the eggs from the water to be quite detrimental with Aphoysemions.
A nice thick layer of moss peat as substrate and a goodly amount of Java Moss, or alternatively spawning mops (although not as aesthetically 'pleasing' on the eye) should ensure some eggs/fry will survive.they'll be ready to eat newly-hatched brineshrimp and microworms as soon as they hatch - no waiting for the fry to consume their yolk-sacs first - when they hatch they're immediately on the lookout for grub!
Good luck, if you decide to go along with the project.
I'm sure there's something on them in the 'Articles' section.
Yes, I was right - under Ian's article on breeding bubblenesters...
www.irishfishkeepers.com/index.php?optio...ory&id=16&Itemid=128

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


ITFS member.



It's a long way to Tipperary.
Last edit: 06 Feb 2015 17:49 by JohnH (John). Reason: Added link

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06 Feb 2015 18:16 #7 by anthonyd (Anthony Debesne)
I read Ian s article before, really good for newbie like me.
The tank has lots of java moss in it and some floating plants, i used the tank for my crs cull so it has a dark active substrate which buffers the remineralized ro to a ph of 6 with kh being 0.
Here is a picture of the tank, if you see something wrong with the set up i will change it.
Thanks
Anthony


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06 Feb 2015 18:48 #8 by JohnH (John)
The article was written by Colin (Puddlefish) but that's not totally very important (just putting the record straight).

The only thing I can point out is that - since the Australe group are largely plant spawners any eggs which weren't caught up in the moss or mops would be rather vulnerable.on the gravel substrate - but if you aren't looking for a 'commercial-type' turnover enough should survive in your moss to make the exercise worthwhile..

Other than that I'd say your tank will be perfect as it is...(I just like the peatmoss substrate (but that's a rather personal preference - which I'm sure Ian would agree with).

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


ITFS member.



It's a long way to Tipperary.

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06 Feb 2015 19:08 #9 by anthonyd (Anthony Debesne)
Thank John, you are perfecly right to put the record straight !
I have those plastic things i use to grow moss on in my shrimp tanks.
Would it be any good ?




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06 Feb 2015 19:25 #10 by JohnH (John)
I'd say they could be, especially if the legs could go deeper into the substrate.
At the height they are the adults would easily pass under and find any loose eggs - but really, unless you're prepared to remove the moss daily and get any eggs out (to be hatched in Ice Cream [or similar] containers) (pretty time consuming work) then you should just resign yourself to the fact that not every egg laid will remain unconsumed.

John

Location:
N. Tipp

We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl - year after year.


ITFS member.



It's a long way to Tipperary.

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06 Feb 2015 19:43 #11 by anthonyd (Anthony Debesne)
John and Ian, thanks for the infos !
I m not looking at mass producing those, if i see a few young i will be delighted and if they eat them all it wont be the end of the world as they are really stunning fishes.

Anthony

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06 Feb 2015 21:39 #12 by Eric (Eric Corcoran)
Looking forward to seeing these. Keep us updated. Best of luck with them

Eric

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06 Feb 2015 22:04 #13 by anthonyd (Anthony Debesne)
Thanks Eric.
My wife is delighted, the last shrimps have moved out of the kitchen,she hates them but love fishes...
How are the falx fry doing ?

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06 Feb 2015 22:26 #14 by Eric (Eric Corcoran)
A happy wife is a happy life :laugh: :laugh: . The male hasn't released them yet but ill post pics once he does. When you planning on getting these fish ?

Eric

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06 Feb 2015 22:34 #15 by anthonyd (Anthony Debesne)
I m waiting on the shrimps i ordered in seahorse to arrive.Really hope it s gonna be this month. Hopefully i will be able to get some apisto borelli and the lyretail killis on the same trip.
Was planning on getting 12 habrosus corys as well but i doubt i will be able to afford it...

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