I Have Had A Serendipitous Encounter.

[jollysue]

I was just setting up an order for a Cory I had been waiting to come in for some time from CorysRUs, when Bryan suggested a fish he is getting in, a Barbus_hulstaerti. I asked what size tank for a breeding colony of 20? He said a 20 usg would be right.

I left to go to get the mail. At the mail was a poster advertising a moving sale. It listed a 20 usg with a stand for $30.

I went back to the apartment and called. It turns out that the seller is in the apartment that I am scheduled to move into!

I don't really believe in chance at that level. So this is the fish I will get assuming no hickups:

 

[drewry]

wow what are the chances of that
thats abit of good luck jollysue

 

[divisible by zero]

that's better than finding a tank along the road!

 

[jollysue]

Yeah! dbz and drewery, I am quite pleased with myself! LOL

What do you think of the little guy? He's not flashy, but he's cute. I guess if 20 are good in a 20 usg, he must be about an inch.

 

[divisible by zero]

yeah they are cute lil things.

i had a nice synchronicty last night, right when i said "get out" a song by the same name came on, roughly a 1 in 13,500 chance, but still made me stop for a minute

 

[jollysue]

Who did you kick out I think it must have been about time! (I don't know the song, so you will have to fill me in.)

I love synchronicity! My favorites are when I pray on something, and it is confirmed with a song or some other form of message. I know then I am on the right track, and I am not alone. That's how I feel about adding this fish to my stock.

Are either of you breeding barbs? I will need some hand holding.

 

[divisible by zero]

to be honest, i'm not sure who the song was by, i'd have to dig, and i was just talking to a buddy and don't even remember how the phrase came up, but it wasn't directed at him.

not breeding barbs here, but would love if my tigers did.

 

[starrynightxxi]

i think it's a lovely little fish, jollysue. what's the adult size on it? sorry can't help you on the barb breeding front. only successful egglayers in my tanks are my dwarf cichlids (surprise surprise -lol-)

(and to jump on the bandwagon, synchronicity is pretty awesome )

 

[jollysue]

starrynightxxi: 3.5 cm TL according to

here

 

[arvlyn]

Wow...just WOW... That had to make your head spin! You were meant to have those fish, that's for sure! I'm looking forward to seeing pictures!!

 

[jollysue]

HAHA Will do, arvlyn!

Yeah! ya can't let signs direct your life, but this was more confirming what I was already doing and giving me a way to do it.

I love it. It is way past logical. I am moving on the 9th of Nov. Really nuts to be buying fish and setting up tanks. 8) I can hardly get around things as it is. I am moving so I can have a fish room.

 

[drewry]

yep it certinly was meant to be jollysue

iv never seen them barbs before there ace

iv keep a number of bars over the years but never spawned then

iv got a book with breeding cherry barbs in it
this is what it says


this asian barb spawns in much the same way as nearly all other asian species.
condition the adults separatly and after a couple of weeks,place a plump female with a male into the
breeding tank .if you do this late evening , most pairs will spawn soon after.
courtship is initated by the male early in the morning .
it usually starts with him lazily chasing his mate around the aquarium ,
but gradually speeds up as he starts flaring his fins and performing a courtship dance in front of her .
he entices her to a particular area of plant cover in ,or just above,
wich the pair mate .
this involves them turning over on there sides or even up side down,
with the male,s fins wrapped over the females body.
about 5 eggs are released with each ambrace and these hang by a sticky thread from
the plant fonds.
spawning may take sevral hours ,but once complete,the pair will start to cruise around eating
any eggs they can find ,
remove the pairents swiftly to give the eggs a chance of suviiving untill they can hatch
a day later .
the fry are not free swiming untill
the 3rd day ,at this time they look like slivers of glass and tend to congregate near
plants or under the water surface.


breeding tank
24x12x12inch
clean, slightly acidic water (up to 200 ppm and ph 6.8)
allow it to stand for a few days before addind the fish.
no substrate.
plenty of bunches of fine leaved plants or atifital spawning mops.
position the tank were it will recive early morning sunlight.
set temp at 26-27oc(79-80)


rearing the fry

the fry are very small and require a liquid fry food for a week before moveing on to newly hatched bbs,
microworms,powderd fry food .
keep a close lookout for signs of velvert disease as fry grow up.
this condition can be easily cured if caught early on .
partial water changes and gradually changing the water chemistry untill conditions become moderately
hard and alkaline will help to prevent the onset of the disease .

i know its not the same barbs jollysue and if its a differant breeding setup but i hope it helps

 

[drewry]

ph six.eight dont know how the smily got there

 

[Lateral Line]

B. hulstaerti was a "dream fish" for me for years. To date, I have never seen a live one. I was an avid collector of African Barbs, and the Congo Butterfly was only known from a few specimens from the Stanley Pools near Kinshasa, Zaire. Several times I was alerteed to shops that had them only to be disappointed when I got there, they were other species every time.

I have heard that they are becomig available in the trade now at a few better places. They are a soft acidic water species, and from my research, will not acclimate easily to hard or alkali conditions. Good luck with them if that is what they are.

 

[jollysue]

Yes, LL, they are being imported from the Congo and are called commonly Butterfly barbs. It is a major importer of fish in the States who is bringing them in and offering them to me. I do not have soft water. My water runs about 7.5 and up. I asked about that and was told it would be ok, that they had been bred there at neutral pH or higher and that they are hardy little fish. This importer will export. for a charge.

I will continue to look into the pH thing, though.

Thanks, drewry, for that. I will puruse it.