Killifish

[BigC]

Hi,
I've been around this forum for a good while now and it never ceases to amaze me of the lack of interest in Killifish. Some of the most highly coloured fasinating tropical fish on the market. (I'm biased)
Why is there not much interest on this forum, after all it is one of the largest TFF's as regards to traffic on the net.
Please answer the following questions

1. Does the name Killi put you off. ( It's dutch for small ditch or stream)
2. Are they unavailable in your area.
3. Are you totally ignorant, and did not know they exisited.
4. Are you put off by their requirements. (Some will live quite happily in community aquaria)

Please let me know your views, as This side of the hobby is grossfully undersubscribed on this forum.
Regards
BigC

 

[starrynightxxi]

i imagine most people are completely unaware of their existence as they are uncommon in the general LFS. I have only ever seen them at one place (the place i intend to buy mine from once i move and have room) and never heard of them before until i saw them on aquabid.

 

[BigC]

and never heard of them before until i saw them on aquabid.

There are specialist societies, throughout the globe where membere trade their excess stock (for a lot less than Aquabid and its counterparts) They hold conventions and meetings throughout the year. They mail you publications on a monthly basis, all at a minimal cost.
Regards
BigC

 

[Bloo]

From my little & limited experience (thanks to BigC!) I can confirm that they are lovely interesting fish indeed and fantastic fry controllers too ! so if you have live bearers and don't want to be over-run by fry, they'd be a peaceful and colourful alternative and that's certainly been my experience with the lovely "Aphyosemion australe chocolate". And they even seem to thrive in the harder London waters with higher pH.

I think it might just be a case of general lack of killifish available in most lfs's as well as lack of knowledge.
Perhaps some people are also put off by thinking that they are all annual fish ? Which of course isn't the case.

If and when I have the space some day, I'd love to be able to do a "proper" killi setup and try some of the other perhaps more challenging types

 

[BigC]

Perhaps some people are also put off by thinking that they are all annual fish ? Which of course isn't the case.

Good point Bloo!
Regards
BigC

 

[starrynightxxi]

i love killis, i just don't have room for them at the moment. Luckily the guy that sells/breeds them has a huuuuuuge fish room that he lets me lounge in (and drink all his soda ) whenever i need a fish fix beautiful little critters. it's like cory, cichlid, killi mania up there.

but yeah, i really think it's just that they aren't popular with pet stores, which is no problem at all so far as i'm concerned. hate to see these fish go the way of the neon or the dwarf gourami.

 

[SamUK]

jus not my kinda fish i guess.

i prefer big cichlids over little fish.

 

[demonmagus]

2. Are they unavailable in your area.

yep. soooo annoying. I really want a pair/trio

but yeah, i really think it's just that they aren't popular with pet stores, which is no problem at all so far as i'm concerned. hate to see these fish go the way of the neon or the dwarf gourami.

???

 

[BigC]

i prefer big cichlids over little fish

Personal preference
Another good point
Regards
BigC

yep. soooo annoying. I really want a pair/trio

The British Killifish Association (BKA) would open a lot of doors for a lot of wannabe enthusiasts who would like to get into this niche side of the hobby. You will see an arrayof Killifish species that only existed on the glossy pages of books and magazines. Not to mention the knowledge base.
Regards
BigC

 

[starrynightxxi]

and never heard of them before until i saw them on aquabid.

There are specialist societies, throughout the globe where membere trade their excess stock (for a lot less than Aquabid and its counterparts) They hold conventions and meetings throughout the year. They mail you publications on a monthly basis, all at a minimal cost.
Regards
BigC

yeah, that doesn't surprise me, they have these for most anything BUT no one's going to look for them if they've never heard of killis. And I think that the average fishkeeper just isn't exposed to them at all to know what they are. anyhow i've said that like three times now so i'll stop. i sound like a broken record -lol-

but yeah, i really think it's just that they aren't popular with pet stores, which is no problem at all so far as i'm concerned. hate to see these fish go the way of the neon or the dwarf gourami.

???

meaning completely over- and inbred and essentially destroyed

 

[demonmagus]

anyone know where I an get killi eggs?

 

[Elisabeth83]

As you know BigC I can get on my hands on basically any type of Killifish I wanted. I think partly because of that I just get overwhelmed and can't decided what to start with. Also the guy I know who breeds them does such a wonderful job that I don't want to try them and kill them lol. So instead I just go into his shop and into the back where he has quite literally at least 100-200 10-15 litre tanks of all different types of killies you can think of (very rare ones too) and I go around with a flashlight and get my fill of their amazing colors. I often think if I took pictures and put them on this forum most people wouldn't believe they were real fish because they really are just absolutely stunning with amazing colors and patterns!

After a couple hours there I'm satisfied and I go home. I guess you could say in a way I kinda do own killies but I just don't have to feed them or do water changes!

 

[starrynightxxi]

-lol- that's the same thing i do with the breeder i know, right down to the flashlight

 

[dgwebster]

I do know of them, i do like them and plan on adding some aphyosemion gardneri or aphyosemion striatum to one of the 4 ft tanks im setting up as soon as I have bought my place to put the tanks in. One is to be a larger community-type fish tank (the neons etc are going to stay in their existing tank instead) with the killis and another is going to have much larger/more specialist of a species tank. But I just dont talk about them cos the mortgage/house is more of a concern right now.

 

[annka5]

They're lovely looking fish, but I'm put off by their size, also the only way for me to buy them would be "sight unseen" - I've never even seen them in any of the L (and not quite so L) FS in my area. Whilst I could get them from other sources, I've never even seen that type of fish except in pictures (with the exception of Golden Wonder panchax) - what if "in the flesh" am not so keen?