Pictures Of A Very Big, Very Pregnant Halfbeak

[nmonks]

Folks,

Right now the lady halfbeak in my tank is waddling about surely only a week or so from giving birth. I append a couple of pictures. In the second picture, the 'gravid spot' is very obvious, and one of the interesting things is that frisky males seem to dive down and look for this spot, presumably do find out if she's receptive. After they've taken a look, them swim off.

These pictures also give you an idea how big this fish is: she's about 9 cm (3 inches) long, but very deep bodied. If she wanted to, I'm sure she could eat one of the cardinal tetras, or heck, even one of the smaller halfbeaks, and yet she seems perfectly content to take flake and frozen. She's about 50% longer than the largest male, and easily three of four times more massive. Another oddity is that big females feed at all levels, including from the substrate. Males feed, as far as I can tell, only from top level of the tank. In fact the females seem rather smart, and right now she's sitting at the front of the tank watching me, begging for food.

Anyway, for those folks into livebearers and looking for something a bit different, these Celebes halfbeaks are well worth looking out for.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[dwarfgourami]

Ooh, she does look heavy (I well remember the feeling...). Tell her she has my sympathy. Gorgeous-looking fish that!

 

[Weaver]

She reminds me of a submarine!
Lovely fish.

 

[penguinpimp1990]

lovely tank nmonks! what is that bamboo type looking plant in your tank? Ill buy some of it if I can find it, looks awesome! Your halfbeak is huge, what are you feeding her, steak? Also i thought halfbeaks likes alkeline water? (im assuming its soft and acidic because you have a hatchet and glass fish in there)

 

[Annastasia]

She is looking pretty big! Let us know when she has her fry! I'm sure we wouldn't mind pictures of them either....

 

[nmonks]

Hello penguinpimp1990 --

The bamboo type looking plant is in fact bamboo. I've used it several times over the years. On the plus side, it's cheap and non-toxic (provided you don't get bamboo that's been coated). But the downside is that bamboo only lasts a year or two before it rots. Then you replace it. Since a big bundle costs one UK pound, that's no great expense!

I'm feeding her mostly TetraMin flake, bloodworms, pieces of prawn, and frozen krill. Before I kept halfbeaks, I'd been told (and read) that they only/mostly take live and frozen foods. That seems to be true at first, but once one specimen learns to take flake, the others quickly copy.

This species of halfbeak -- Nomorhamphus liemi -- comes from soft, acid water. I have Dermogenys sumatrana in the tank as well. The only species that haven't done well in there has been Nomorhamphus ebrardtii, which I have since learned needs alkaline to slightly brackish water. Several specimens of that species have died in there, but not all, and I assume that's because the pH/hardness was wrong.

The halfbeaks get along great with the hatchets. Hatchets are another overlooked group of "mini oddballs". Once settled in (which takes only a few hours!) they are very bold. Mine bite my fingers when I'm working in the aquarium! Oddly enough, they sometimes school with the glassfish.

Cheers,

Neale

lovely tank nmonks! what is that bamboo type looking plant in your tank? Ill buy some of it if I can find it, looks awesome! Your halfbeak is huge, what are you feeding her, steak? Also i thought halfbeaks likes alkeline water? (im assuming its soft and acidic because you have a hatchet and glass fish in there)

 

[penguinpimp1990]

why did you buy it from? I think a garden center may have some

 

[nmonks]

Yep. I got mine from a DIY store, specifically the gardening section. Just make sure you get untreated bamboo. There is a treated kind around (apparently) and since it's sprayed with fungicides and whatnot, it's probably not a good idea to put it in an aquarium. So check with your retailer that the bamboo they have is au naturel!.

Bamboo works well in brackish tanks, too, but it seems to rot even more quickly in brackish water. Lasts about a year.

Cheers,

Neale

why did you buy it from? I think a garden center may have some