Topic: Hatching Killiefish, Need Some Help Please!

[FishyWishy1500]

Hello All,

I purchased 100 Killifish/rachovii eggs from eBay, and received them in the mail a couple days ago. They came in a small container filled with Peat moss. On the lid it says "Validity date: 18-Jan-12". I'm assuming that is the "hatch date" right?

I've never hatched Killies yet, but I've done a lot of research before (and after) buying these. I've been in the fish hobby for about 10 years at least, but haven't ever breed fish or raised fry yet.

I have a few questions, before I start hatching them.

First, how much of the container should I try and hatch at first and should I start the hatching on the 18th? Also, it comes with a little Peat moss in the con. but do I need to buy and put any more into the hatch container? Also I don't have any Java moss or any other kind of moss, right now. So do I need to buy some of that for the "raising tray" or can I get some more Peat moss (at Walmart or somewhere cheap) and just raise them in that?

If anyone needs more information from me let me know.

Thank you in advance for any help.

P.S. Just for the record, I have an approx. 30 gallon tank established (for a few weeks now, with some live plants and a Betta in it for now) I'm planning to put the Killies in there when they are big enough (and moving the Betta out).

[stomachfluid (Alex)]

wow. I see you postid this in January. How did it go?

[FishyWishy1500]

Ha, yep. Well, I got some help from a different fish forum and was able to hatch 1 single fry (out of my supposed "100 eggs"), so I dried out the peat moss again, figuring that maybe it just hadn't been long enough. And I proceeded to raise the 1 fry, but I got very busy and couldn't give it as much attention as it needed and sadly after a couple months it died (still very small).

So I still haven't wet any more eggs yet, I've been planning to try again soon, but I'm waiting until I can be sure I'll have time to raise them now.

One thing that I wish someone would help me with is the feeding schedule for them, when do you switch to something other than microworms, and how many times a day should you feed them (whatever food) and for how long, before switching to something else?

If you can help me with that question, it would be great! I just kind of fed it whatever I had on hand and mostly that was microworms and some frozen blood worms and live B.B.S. a few times. But I don't think I did the water changes that should have been done often enough (sometimes I went days without doing any) and maybe I over fed or something, because the one fry I had stayed very small and hardly grew at all.