Killifish concerns

Okay, so I started a new thread like @francoisve asked


So as you asked last, I have no idea if they were/are hiding in the substrate, but as I said, I can't even find any eggs. We did have temperature drops on Sunday when Eskom switched the power off for "maintenance". It probably dropped down to about 14-15 during the evening. The water was kept shallow, I put all the peat into a ice cream tub and filled about halfway. I have no idea what is going on. I try and sift through the peat to try and find some eggs or fish but all I do is make the peat swirl around. So for now, I'll just leave the peat in the water for a while, maybe I'm lucky and the eggs darkened up so much that I can't see them or all the fry hatched and are just chilling under the peat. But with my luck, the eggs/fry probably died off on Sunday...

 

Good luck. Hope you get something out.

 

@F1refly :

1. I doubt that 15 deg would kill the fry...
2. i assume you looked with a torch/headlamp - they are difficult to see sometime...
3. if they were eyed up they would hatch and cannot 'disappear'

Use a pipette to gently move the peat around by squirting it around - sooner or later you will see an egg but you have to use a torch... My bet is that the eggs are still there you are just not seeing them... Wet again in a few days anyway and then again a week later. If no luck by then I will send you some more eggs, FOC...

 

Okay, thanks for the help As soon as I get home I'll take an old syringe and see what I can find. And yes, I was using a torch. My Samsung has a pretty powerful torch feature.

Also, would things like Tiny Ramshorns be able to eat the eggs?

 

Get a pipette and cut off the tip - super convenient to suck up fry without hurting them and feeding!!! Available at most pharmacies, the long plastic 3-5 ml ones...

Please tell me the snails were SUPER small???!!! No snails in the hatching container, I think snails will eat anything.....:cry:

 

They were very small. They weren't put in on purpose though, I just found one swimming around in the tub last night while I was re-planting some uprooted plants. Was only the one, but it's possible there were more in there at some stage...

 

Also, I would get a pipette but we live way too far from a pharmacy, although my brother may have one hidden away amongst his science stuff

 

Ok you nearly gave me a heart attack... h: Can send you a new pipette next time (you will owe me a beer off course in the Smithfield Hotel!!! (old hangout of mine on our trips to and from varsity....!)

 

No need. My brother found his old one. He doesn't need it so I'll cut the opening a tad bigger when I get home this afternoon.
And small world Not as grand as it used to be, but still a local hangout for the farmers

 

Okay, sifted through the peat, and all I can really see so far are little white things amongst the bigger pieces of peat

 

Try shining a torch on the container while it is dark, slowly moving it around. Dont touch the container. The fry will move when in the light. Movement is the easiest way to find the fry.

 

Little white things?? Not a lot to work with here can you be a bit more specific? Not dead fry perhaps?

 

Maybe? I don't know. They are pretty small, have a sort of grey-white colour and don't move. Or at least, didn't move when I prodded them. Also tried the torch last night and nada. No movement. I tried looking at them a bit closer with the magnifying glass, but I keep bumping the tub and so everything moves around.

 

Dead fry. :frown: They do not become free swimming immediately but at least they should move when prodded... What happened F1refly? :sad2:

 

Most likely the cold snap on Sunday killed them. I floated the tub in one of my tanks to keep the temps up as I was worried the cold would have an effect on the eggs. So, I've basically stuffed up and killed 65 fry. Way to go ush::evil:

 

If you pay the postage I'll send you another batch of eggs. Don't give up...

 

That I can do. As soon as the new month hits though, as I've passed my monthly limit. Don't recall doing so many impulse buys this month though...:blushing:

 

Could I ask what species of killi this is just for interest sake?

 

It was Epiplatys dageti monroviae. Thankfully not a R350 species.

 

Nice species. Hope you come right with the next batch.