killies

[nikki]

I'm starting a new water tank. It's going to be a killie tank. Has anyone any advice on the kind of killies I should start with.
It's a 10 liter tank, it won't be heated. I won't put any filter or light either. I'm thinking of putting 2/3 aphyosemions...

 

[Fruitbat]

A 10 liter tank (about 2.5 gallons) will be a bit small for many of the more commonly available Aphyosemion species. If you can find them, the Nothobranchus killies stay smaller. They have the disadvantage, however, of being 'annual' killifish which means that they only live for about a year. They are easy to breed, however, and are spectacularly gorgeous! Regardless of which type of tropical killifish you choose, however, you're going to need a heater.

If a heater is not an option on this tank then you might consider some of the North American killies like Fundulus species. They get a bit large for a 10 liter tank as well but they'll hold up better in an unheated aquarium.

What ever type of killifish you end up choosing, you'll miss out of a large amount of their charm without a light. The spectacular colors of many of the killifish won't show up well unless you've got a light on the aquarium or it gets plenty of sunlight (with all of the added algae problems that entails).

Have you given any thought to the White Cloud Mountain Fish (Tanichthys albonubes)?? These little gems will do well in an unheated 10 liter tank.

 

[nikki]

I was advised not to heat the tank by the people of the Museum Aquarium in my city who breed them in that sort of tanks. As for the light, I was also told that they prefer it that way.
I was looking for some advice about the sort of aphyo. I should order. But thank you for suggesting the Nothobranchus killies, I think I'll take 2/3 of them.
In fact, I don't mind their being annual killies, at first, before doing some research on the topic, I thought all killies were annual

 

[Fruitbat]

All of the killifish I've kept prefer subdued light so I generally used a floating plant to cut down on the amount of light. Regarding the heat...I've always used heaters on my killi tanks to keep the temperature between 74-78 degrees Fahrenheit. I suppose that differences of opinion are common between aquarists.

I don't keep any killifish at all right now. Good luck with yours!

 

[Mofo2713]

Sounds like that would be boring to me. No filter, no light, and no heater. Doesn't sound FUN to me. If I have fish, I would want something to shine the light on to look at and make them happy with clean filtered warm water. Just my 2 cents but I guess everyone's different.

 

[nikki]

You wouldn't make them happy with warm water but make them die, they live between 65-75 F. As soon as water warms up, it's the sign that it's the end of their lives, the pool is going to dry. So, the warmer the water, the shorter their lives. At least it's what I was told by the people at the Museum Aquarium..

 

[TankGirl]

That makes perfect sense, nikki, and this is more like a natural aquarium, where plants and natural light are used in the place of filtration and other artificial means. It is a noble endeavor and I think it will make a lovely display in a window, with ambient light showing off the fish.

At some point in my exploration of aquarium keeping I hope to run a natural aquarium and see what new dimensions it might bring to the scope of the hobby for me. I have a new friend who is very much an advocate of the natural aquarium concept, and it has certainly captured my interest.