Malta Aquarist Society

If you'll want to catch a pair for me this week I will buy it because the aquarium is finished.

What is the best place for the spawing mop in the bottom or on the surface of the tank?

Its nice to see that the Aphanius are still alive... As for spawning mops I put at the bottom and at the water surface. Then your fish will choose where they want to breed. 

Have you separated the male from the females? And feed them a lot of live food or frozen food before breeding.

Thanks jtheuma.What is the best material to make the mops?Yes I separated them and conditioned them with bloodworms.

I've solved about what material did I use for the mops because I saw the blackwidow thraid.Tomorrow I'll  buy the knitting wool dark green and make them because the females are full of eggs.

 It's better to boil the wool for a few minutes to get rid of any colourants from the wool.

Thanks jtheuma I've boiled them.Two days ago I removed the separator and put the mops in the tank.The male was chasing the females and he became black with silver spots.One of the females entered in the mop and the male after it.I think that they spawned because they make like the first photo in page 2 in killifish for everyone thread.After a few minutes the other female entered in the mop and the male after it and they made the same.I don't now if they laid eggs because I didn't check the mop.Can someone tell me how can I check the mop and collect the eggs?.Another question that I have is were can I buy the methalyne blue? 

 Any leading LFS should have it , if you don't find send me a pm

 Regards checking for eggs: leave the mop in the aquarium for a week and then change it with another one. If you don't have experience with collecting the eggs by hand, I would check in the mop for any eggs but will not touch them unless you have a nice number of hatched fry. I would transfer the mop into another container for hatching. Use the same water ofcourse.

Then when you are satisfied  that you have some fry, try picking up the eggs and put them in a small hatching container (could be a margarine container). Make sure you pick them up with wet hands, they're a bit delicate as one can imagine. But with practice you'll get use to it. 

Let us know if you find any eggs, but from the behaviour you described, it seems they started breeding.

Nista nuza Acriflavine min flok Methalyn blue u jekk nista nuzah kemm irrid nitfa fil-hatching container?

It depends the concentration of the acriflavin.But a simple calculation is that you bring the water light yellow but you have to make 80% water change when they hatch.

Thanks charles. The acriflavine I bought is 0.1% solution.

I think that now, all Acriflavine is 0.1% solution & you cannot find better. As Charles said, the water must be with a tinge of "yellow" & try to use a pipette, so you'll be more accurate.

Thanks Jason.I used an  icecream container filled it with the water of the aphanius mento tank and put an air stone with a very few bubbles and than put the acriflivine.The water came a bit yellowish.I found 6 eggs and two of them are fertile because they have black spots and the other are invisibile.If they hatch what should I feed them?

I think your best bet would be Microworms, but Charlon & Jonathan might suggest something better, as they're more into Killies.