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Few
aquarium sites provide a broad menu of concise, accurate, and
simple fishkeeping information to help
anyone involved in the hobby. On this site I hope to provide
as many helpful bits of information as I can from 40
years of fishkeeping. If there is information you are looking
for that has not been addressed, please drop me a
line at
selectaquatics@gmail.com. Please also check the
Free Downloads page for more info on
husbandry.
The Tank-
A larger tank is generally easier to care for than a smaller
one, and better for the fish. Larger tanks
(30 gallons plus) are more stable biologically and less prone
to ammonia spikes when a fish dies or someone
overfeeds. It is also best to create as natural an
environment as possible, with swimming and hiding room, for
both adults and fry. I nearly always provide
live plants, and
even plastic plants are better than none at all, with
care that you can always see the fish to keep an eye on their
health and condition. The tank should be set up
away from vents and sunny windows, to prevent uncontrolled
temperature swings or
algea growth. I provide
covers for new fish or known jumpers, but generally do not
cover my more heavily planted tanks. I use the
plastic "honeycomb" light fixture covering that I have cut
to size for the tanks, available at any home
improvement store. All my tanks are also bare-bottom- for
reasons gone into further below, with plants
that are potted, or that naturally float on the surface. The
size of the tank has nothing to do with the size
of the fish raised in it. A tank space less than that
required by a fish will simply result in a short,
stunted life for the fish. See population density for the
best size tank for the fish you want to keep.
Repairing a leaking Tank-
Tanks kept in operation can easily last 20 years without
developing
a leak. When leaks occur it is often because a tank was
stored for long periods where it was exposed empty to
wide swings in temperature, and rarely, when it wasn't made well
initially. Tanks up to 50 gallons generally repair
relatively easily, and a good resealing can put an old tank
into nearly new condition, lasting you for another
20 years. When a tank develops a leak, you must drain it and
dry it thoroughly, then use a one sided
razor blade to remove all of the old silicone by cutting,
then scraping away as much of the old silicone as
possible. The glass must be cleaned of the old silicone, as
silicone will not stick to itself. A slim film left
on the glass will provide a pathway for a new leak to
develop. This is not as tough as it sounds- by "polishing"
the old glass with the razor blade the old silicone can be
removed fairly easily.
Any old silicone won't work. Many have additives that are
toxic to fish, and buying silicone labeled "Aquarium safe"
is the first important step. When fixing a tank smaller than
29 gallons, the cheaper aquarium safe silicone available
at many home improvement stores will do the job. However, with
larger tanks, a better quality silicone is needed as
the cheaper stuff isn't as easy to work with with, and air
pockets can develop, and it will often crack or lose its
integrity in a way that better silicones, made specifically
for aquarium use won't. Those are available online only,
and are slightly more expensive. A caulking tube of the
better stuff will run about $11-12, plus shipping.
Be careful when handling the tank as the glass plates are
then only loosely connected to one another. Then lay a
generous bead down over where the plates meet, trying not to
break the stream of silicone from corner to corner,
careful to lay it in so that air pockets are not created
under the silicone bead where the two plates meet. Do
around the bottom first. Then, with your finger, carefully
run your fingertip along the joint to seat the silicone
into the junction where the plates meet. Do not push down to
the glass, you are forming the silicone down into the
corner where the plates meet. Then repeat with each upright
corner, careful not to create an air pocket where the
new bead lays over the silicone already in place on the
bottom. The entire process must be done on all seams in
about 10-15 minutes, or the silicone will begin to dry. Use
good quality, aquarium safe silicone- cheap silicone
will crack, could give off fumes that are toxic to fish, and
will not be as smooth and easy to work with. You want
to have it work first time. Let tank dry for 24-48 hours then
slowly add water to test it. If it continues to leak,
then you have to do the entire process over again. Larger
tanks of 50 gallons and over are less successfully sealed
first time that way, and I will often have 1" glass strips
cut to stack 3 deep along the bottom seams to seal a
larger tank most successfully.
Replacing a broken side can be done, but the
expense of the glass, the silicone and time required can surpass
the cost of a new aquarium. Tanks are generally about $2 a
gallon (when buying just the tank), but dollar per
gallon sales occur occasionally, and used tanks are often
available through Pennysaver type publications,
classified ads, and particularly if you seek out and join a
local aquarium society.
See the article
"Repairing / Sealing Aquariums."
Gravel- We all
start off keeping tanks with gravel, which serves a number of
purposes. However, with the
exception of fish that require it to breed, thick layers
of gravel on the bottom are not used. However, gravel
is occasionally used this way: When spread lightly (1-3
particles deep), it can be a productive source of
surface area for bacteria to colonize and help maintain a
tank's stability, or to help cure a tank with
cloudy water issues. It won't be deep enough to collect
decaying organic matter, contributing to disease,
but it provides enough increased surface area to assist water
quality maintenance and provide a distinct
bottom for the fish, and only 1/3rd to 1/2 of the bottom
needs to be covered.
For Rooted Plants-
A soil mix can be used, but it must be changed yearly- for it
can cause sickness
if too old. I pot plants in clay pots that can be removed
easily, with the roots growing in pre-soaked peat (be sure
the peat is fully soaked before preparing to put it into the
aquarium- or it may float up and cause a substantial
fouling of the water). For photos and text of how plants are
used by Select Aquatics, see Plants. The peat is
then covered with a layer of gravel or sand to keep the peat
in the pot. I recommend floating plants such as
Java fern, Java moss, riccia, duckweed, and
water lettuce.
Except for a very thin layer for looks, or to assist
biological filtration, the extra maintenance needed to keep a
tank healthy containing a thick layer of gravel was
time and effort better spent on other aspects of the
aquarium's care. Keep in mind that if you plan on keeping
larger fish that will dig into the soil, you my want to avoid
using peat, and put plants into plain gravel, and I always
use plant fertilizer. For an inexpensive and easy
alternative to standard aquarium plant fertilizers,
see Keeping Plants.
To even better accommodate the fish to a tank without gravel,
I will often set the tank up on a dark surface,
paint the bottom glass or tape black plastic (such as used in
garbage bags) to the bottom of the tank to provide
the sense of a boundary for the fish and to bring out their
color. The Odessa barbs require this.
Choice of Fish-
The choice of fish you keep contributes greatly to how well your
fish will do. Whether they
will grow to their maximum, live comfortably and breed begins with
your choice of species and how they are put
together. Which tankmates will simply torment one another,
leading to an early and and possibly expensive demise
for one of them?. Well, When a fish meets another fish for
the first time, roughly three thoughts cross their mind:
1. Will you eat me?
2. Can I eat you?, and
3. Can I mate with you?
For fish to live at their best health, stress must be kept to
a minimum, meaning that predator / prey behavior needs
to be prevented. With many fish, swordtails are one, some
minor bullying is normal and keeps their lives within
an organization they prefer. This is totally different than a
natural predator kept in that same community, whose
instincts are to dominate those it comes in contact. Many
fish will harrass tankmates, the goal is to put together
a tank where any minor aggression between species is never a
problem. Predators can be kept, but they may
need to be kept in a tank of like sized tankmates. Whenever
bullying or nipping is seen, remove the fish being
picked on and let it recover on its own for a few days, then
carefully reintroduce it. When choosing what to keep,
there are a few options available to you:
The Community Tank-
This is any size tank, generally with a catfish of some sort,
and a collection
of species that do well together. Some choose a centerpiece
fish- such as a pair of angels- and then keep other
species that will get along well with them. Fish act fairly
predictably, so a fish that is known to eat anything that it
can fit into its mouth, will. Watch stocking levels and be
careful to avoid fish commonly sold that will outgrow your
aquarium.
The Colony Tank-
This is any size tank, also with a catfish or other type of fish
that will work to keep the
tank clean, with only one other species that the tank is being
maintained for. This single population may be allowed to
breed in a group where young that survive add to the
population, or where females are routinely moved to have their
young so they can be saved, to another smaller tank.
Aggression is minimal.
Species Only Tank-
This is a tank of any size where only one species is kept. Some
catfish will eat fry,
so catfish are not used. With this tank the focus is on the
fish, and may be bare bottom. Breeding is a priority,
so the tank is kept simple, so that it stays clean, consistent and easy
to maintain.
Use of Salt-
Salt is a great, simple and generally effective treatment for
simple maladies. The "medicinal dose"
is generally 1 tablespoon for every 5 gallons of water, and when
certain fish, especially livebearers, are prone to
getting fungal or other outbreaks (fancy guppies, for
example), routine use of salt is often done. There have been
stores that treated all their freshwater tanks with salt and
recommended their customers do so as well, though this
is not advised for some scaleless fishes (certain types of
catfish, for example). Better ways to fend off diseases are
to maintain a relatively clean tank, and possibly dose with a
disease prophylactic (such as Aquarisol), which works
well at recommended dosages. However, diseases can be kept at
bay with consistent care of the aquarium and
following basic advice regarding water changes, not
overcrowding or overfeeding, and keeping diseased fish away
from your fishroom. Most fishkeepers, when acquiring a new
fish, will keep it in a small quarantine tank for up to a
month to ensure that nothing is being introduced to their
other fish.
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Population Density-
I strive to create an environment for the under 3" fish where
they do not feel
particularly confined, and make an effort to hold down the
overall density whenever possible. Some fish tolerate
crowding better than others, but the basic rule of an inch of
fish per gallon of water for fish under 3 inches
works fairly well. The issues to be considered when overcrowding are these:
-Water will be need to be changed more frequently as the
amount of waste organics in the tank (fish waste and
excess food) will increase, stimulating biological activity,
which decreases the amount of available oxygen in
the water.
-The greater competition for resources and lower oxygen
levels contributes to an overall decline in the immune
system responses and health of the fish, leading to disease
outbreaks, which then spreads quickly to the other
equally stressed fish in the tank.
- From dealing with fighting the reduction of resources, the
overall growth of the fish in a crowded environment
is compromised, leading to undersized fish, particularly with
the swordtails.
- Breeding also slows down, and those that do breed will find
that their young are quickly eaten by tankmates that
are hungrier than they would normally be, and the
young will find it more difficult to hide in a crowded tank
- Lastly, when an incident occurs- a power outage or a a time
when a day or two must be spent away from home
when the fish are not taken care of as they would normally
be, a crowded tank may not have the flexibility to deal
with the change in routine, leading to deaths. This can then
trigger an "ammonia bloom", wiping out the tank..
I also keep generally "species only" tanks- one species per
tank, with cleaner shrimp or a catfish, which reduces
bullying and the consumption of fry.
Breeding- Many fish will
breed readily in
the home aquarium, and fish exist at every level of difficulty,
including many that have still to be bred in captivity.
Having your fish breed for you, and then successfully
raise the fry, particularly if the fish is challenging for
any number of reasons, is probably the most satisfying
thing you can do as a fishkeeper. The livebearers are
considered some of the easier fish to breed and raise
their fry. Egg layers are generally considered to be more
difficult (and most are). See the essays on breeding
the livebearers and egg layers (Puntius padamya- the Odessa Barb)
Here.
Fry and Fry Eating- A full, busy tank makes the
survival of fry, any fry,
nearly impossible. All fish will eat
fry, some less enthusiastically than others. Many
goodeids, because of the large size
of their fry, will bother them
less, but others still eat them routinely. Some people claim that
fish don't eat fry when well fed. My experience is that
most fish will eat fewer fry when well fed, but young will
still be eaten. Remove fry when you see them. Some female
guppies are good about not eating their fry, but if the young
are released into a tank with other adult guppies,
their numbers will dwindle quickly and disappear in about 2-3
days.
Your success at keeping any fish that you hope to
breed comes
down to your success at raising fry. Though they don't
look like much, and are so damn tiny, your care of those new
young the first couple weeks will dictate the size, color
and overall health of the adults they will grow into. You
cannot raise the adults and fry the same way. I will sometimes
move females to have their fry into 2 gallon containers, with
some Java moss. After the fry are born and the female is
removed, I will feed the
young lightly twice a day with
baby
brine shrimp, changing 50-70% of the water every day for
the first two weeks. If possible, after the 3rd or 4th day
I'll put them in their own 10 gallon filtered tank, or into
a net hang-in-the-tank breeder until big enough to be let go
on their own. Fry also do best when raised separately at
slightly warmer temps than the adults.
Baby brine shrimp is
essential, though finely ground flake food or one of the BBS
(baby brine shrimp) substitutes available online (such as
"Golden Pearls" from Brine Shrimp Direct) will generally keep
them going. New livebearer young do best with a particle size
of about 200 microns. Raising fry comes down to water
quality, enough food, and slightly
warmer temperature. Be
careful not to release fry in with the adults too soon, as they
may still be eaten.
Feeding-
A wide variety of foods are
available now in dry and frozen formats, dry foods available as
flake,
pellet (floating and sinking), claiming to be made
specifically for all fish, or guppies, cichlids, angels and
catfish,
sold both at local stores and online. More information is at
FT3 Brine Shrimp and Foods,
but essentially you want
to buy 1. a variety (don't neglect to feed vegetable based foods
to many fish that require it), 2. Food that is fresh
(Don't buy even a name brand from the neglected pet aisle of
a local grocery store, where the food may have sat
for 6 months), and 3. Quality (Pick up what the fish need.
Standard Goldfish food, for example, is barely adequate
for most goldfish, and never tropicals.) Most foods today,
when bought fresh are the best they have ever been,
and all fish greatly benefit from occasional feeding of live
or frozen foods. Like some cars that require premium
gas to run well, some species require live food, but today
the quality of the dry foods is so good that many species
will survive and breed on dry food alone. If at all possible,
store dry foods in teh refrigerator, or freezer when not
being used.
Water-
The single most important rule in fishkeeping
is to choose and keep fish that will do well in your water.
It is both expensive and does not always work to create water
for certain fish simply because you wish to keep
them by adding buffers and chemicals that will alter the pH
coming from your tap. Frequent water changes with
appropriate feeding are essential for fish to grow to their
full size with best color, and that will
breed as
soon as they are able. Constantly tinkering with the water is
expensive and difficult when changing the water
correctly, and the fish will respond negatively to
the inconsistencies. I have tried to create water for many
species over the years, and today would never consider it
from past experience. Yes, there are certain fish I
will never be able to keep and breed, but the fish have
evolved from environments with specific water qualities.
We have to respect that.
I test my tap water seasonally to keep an eye on any changes
to the pH and hardness, and test water that fish
arrive in from other sources to acclimate them appropriately.
Species kept here are those that do well in this
water, and species that require hard, alkaline or acidic water
(as my water is 7.4 and soft- 100ppm) are avoided.
Many fish here (The livebearers) might prefer slightly harder
water than I can provide, but they have adapted
and do well since their preferences are close enough that
they live well and breed normally. If your water is
slightly harder, they may do even better for you than they do
here. Many species sold in pet stores, though
evolved from different water conditions, have been adapted by
the wholesaler or fish store to your local water.
Be sure to ask the dealer when buying new fish what the pH
and hardness are that the fish are being kept in,
knowing what your own pH and hardness are, so that you can
determine whether the fish will do well for you.
Though they may thrive in the altered conditions, they will
rarely breed well, and if they do, the young may
not respond well to the water. Many fish found in pet stores
are expected to simply adapt, and they do.
The issue becomes important when you try to breed
them, particularly when you want fish that consistently
feel and look their best.
Information on maintaining optimal water quality is covered
more completely at FT Filtration and Water Quality.
Diseases-
Preventing disease is an important task, not because fish are
always on the verge of getting sick,
but because neglect, poor maintenance or introducing sick
fish to a healthy tank will easily create disease, which
can then wipe out the fish. Getting a disease in your tank is
not inevitable, though chances are you will encounter
something. I keep more than 120 tanks and over the past 10
years have had to treat something three times, on
only a couple fish. I have been lucky. When disease occurs, it
is generally caused by stress to the fish through
a number of well defined, well understood variables. These
can be narrowed down to:
___________________________________________________________________
Temperature that swings or is inappropriate for the species,
Water that has become too rich in ammonia, nitrates and
nitrates (easily kept at bay
with regular water changes and care not to overfeed or
overstock the aquarium).
Less than adequate aeration and/or water movement,
Injuries and bullying from other fish, or inappropriate
items causing injury in the tank,
An introduction of a sick fish to a tank, particularly if the
other fish in the tank are already stressed,
Inconsistent or poor feeding.
____________________________________________________________________
When disease occurs, I always choose the
mildest treatment for the circumstance, and you must act when
the problem is discovered, for most diseases spread quickly.
Simply raising the temperature to 82-84 degrees
will often cure ich (sometimes called "white spot disease),
and the addition of salt (1 tbl. per 5 gallons) is often
enough to bring fish around when they are not acting
normally. I treat with Aquarisol for fungus and things I
might run across. When you do see a diseased fish, isolate
the sick individual(s) to its own container, then
decide how you will treat it.
There is one disease
that has been running through the hobby for at least 10 years.
Not understood the first
few years, it was vaguely called "The livebearer disease", a
name that stays with it today. Better understood,
it is a parasite that feeds on the skin of the fish,
gradually weakening the fish until it succumbs. A thinning
appearance and gradually increasing lethargy identify this
affliction. Anecdotal stories insist the parasite may
hide or hibernate when fish are healthy and doing well, but
reproduce and feed when the fish are stressed.
However, if you have not had the organism introduced to your
tank you do not have it. I have seen it in tanks
in different parts of the country, and have had customers
send me fish that were infected. See pics of it
Here.
There is one medication that will kill the parasite
immediately, as most available medications have little effect
on it. That medication is Levamisole.
It is the treatment of choice for this condition, but it can be
difficult to obtain.
After a long search to locate it (to treat the fish from the
customers I just mentioned), I have purchased a supply
of it and am offering it for sale
Here.
Be careful when seeking out an appropriate medication, for
some of the routine medications commonly
available can become very expensive, particularly if you are
trying to treat a 30 or 50 gallon aquarium. Check
dosage in package against number of days for recommended
treatment. If the medication you use recommends
removing the plants, do so, but do not then put those plants
into a tank with other fish, as you will transfer any
biological activity that may be contributing to the problem.
Then correct, if possible, whatever it was that caused
the stress triggering the onset of disease, to spare the other
fish in the tank. Most disease organisms exist in
any tank, a compromise or weakness in the fish's immune system
allows for disease to occur. Be aware that
the best you may be able to do is catch the outbreak early,
remove the sick individual(s), and add salt or
medication as a preventative from further damage to the other
fish in the tank. But you may lose the fish that
had initially become sick.
___________________________________________________________________________
How to Keep the "Harder to Keep" Fish
- Obtain as many as you
can- For me, 2 males and 3 females is what I often start my
lines with.
More than 4 pair and it would be best to create
two setups and try to get fry from two environments,
increasing your odds for success.
- Provide a tank with few variables that can get "out of
control" - a very thin layer of gravel and
a filter that
can be easily maintained and kept so that any changes in filter
quality can be quickly
spotted and remedied. Follow guidelines above. Provide some plants and places to hide for security.
- Make sure your
pH and hardness are within the range of that species. Crushed
coral or calcium
carbonate can be used to raise pH and hardness if
necessary. Carefully consider using buffers
to raise or lower pH- it can get expensive, it
restricts the ease of doing
water changes, and
they add an inconsistency to
water quality that may be more
than challenging species can handle.
There are some species you simply may not be able
to keep given the water coming from your tap,
without tremendous expense and effort. Using an
RO system can circumvent this, but now you must
create all the water the fish require, and the
fish may not survive away from your RO system.
- Appropriate amount of
aeration and water movement are provided based on the
species kept.
- Lift up plants every
couple days and clean up any accumulated mulm and debris.
Pockets of organic waste that accumulate unseen
are probably the single most common source of
overall tank water
quality deterioration.
- This sounds obvious, but provide a top to prevent this
rare, hard to keep fish from jumping out!
The worst way to lose a fish, as it can be so
easily prevented.
- Keep this hard to keep fish in a species only tank.
Carefully considered tankmates such as a
catfish
may be provided, but interactions with other
species- until this new fish has adapted well and
numbers are up- this fish should stay by itself.
- Keep in mind that fragile and hard to keep fish better
adapt to your water conditions
over many
generations. It may be to the third generation
before you have truly healthy, vigorous fish of
some more sensitive species. and until then, you
may have what appear to be less than ideal
specimens that do not live full lives. But the
goal is to get them to produce fry born in your
water. Once that happens the fish will do better
with each generation.
- Seeking guidance from
others in never a bad idea. However, a friend that seems to
easily
keep and breed a species that has been difficult
for you may indicate many other variables that
are not connected to your efforts, and that you
may not have control over. Your friend's tap water
may be different than yours, proximity to natural
light may play a
factor (With natural light they
may breed seasonally), as well as room
temperature, exact
feeding schedule and foods,
amount of
foot traffic past the aquarium, type of light and
intensity as well as duration... the list goes
on and on. Your success will depend on weeding
through those variables, when and if necessary, by
observation to determine what will bring success.
They may do well for you with consistent
appropriate care, or you may spend years getting
the variables sorted out, depending on the species
you choose (and it's lifespan).
- Temperature is
kept within the parameters best for the species.
- Appropriate light
is provided - 10-14 hrs per day to support
plants and maintain
necessary
levels of
biological activity.
- Water changes are done
consistently of generally at least 50% per week for more
sensitive species,
best done in 2 installments, rather than done all
at once. Up to 20% per day can be done without
harm, but sharing fish with friends may not go
well, unless they are doing a similar schedule.
- With more sensitive
species, it is sometimes a good idea to use only clean aged
aquarium water
from another nearby tank for
water changes, and do not
use water directly from the tap.
- A variety of good quality
foods are provided, with occasional
live or frozen food, appropriate
for the species. Some fish require a strong
vegetable component, and may even bloat if given too
much protein. Some eat only live food (Belonosox
belizanus).
- Keep stocking levels low, and such that you can always see
each fish easily to keep an eye on
them. An unwatched fish, particularly a
challenging one to keep, will not last long if you don't
keep a close eye on it to address issues if they
arise.
- When issues arise, address them immediately. Where a bout
of cloudy water may be tolerated by
some fish, a spike in ammonia or nitrates may
outright kill the fish, or weaken them such that
they do not survive long after the incident.
- Lastly, as part of the observation process, you may notice
that an individual is being
particularly aggressive in these new
surroundings, or is causing trouble for other tankmates.
Separate aggressive individuals as necessary, but
remember that the aggressive fish may be the
healthiest and the one best suited to propagate
your line. As well, the next sized up male may
walk into the dominant role and be just as
aggressive as the male you had just removed. You
must do your best to provide adequate
accommodation for all fish so that you get that first batch
of fry born in your water. Take just as good care
of all the fish, regardless of the behavior of
any individual, as you want to preserve the best
health of every fish. Livebearers are less
prone to aggression that say Cichlids or Killies,
but close observation is essential.
- So... I you were to
obtain a hard to breed fish, took great care of it, bred it,
raised the spawn,
then gave some of the F1s (First generation) to a
friend, would he then have to go through the same
acclimation and learning curve to get them to
breed for him? The answer is yes, but it is possible
to raise fish so that your friend will have a
better chance of doing well with them, and it will be
easier for him than it had been for you, even
when he has different water quality.
Here's how
that works:
Most fish bought from a pet store, and even the
common auction sites are fish that had been at the
seller's tanks and his water quality for less
than a generation. The person ordered them from
somewhere else with different water qualities
(such as the local pet store that gets their fish from
Florida or Singapore), or they bought a few pair
from the same auction site and are now selling fry
they had just produced. Within a generation there
will have been 3 dramatic changes in water quality
(The seller's, the buyer's and yours).
When you first obtain these fish with that
history, finding how they do best to breed them can be
challenging. In fact, though the fish may
look good, they are not going to be as well adapted
to your water as they could be, a state that
isn't achieved until the second or third generation in the
same water. Through some self selection through
survival of fry there may be a genetic component,
but it would be small. Essentially fish need
water stability over generations to reach their potential,
generally expressed in overall size and vigor.
When you obtain your fish, it will be 2-3
years, into their 3rd generation, for the fish you then share
with a friend to be best suited to adjust
to new water parameters, as it will be a healthy, having
come from long term stable conditions.
Obviously, when looking for stock to begin with, a line
kept healthy in the same conditions for many
years is preferable than any other alternative.
This has been a big part of why Select Aquatics
fish have been doing so well in customer's tanks.
All of the lines here, with just a few
exceptions, have been here for at least 7 years, and most have
been here since first adapting to Colorado water
when I first moved here in 2000.
Currently I
have been breeding out Xiphophorus clemenciae (Rio Carolina), a
particularly pretty
but difficult swordtail that is rarely seen in
the hobby. It is now in it's third generation, and
finally breeding and producing consistently, and
will likely be introduced for sale at some point
in the next year. But because they have been a
challenging fish to begin with, it will take nearly
4 years to get them to a point where they are
breeding at their potential and producing larger,
fully healthy adults.
Not all fish need to go through this when in new
conditions- I have been sending out P. velifera that
were obtained under a year ago as of this
writing, but given the proper conditions, they are very
hardy, and it should not be an issue. But most of
the goodeids that can sometimes be tricky were
in their third or 4th generation before being
offered for sale. However, I will not expect fully sized
velifera stock, grown in my tanks, for another
3-4 years.
- And luck shouldn't
play a role, but sometimes it certainly helps. Good luck!
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