Category: GCKA – General

Although aquarists and fishermen may dislike handling “slimy” fish, the slime coat serves a highly important function. Like skin, a fish’s slime coat protects against invasion by bacteria and fungi, defends against minor damage, and serves as a barrier against harmful environmental conditions such as excess acidity or harsh chemicals. In short, the slime coat…

By Donna M. Recktenwalt         Put tree leaves in your tanks, you ask? Well, why not? Through experience, a number of killikeepers have found that the addition of oak and certain other leaves to their fish tanks has proven beneficial.         “Oak leaves are a useful addition to a killi setup,” says John De Luca.…

By Donna M. Recktenwalt         From time to time an unusual fish occurs in a killikeeper’s tanks. Among a normally colored batch of fry one will occur with a different color or pattern, or lacking dark pigment altogether, an albino. These “sports” are normal occurrences in nature, the result of minor mutations in the normal…

By Donna M. Recktenwalt        With all the scientific names in the killifish world, and the fairly constant rate of change as more is learned about the relationship of species, understanding this complex subject becomes progressively more confusing. Yet the concept of species is integral to our understanding of killifish relationships and the natural world.…

        A clean-looking fish tank can still harbor unwanted bacteria, notes a report in the New England Journal of Medicine.         Three months after cutting himself while cleaning a fish tank, a California man consulted a dermatologist about wartlike plaques on hisinjured finger and swollen nodules on that arm. The diagnosis: fish-tank granuloma, caused by the…

By Donna M. Recktenwalt                Water condition and quality are perhaps the most important factors detemining whether our fish are healthy and content. Other factors are essential too suitable temperatures, space, proper food, etc. But if the fish are in poor water they won’t do well period.         Fish can and do adapt to various…

        There are snails. And then there are snails! They can be a disaster or a bonus, depending on the type of fish you’re keeping, and the type of tank.         In spawning tanks, snails can cause havoc by eating the eggs. In fry tanks they can perform a valuable housekeeping service, although period thinning…

        Ask any group of killikeepers about snails in their tanks, and you’re liable to get different answers from each of them. Some wouldn’t raise fish without snails; others swear at them and won’t have them under any conditions. Most aquarists fall somewhere between the two extremes.         Ted Klotz has red ramshorn snails “in…

From the electronic Killifish Mailing List, as forwarded by Cal Him By “Tomas”         If I may venture a guess, there are really “two modes” of annualism that I observed in Venezuela and to some extent in Guyana.         First, the Llanos region receives a large amount of rain. The temporary pools fill up with…

By Donna M. Recktenwalt        “I’m new to killies and have little experience, but killies look great and seem addictive. What species should I start with?”         We’ve probably all heard-and asked-that question, or variants of it. As beginners once ourselves, we know the importance of a good answer, and of a good starter fish,…