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Fundulus Notatus (blackstripe Topminnow) Help? (Read 1141 times)
Morgun Werling
Ex Member


Fundulus Notatus (blackstripe Topminnow) Help?
Oct 9th, 2022 at 1:47pm
 
You read that right, I need help with blackstripe Topminnows (feel free to laugh).
I have had a reverse trio of blackstripes for about 2 full years now. I collected them locally and after quarantine they were in my 125 community tank for about a year. I decided I wanted to keep them around for the long haul, as they were suprisingly personable in the community tank.
After asking around on the NANFA Facebook group, it sounded as if they were the guppies of the killifish world. I was told my best bet would be a large heavily planted stock tank. The other answer was the spawning mop method.
After being in a heavily planted 110 gallon stock tank for 6 months (right around 72°F, indoors with a timed light) I never saw any signs of spawning. Thinking that I am on borrowed time with how old they were getting, I switched them over to a 20L with matten filter and spawning mops. I tried with the reverse trio, and only a pair. I've tried turning the heater off (69°F ambient temp, with 52-55°F water changes of 20% by volume) for a couple weeks. Followed by incrementing the temp up to 75 over the course of two weeks, and letting it sit there for a week. (Currently the tank is sitting at 72).
I feed frozen bloodworms in the evenings (usually with some frozen cyclops mixed in), and usually seachem bug pro in the mornings (occasionally I will feed cobalt brine shrimp flakes in the morning, sometimes they eat it, other times I just end up siphoning it out). I toss in spirulina flakes occasionally as well. Every week or two I dump some live Moina in there to give them some extra nutrition.

I tried feeding brine shrimp and cyclops morning and evening until they wouldn't eat any more, which appeared to get the female full of eggs, but must have just been a couple good bowel movements.

The only spawning behavior I have witnessed was about 4 months after having them in the community tank (one occasion). For seamingly no reason.
Phil Farrel mentioned on FB that they usually don't breed for him unless they have a cold period with temps down in the 50s for a period of time to act as a sort of winter.

Ph is 6.8, TDS usually around 200-300 ppm. Well water.

Is there anything I should try before putting the pair outside in a tub for a few weeks to give them a "winter" period? Am I SOL because I have old fish?

Apologies If I have posted this in the wrong area. I assume it goes here since i am asking about a specific species?
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Russell Feilzer
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Re: Fundulus Notatus (blackstripe Topminnow) Help?
Reply #1 - Oct 10th, 2022 at 11:55pm
 
I can't say I've kept notatus but I have great success with many natives.  All of mine are kept in a greenhouse in very hard water, 400+ ppm calcium hardness, pH ~ 8.2 and warm.  The only Fundulus I have is cingulatus and they do well in these conditions.  At two to three years old they are getting on the old side and very well may need a cool period to trigger spawning, I suppose that would depend on where they come from.  The cingulatus are from Alabama to Florida and I doubt the water gets to cold there.  Mine do well without a cool down unless you consider 70 in the winter cool.  I hope it helps.  Hard, warm and sunny seems to be the key for me.  Good luck and don't give up.
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