All of these were in tubs in the vegatable garden, where my elassomas spend
April through the beginning of November. I also had a trio of larger
species in a kiddy pool sunk in the woodland garden. I was impressed this
year, since I have never had Africans do anything outside. This year two
species produced tons of young. I didn't get anything from my Rivulus.
Other years I have tried this it has been the other way around. I debated
putting out the Africans this year, but know others who do it and succeed.
All the fish that I brought back in ( some didn't make it through the cold
snap in May) were huge and colorful, reflecting the benefits of being
outdoors. I keep the "roloffia" types, which are equatorial in their native
range. Scriptoaphysemions and Archiaphysemions are the genra now, previously
Aphysemion. These are some of the most ancient of lineage of African
killis. Very colorful fish as well. They are easily kept indoors. Unlike
our native killis they like very dim light, and do well in tanks of five
gallons. Ten is good for a group of them. They usually leave their babies
alone that hatch out in a natural set up, the easiest way to keep them.
Methods outlined in the many written sources for these fish can be applied
to the elassoma, although I have never had luck picking elassoma eggs off of
mops.
Although I do not look forward to the cold, I do look forward to seeing how
the natives did on thier out of doors vacation. I really reccomend this to
anyone with busy summers, or wanting to get good production of their fish.
Space does not need to be much, since I know a few who do this on the
balconies of their apartments.
Ray
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