Conserving Denison's barb, Somphong's rasbora, and the Sierra Leone dwarf characin is definitely possible with the right approach. To save these species from extinction, we need to focus on their specific needs and habitats. For instance, Denison's barb requires a well-oxygenated environment with plenty of hiding spots, while Somphong's rasbora thrives in schools with plenty of open swimming space. The Sierra Leone dwarf characin is a bit more challenging, but it can be done with a suitable tank setup that mimics its natural habitat.
As for breeding them, it's crucial to research their specific requirements and create a suitable environment. For example, Denison's barb is an egg-layer and requires a separate breeding tank with plenty of plants and hiding spots. Somphong's rasbora is also an egg-layer and requires a similar setup. The Sierra Leone dwarf characin, on the other hand, is a bit more complicated and requires a more specific water chemistry. With the right knowledge and setup, breeding these species can be a rewarding experience.
Conserving denison's barb and other endangered fish species
Re: Conserving denison's barb and other endangered fish species
A home conservation project for conserving species like Denison's barb, Somphong's rasbora, and the Sierra Leone dwarf characin requires substantial space and a well-planned setup. The late Roger Langton, a renowned killie conservationist and breeder, suggested starting with 18 to 21 aquariums of varying sizes per species, each serving a specific function. These tank setups would then be linked with similar ones, forming a collaborative network of aquarium conservationists who would stay in touch and work together to ensure the long-term success of the project.
Unfortunately, the hobby has shifted, with most people now focusing on consuming rather than breeding fish. I'm not aware of any active hobby networks, although there are some initiatives on paper, such as the CARES project. However, like many volunteer-run efforts, these projects are slowly losing momentum.
For those interested in learning more about breeding specific species, I recommend visiting reputable websites like seriouslyfish. While they may not have information on every species, they offer reliable data and are a valuable resource.
It's a challenging and complex issue, but ultimately, conserving the habitats that support these species is crucial. This, however, is no easy task.
Unfortunately, the hobby has shifted, with most people now focusing on consuming rather than breeding fish. I'm not aware of any active hobby networks, although there are some initiatives on paper, such as the CARES project. However, like many volunteer-run efforts, these projects are slowly losing momentum.
For those interested in learning more about breeding specific species, I recommend visiting reputable websites like seriouslyfish. While they may not have information on every species, they offer reliable data and are a valuable resource.
It's a challenging and complex issue, but ultimately, conserving the habitats that support these species is crucial. This, however, is no easy task.
Re: Conserving denison's barb and other endangered fish species
I've read a lot about Roger Langton, but never had the chance to meet him. People who worked with him speak highly of him – a knowledgeable and optimistic person who believed the aquarium hobby could make a difference for endangered fish.
He was a pioneer in his time, tackling issues that few others considered important. His work with CITES, the international protocol on endangered species trade, is notable. He successfully lobbied for the sale of killifish, hoping hobbyists would help conserve them. Unfortunately, that didn't quite work out as planned, and now many killifish species face international trade restrictions.
To be honest, I'm not sure why the number of species he bred matters.
He was a pioneer in his time, tackling issues that few others considered important. His work with CITES, the international protocol on endangered species trade, is notable. He successfully lobbied for the sale of killifish, hoping hobbyists would help conserve them. Unfortunately, that didn't quite work out as planned, and now many killifish species face international trade restrictions.
To be honest, I'm not sure why the number of species he bred matters.
Re: Conserving denison's barb and other endangered fish species
I was curious about the number of species he bred as part of his conservation efforts. That's all I was getting at. I understand the context behind the breeding and sale of killies now.graye wrote: ↑Thu Dec 29, 2022 3:17 pm A home conservation project for conserving species like Denison's barb, Somphong's rasbora, and the Sierra Leone dwarf characin requires substantial space and a well-planned setup. The late Roger Langton, a renowned killie conservationist and breeder, suggested starting with 18 to 21 aquariums of varying sizes per species, each serving a specific function. These tank setups would then be linked with similar ones, forming a collaborative network of aquarium conservationists who would stay in touch and work together to ensure the long-term success of the project.
Unfortunately, the hobby has shifted, with most people now focusing on consuming rather than breeding fish. I'm not aware of any active hobby networks, although there are some initiatives on paper, such as the CARES project. However, like many volunteer-run efforts, these projects are slowly losing momentum.
For those interested in learning more about breeding specific species, I recommend visiting reputable websites like seriouslyfish. While they may not have information on every species, they offer reliable data and are a valuable resource.
It's a challenging and complex issue, but ultimately, conserving the habitats that support these species is crucial. This, however, is no easy task.
Re: Conserving denison's barb and other endangered fish species
Space is usually the main issue. You've got your males and females to keep separate, a tank for spawning, and before you know it, you're looking at a minimum of three tanks just for the basics. Then the fry come along, tiny at first but they grow fast, and suddenly you need even more tanks to accommodate them. You might end up with a few desirable species, a decent size, that you can 'sell' - swap for some food or supplies, maybe - but the bulk of your stock is still there, eating, growing, taking up space. A local aquarist society might be a good way to go, swapping breeders, sharing knowledge, but in my experience, it often ends up the same: overcrowded tanks, a couple of dominant species, and nowhere to go with the rest. That's why I stopped, to be honest.
Re: Conserving denison's barb and other endangered fish species
To breed fish on a large scale, you'll want to get at least 20 pairs of unrelated fish. Then, keep each pair in their own tank and breed them. Once you've bred a pair, move one of the parents to a new tank and breed them again with a different mate. This way, you can take each female and pair them up with each male. This is a good way to increase genetic diversity.
You'll want to keep records of which parents the offspring came from. This way, you can avoid inbreeding and keep the gene pool healthy. You'll also want to grow the fish up as quickly as possible so you can get rid of them and make room for the next batch of fry.
Now, I know some species prefer to be in groups, but if you don't have a lot of fish to work with, you may have to keep them in separate pairs. This isn't ideal, but it's better than nothing.
When I was breeding rainbowfish, I used to keep 20 adult fish in a 4-foot tank. Then, when I wanted to breed them, I'd move a pair into a 2-foot tank for a week. After that, I'd remove the adults and raise the fry in the tank. Under good conditions, most common aquarium fish can grow to 2 inches in 2-3 months and be sold in 2-3 months after hatching.
Sometimes, I'd mix fry from different batches and grow them up together. This was more common if a pair only produced a few young. I'd put them in a rearing tank with similar-sized young that looked completely different.
I'd breed some common species every month and others several times a year. The ones that didn't sell as well, I'd breed less often. But the ones that were in high demand, I'd breed regularly and sell a lot of them.
Rasboras and barbs are pretty similar when it comes to breeding. You'll want to feed them 3-5 times a day for several weeks before breeding. Then, separate the males and females for 5 days. After that, put a pair in a breeding tank with soft, slightly acidic water. Add some Java Moss and an air-operated sponge filter, and you're good to go. Leave the pair in the tank for a day or two, then remove them and wait for the babies.
You'll want to keep records of which parents the offspring came from. This way, you can avoid inbreeding and keep the gene pool healthy. You'll also want to grow the fish up as quickly as possible so you can get rid of them and make room for the next batch of fry.
Now, I know some species prefer to be in groups, but if you don't have a lot of fish to work with, you may have to keep them in separate pairs. This isn't ideal, but it's better than nothing.
When I was breeding rainbowfish, I used to keep 20 adult fish in a 4-foot tank. Then, when I wanted to breed them, I'd move a pair into a 2-foot tank for a week. After that, I'd remove the adults and raise the fry in the tank. Under good conditions, most common aquarium fish can grow to 2 inches in 2-3 months and be sold in 2-3 months after hatching.
Sometimes, I'd mix fry from different batches and grow them up together. This was more common if a pair only produced a few young. I'd put them in a rearing tank with similar-sized young that looked completely different.
I'd breed some common species every month and others several times a year. The ones that didn't sell as well, I'd breed less often. But the ones that were in high demand, I'd breed regularly and sell a lot of them.
Rasboras and barbs are pretty similar when it comes to breeding. You'll want to feed them 3-5 times a day for several weeks before breeding. Then, separate the males and females for 5 days. After that, put a pair in a breeding tank with soft, slightly acidic water. Add some Java Moss and an air-operated sponge filter, and you're good to go. Leave the pair in the tank for a day or two, then remove them and wait for the babies.
Re: Conserving denison's barb and other endangered fish species
From a conservation perspective, getting 20+ pairs of fish, preferably unrelated, is ideal. Keep a pair per tank and breed them, then move one of the pair to the next tank and breed again. This way, you can pair each female with each male. After 20 cycles, start the process over.
Record-keeping is essential - track which parents the offspring came from. Grow the fish as quickly as possible to make room for the next batch of fry.
Separating pairs in individual tanks works for some species, but schooling fish prefer groups. However, if you don't have the numbers, separate pairs in each tank is the way to go, even if it's not ideal for the fish.
I used to breed rainbowfish in 4-foot tanks with around 20 adult fish from several species. I'd move a pair to a 2-foot tank for a week, then remove the adults and rear the fry. Under good conditions, most common aquarium fish can reach 2 inches in 2-3 months and be sold 2-3 months after hatching.
I'd often mix fry from different batches and grow them together, especially if a pair only produced a few young. I'd put them in a rearing tank with similar-sized young that looked different.
I'd breed common species every month and others several times a year. Less popular species were bred less often due to market demand. More popular species were bred regularly, and I could sell them quickly.
Rasboras and barbs are similar for breeding purposes. Feed them 3-5 times a day for several weeks before breeding. Separate males and females for 5 days before breeding. Use a breeding tank with soft, slightly acidic water, Java Moss, and an air-operated sponge filter. Leave the pair in the tank for a day or two, then remove them and wait for the babies.
Check out the link below for more info on breeding fish.
STARTING OUT: Make sure you have a pair - 1 male and 1 female. It's a waste of money to buy fish to breed and end up with two of the same sex. You need a male and a female to reproduce. Two males won't work.
www.fishforums.net
Record-keeping is essential - track which parents the offspring came from. Grow the fish as quickly as possible to make room for the next batch of fry.
Separating pairs in individual tanks works for some species, but schooling fish prefer groups. However, if you don't have the numbers, separate pairs in each tank is the way to go, even if it's not ideal for the fish.
I used to breed rainbowfish in 4-foot tanks with around 20 adult fish from several species. I'd move a pair to a 2-foot tank for a week, then remove the adults and rear the fry. Under good conditions, most common aquarium fish can reach 2 inches in 2-3 months and be sold 2-3 months after hatching.
I'd often mix fry from different batches and grow them together, especially if a pair only produced a few young. I'd put them in a rearing tank with similar-sized young that looked different.
I'd breed common species every month and others several times a year. Less popular species were bred less often due to market demand. More popular species were bred regularly, and I could sell them quickly.
Rasboras and barbs are similar for breeding purposes. Feed them 3-5 times a day for several weeks before breeding. Separate males and females for 5 days before breeding. Use a breeding tank with soft, slightly acidic water, Java Moss, and an air-operated sponge filter. Leave the pair in the tank for a day or two, then remove them and wait for the babies.
Check out the link below for more info on breeding fish.
STARTING OUT: Make sure you have a pair - 1 male and 1 female. It's a waste of money to buy fish to breed and end up with two of the same sex. You need a male and a female to reproduce. Two males won't work.
www.fishforums.net