Nothobranchius Killifish

I made a silly purchase today and bought a pair of Nothobranchius killies without doing any reserch on them only to discover they require salt in the water . I have other killies and they prefere soft acidic water so assumed they were all the same . I am not sure how they will do without salt in the water any advise would be much appreciated Thanks

If you keep your Nothobranchius Killifish in a strictly freshwater aquarium without any salt they will be prone to a lethal fungus which causes an illness known as “Velvet”. Nothobranchius Killifish are vulnerable to Velvet and can even die from it.

Came across this on the net

Thanks Kelly , unfortunately I dont have salt in any of my tanks ,dont know what to do as I wouldnt keep them in unsuitable conditions .

Between 0.5 and 1 tablespoon of salt should be added for each 4 litre of water in the aquarium.

Would you not give it a go ? I've loads of salt here if you want to try it

yea they need salt, did you check in your lfs for aquarium salt? if only a pair i wouldn't keep them together either. what type notho's did ye get? ye understand that being anuals they only have a small window for breeding and the male will die almost as soon as breeding stops? some aren't quite beginner fish but by getting a young pair you have a chance.
would be interested in your progress with them

I did alot of moving about today and freed up a 18 x 12 x 12 tank for them . I added some plants and a piece of bogwood . Havent added peat or salt yet but will do so . I am not too concerned about getting them to breed , just want them to have correct conditions . I think they are Nothobranchius Eggersi ,as I say it was an impulse buy as I just thought they were class looking . I will let you know how they are doing

Great to see you are gonna have a go at keeping them, any updates

Never got doing anything with killis today , did a 36 gallon water change on my 8ft tank and 12 gallons on a few small tanks . I had done enough by that stage . Will try to get salt and peat this week

Looking forward to seeing how you get on with these wee guys

Well how are they getting on now ?

Hi Kelly still havent done anything with them , feeding will on bloodworm and shrimp , just havent had time to get salt or peat yet . I am going to make an effort to get stuff this weekend but wouldnt be surprised if I dont as wifey want to go xmas shopping

Did the shop not tell you that they needed brackish water mate?
I would say its essential info, its one thing pisses me off when they sell fish and don't consider the fish at all. Anything for a few pound.

No mate they didnt , but partly my fault as Ive been keeping fish for 30 years and should not have bought them without doing my research . Im looking some more killis but this time I will check out water requirements

Davey lost leads for my phone so cant put any pics up

Although salt can be useful for keeping Nothobranchius, it is not essential.

What is more important is a stable water quality, good quality foods, and to be careful during the introduction of the fish. Incorrect introduction can either kill them through shock or trigger a rapid aging process.

Some species are more delicate than others, and some stocks in shops are simply pants waiting to die on their next move (ie into your tank).

ian