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Pseudomugil paskai/luminatus

8K views 5 replies 4 participants last post by  Axelrodi202 
#1 ·
Hi there!

I have a moderately planted 29 gallon tank. I have had 18 young fish that were sold to me as pseudomugil paskai in there for about two weeks now, and I have some questions.

First, based on research I have come to understand that they are likely p. luminatus, which used to be referred to as p. cf. "paskai." If I understand correctly, there is a p. paskai, but it is rarely traded - and I may be wrong about that. I only found one article that made that statement. They definitely have the blue neon stripe but (at this point) are a clean yellow, not orange/reddish, and the photos of the parents displayed the same colors - is it likely that they are mislabeled luminatus, which the pictures always show as orange/red? I will try to get pictures of my fish but they don't seem to want to cooperate with that, and I don't have a proper camera - just my phone. I may try to upload a video.

Also, they behave differently that I was led to believe they would. The original plan was for this school to act as dithers for CPDs to be added later as they were described as mid-top level dwellers. This doesn't seem to be the case - they use every inch of my tank, and some of them seem to prefer the lower levels. From what I can tell, those would be mostly the females or immature males, but even my mature males go everywhere. As for schooling, they don't really. Unless you want to call the feeding rush schooling. Can anyone who has kept them tell me if this is normal behavior? I am also seeing a LOT of sparring and chasing - more than I ever saw from the CPDs I used to keep. My tank is moderately planted with a large amount of anubias, java fern, and a little bit of bolbitis, plus two or three sprigs of what I suspect is some sort of crypt that came as a freebie with the anubias. More than 3/4 of the top of the tank is absolutely covered with salvina minima (there were also red-root floaters but they are mostly choked out) - I am going to have to thin it again soon. I have ordered some moss covered cholla wood to add more cover, but do I need to plant much more heavily or is the posturing/circling/chasing unlikely to cause any real stress/damage?

I am also confused as to why these fish are recommended for nano tanks. Yes, they are small, but with as active as mine are, I would not be comfortable putting them in anything less than a 20 gallon long.

Finally, their only tank mates are 20 or so wild-colored neocardina and 8 blue ramshorn snails. With the behavior they are exhibiting, I am contemplating simply upping their school size to 30ish and maybe throwing in a small group of ottos instead of adding the CPDs: I don't want to detract from the space they seem to need, and to be honest I am becoming as enamored with these guys as I am with CPDs; I may try to breed them at some point.
 
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#2 ·
P. luminatus colours do vary. I've seen P. luminatus in shops that are quite pale but whether that is stress or a poorly bred line I dont know. The colour also deepens with age with the orange deepening considerably in year old fish. I have some 3yr old males that are as vivid and deeply coloured as any pics you'll see on the net that I used to think were digitally enhanced.

Mine do generally school in the upper 2/3 of the tank but its a loose agregation (not like rummynose) with straglers everywhere unless they are stressed. I think the'll use the surface more when you clear some of the the salvina. They like a patch of open water - not too cluttered. Mine will poke around the plants occasionally and certainly will hide amongst bolbitus and vanish if you start trying to net them out but most of the time they are cruising in the open water.

I have CPDs also - I think they are massively over-rated as they are far more likely to hide until feeding time and then I suspect the CPDs would out-compete the luminatus for the food. Personally I would keep the luminatus separately to get the best display behaviour from them.

Edit: - the luminatus are very shrimp friendly IME. The CPDs are definately predatory on the young shrimp.
 
#3 ·
Just realized that my pictures didn't attach properly. Trying again.

Thank you! So to clarify, you recommend keeping them with no other fish to get the best behaviors, including Otto's/cories?

Is the hyperactivity normal in you experience or does it mean they are stressed?
 

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#4 ·
Nice tank. Quiet tank mates like oto's a few corys etc are fine and wont stress them. I have a few big farlowella catfish in one tank with them and some bristelnose. I think its better if the companion fish are occupying a different habitat in the tank (e.g. not the open water so they dont break up the school) and certainly you dont want them sharing the tank with any fin-nippers (barbs?).

In the wild the males will exploit the morning sun to spotlight them as they put on a show. A lot of people breed Pseudomugil in tubs outside for this reason. Clearing 1/3 of the floating plants will let the "sun" shine throgh while keeping good habitat for egg laying and fry.

Constant activity is normal. Males sparing against each other and showing off to the girls is normal (and spectacular) If they were stressed they'd go quiet and hide among the plants or up the back.
 
#5 ·
I have one pair of P. luminatus which I’ve got in a 1.2ish g shoebox as I try to breed them. I’ve got a larger tank I would love to get a little colony going in. I purchased mine from a breeder at a Killifish meeting, & even in the bags they were colored up & beautiful!

I’ve got some eggs water incubating and I continue to check for more eggs in the spawning mop and plants(moss, & wisteria)

Depending on how prolific they are as breeders I might reach out to the guy I got them from to get a nice group of sub adults once our temps cool down enough to ship living things into Tucson.

If they are anything like the P. gertrudae Aru IV that I’ve got, I expect they’ll use the entire water column.


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