Galaxy Rasbora

[neon]

Does anybody know any information about this new species of fish already being threatened due to over-collecting?  I've read that its just been discovered and is already under threat in the wild as its being overcollected for the aquarium trade. 

[beowulf]

First thing I can tell you is that is no longer their name.  They are now a form a danio.

[babblefish1960]

I couldn't find the detailed thread, it's in here somewhere, but here is another thread that gives the name change.
http://ovas.ca/index.php?topic=15546.0

[succinctfish]

Yes, the beautiful wee galaxy rasbora has now become a countrified danio, minnie pearl's cousin, celestial pearl. 

[Woody]

Here is the link to the post from Practical Fishkeeping magazine

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/pfk/pages/item.php?news=1197

I hope it works, such a sad story, we need to start organizing a breeding program for these beautiful fish before they go by the wayside.

Woody

[succinctfish]

Agreed, it would be a great loss.  They are beautiful and so very spunky, as is often true of little things in the world. 
I am lucky to have 6 of these cuties, thanks to you for your donation to the Giant Auction, Woody, and to Art for winning the bid for them, and passing them on to me in the end.
I have read what is available about breeding.  At the moment they are in a community tank, so not much chance of fry survival, assuming I have mixed genders in there. If they would stop zipping hither and yon, I could try to figure that out.    I will put in some java moss just in case.  Ultimately I will move them to an invert tank I am planning, so the fry will be safer. I assume you have had success breeding them Woody.  Any pointers?
(hmmm...methinks this is a thread jack...feel free to move it if it is )

[Woody]

I have had success breeding these little beauties, and the males become quite vivid in colour when courting the female. Plenty of java moss, good food and clean water worked for me.
The male drives the females into the plants where they are an egg scatter, very similar to any other danio I have spawned.
The eggs are small and the fry are tiny. I have spotted fry but when trying to remove them from the tank, they dissappear, so in the meantime I stuffed more java moss into the tank hoping for their survival, because like other danios the males are notorious hunters of egg and fry.
When I set up another room for breeding, six to ten tanks will be dedicated exclusively for them. I will try the old method of condition the sexes in separate aquariums, then placing the female in the aquarium the morning before with the male being placed in the aquarium just before lights out.
If well conditioned they should spawn the following morning, where I will promptly remove the breeders. A higher survival rate should ensue.

Enjoy they are wonderful fish and I do agree about their habit of zipping hither and yon, so hard to catch a photograph. I have attached a photograph that I took during the very first spawn I witnesses.

Woody

[attachment deleted by admin]

[dan2x38]

still learning and trying to absorb so much about these little guys... got 2 male & 4 females in 5.5 tank with jave moss... some cherry shrimp & a brig apple snai want to get more in a tank... at first I rarely saw them because of the jave moss... it was a drag becuase they ae so great to watch... well someone posted to do WC 20% every 2 days & I did... now they are swimming more freely and exploring a little closer to the top... they even chase the cherry shrimp... still crossing fingers to breed...

think I will swap out the little tank move them to a 20g then move the guys in the 20 to a new 29g... if I do what kind of circulation would you think would be good in a 20g with them?

[plecoL83]

Well suposedly the temperatures in the ponds that the CPDs live in are stable therefor a pond can be completly rid of adults  and in a month (very fast sexual maturity) the pond can be filled with more adults, and yes I check out some CPDs at fish stores whenever I go to them and there price keeps dropping  certainly if they were indangered the price would rise??? Anyway we have no idea if this is true but I still think we sould try to breed and study these little fellas in case the worst happens.

[Fishnut]

How many people have successfully bread them here? 

I was thinking of putting shrimp in the same tank as my CPD's, but then it occurred to me that the shrimp are algae eaters and scavengers.  Mine eat pretty much anything they find (I guess they get sick of algae), so I thought that if they found some CPD eggs, they might have a snack.  Does anyone have any opinions on shrimp eating spawn?  Dan's post reminded me of that.  What about snails doing the same thing?  I've been meticulously removing any snail I find from the tank.

[dan2x38]

I am adding TetraMin variety flakes... now hope this works out my thinking is they will eat that since it is readily available instead of any eggs... then the fry would have baby shrimp to eat and from the snail infusoria... hope my thinking is sound...? 

[fishinpenn]

Hello,

     I'm new here. I have been reading your posts on the CPD. I've had a colony of 12 for about 3 months. I read online how they were being bred. One report was to fill the tank with java moss and let them in with the parents and when you see them at the surface net them out. I tried this but they are to small for this. They do not take to being netted very well. Another said to make a grate for the bottom of the tank with that plastice mesh that they sell in craft store. This was to separate the parents from the eggs so they wouldn't eat them. So I made a frame out of pvc pipes and sewed the mesh to it and put it in the tank. An hour later all of the CPD's were under the mesh. I tried really hard to make it that they couldn't get under but I just couldn't do it. So I took out the mesh grate and left them in a bare 10 gallon tank. I fed them frozen bloodworms, live baby brine shrimp (which they love) and chopped up blackworms. I left them go for a week. Then I put a large piece of java moss in with them and changed 1/4 of the water. (Note: They are not fond of large water changes. I did a 50% water change on them twice and lost a few each time.) I left them go for 3 days and them I removed the java moss and put it into a 5 gallon tank. Three days later it was filled with fry. At leat 40. I fed them for three days with infusoria and then live BBS. So I have two clumps of java moss that I switch out every three days. I have been doing this for 3 weeks and I have well over 400 fry. The fry grow slow for about the first week then they shot up. This is one of the most prolific little animals I have ever bred. This fish should not go by the wayside in the hobby. I predict that next year at this time they will be selling for $2.00 each. I have 200 of my babies promised to 4 shops right now. I am charging $2.50 ea. This is the price they are usually being land for in the US. By the way, my tap water is moderately soft and has a pH of 7.6.

[Fishnut]

WOW!!!!!  You've posted so much useful info!  Thanks so much!  I've got to re-think my set-up.  Any chance you could post some pictures?

I'de be interested in buying some of your CPD's when they are large enough, but PM me on that to avoid thread jacking

This is encouraging to know that they can be bred as prolifically as guppies .

[dan2x38]

I already rethought my SPDs set-up in the process of an upgrade... the idea of moving the java moss around is excellent... guess I have to keep my 5.5g running....

I added a thread Let's Talk 'Celestial Pearl Danios' or 'Galaxy Rasbora' a more open thread to talk about breeding, etc...

[succinctfish]

Thanks for the valuable information about celestial pearl danios, fishinpenn.  For those of us who have the cute little fish in our lives, it's always good to have someone with experience and clearly a lot of success in breeding them share their specifics.  Wow, 400 fry in 3 weeks , that's a lot of little fishies.    I agree with Fishnut, if you have pictures I would certainly love to see some.  Welcome to OVAS. 

[dan2x38]

knowing as much as we can about the CPDs is great... I too would vote to see some pics... hope I can do 5% of that do they breed all year round?