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Fishy-Fishy Fishy-Fishy
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  • Posted on: 22/3/2007 13:06
FK Galaxy Rasbora Breeding Program #1
Celestial Pearl Danio/Galaxy Rasboras (Celestichthys margaritatus)

You may have heard a lot about these little fish. They were first discovered back in September of last year and unfortunately they are already under threat due to massive over-fishing by the aquatic industry. There is little information on them as they are so new so pooling information and discoveries is essential to ensure successful breeding. They are still available in some shops but PLEASE do not buy them unless you have the facilities, time and experience to breed them. Unless they are bred by aquarists then they will die out in the wild. Their only chance is if we can breed them in captivity.

This thread is intended as a resource and information pool for breeders. We can exchange info on care and spawning and also swap fry to ensure a larger gene pool. Please add any information you have- no matter how small!- to this thread.

It would also be helpful to add some basic info about your set-up (size, filtration etc) to give people starting out an idea of what they will need.


Galaxy Rasbora care info

This will later be made into a caresheet when we know a bit more about them! For now, it can be edited until we get it right



Latin name: This fish has now been officially named Celestichthys margaritatus
Common names: Galaxy rasbora, firework rasbora, celestial pearl danio
Category: Tropical
Difficulty: Pretty easy.
Maximum size: Around 1" or 2.4cm
Minimum Tank Volume: At least 8 gallons/35 litres for a small shoal.
Minimum Tank Size: At least 18" as they are quite lively.
Water pH Range: It has been reported in PFK that they prefer slightly alkaline water of around 7.3.
Water Temperature Range: Thought to prefer a temp of around 24C or less (as reported in PFK)
Water Hardness Range: Thought to prefer a GH of around 7 (as reported in PFK)

General Information: These are small shoaling fish that prefer to be in a group. The males do show some territorialism towards each other but don't generally harm each other.

Diet Requirements: They have very small mouths so should be fed small food! Frozen cyclops are being accepted. Live food is preferred, I have been feeding mine small daphnia and mosquito larva.

Compatability: Should be kept in a species tank for successful breeding. Their size means they should not be kept with anything large enough to eat them.

Recommendations: PLEASE please please do not buy this fish unless you have the facilities, time, money, patience and knowledge to breed them!! They are already at risk just 6 months after being discovered.

Common Problems: None reported yet.

Similar Species: Other danios.

Sexing: Fairly easy, the males are more brightly coloured. The females do not have a coloured pelvic fin and have a black spot on their vent when gravid.

Breeding: It has been achieved in captivity but little is known yet. Spawning mops and java moss may be used as spawning materials.


Some links-

PFK caresheet

PFK news story

PFK news story

Wikipedia page


Please, if you have any additional info (even if you are from a 'rival' forum ) reply to this thread so we can get these babies breeding
Fishy-Fishy Fishy-Fishy
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  • Posted on: 22/3/2007 13:16
Re: FK Galaxy Rasbora Breeding Program #2
We can also add some info about our own set-ups so we can compare data and see who wins Just copy and paste my thing and add your own info.

My set-up-

Number and sexes of fish: I've got ten and from what I can make out I've got 3 or 4 males and 6 or 7 females but they don't stay still for long so it's hard to tell

Tank size: Currently in my 8 gall quarantine but will be moved to a 37 gall tank where I will probably never see them!

Water parameters
Water used: Plain old dechlorinated tap water for now
pH: 7.8
Hardness (in GH): 10
Temperature: 24C
Other info:

Plants: At the moment, some java moss and a moss ball but the tank they are moving to is planted with vallis, elodea, hygrophilia, java fern, anubias, onion plant and some water lettuce.

Diet: Frozen cyclops.

Any other information:

Coralline Coralline
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  • Posted on: 22/3/2007 13:31
Re: FK Galaxy Rasbora Breeding Program #3
My set-up-

Number and sexes of fish: 10, so far not 100% sure, looks like 4-5 males 5-6 females!


Tank size: currently 5 gall spare. will be 12gall set up for them.

Water parameters
Water used: dechlorinated tap water
pH: 7.6
Hardness (in GH): -
Temperature: 24C
Other info:

Plants: java moss & java fern on wood, a moss ball, crypts, dwarf sword, and some riccia.

Diet: Frozen cyclops, daphnia, bloodworm (and other mosquito larvae), brineshrimp- good eaters, not fussy, seem to take everythting offered.

Any other information:
Gill

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jammyd jammyd
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  • Posted on: 23/3/2007 16:49
Re: FK Galaxy Rasbora Breeding Program #4
Hi all, just wanted to say that I'm glad there are people with knowledge and integrity who are trying to breed this (and other) fish to save the wild populations.
One of my LFS's (Maidenhead aquatics, Morden Hall) has quite a number of Galaxy Rasboras for sale, and fairly cheap too... I just hope someone interested in breeding buys them!

Good luck y'all
j
cathie cathie
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  • Posted on: 23/3/2007 18:41
Re: FK Galaxy Rasbora Breeding Program #5
here's an article by someone who's bred them in Singapore:

http://www.aquamoss.net/Articles/Microrasbora-sp-Galaxy.htm
Fishy-Fishy Fishy-Fishy
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  • Posted on: 24/3/2007 0:07
Re: FK Galaxy Rasbora Breeding Program #6
Thanks cathie, that is wicked. My males have gone really dark now, one is much darker than the others and is chasing one of the larger females it sure looks like a spawning chase to me! I won't expect anything for at least a couple of weeks though, I think they are just establishing a pecking order

It seems to me that the females are quite a bit larger and fatter than the males, are yours like that Coralline?
Coralline Coralline
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  • Posted on: 24/3/2007 1:47
Re: FK Galaxy Rasbora Breeding Program #7
dont really get to see much of them at the mo, the are quite shy, and all go behind the wood and peek out when i go to look, but they are lookin a lot fatter than they were, and i can see i have some males! thir markings are darker. a couple of the females are too young tho i think, got some random sizes! theyre so pretty tho, its hard to believe they could be almost extinct already, and they have no idea.... just swimming around merrily...
i feel like ive given myself a big responsibilty to get them to breed now ive got them. really want to get them into the bigger tank so they can settle in.
Gill

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Fishy-Fishy Fishy-Fishy
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  • Posted on: 24/3/2007 12:57
Re: FK Galaxy Rasbora Breeding Program #8
I've been trying to get some pics but my bleedin camera won't focus properly I'm going to have a go on Scott's fancy-pantsy camera in a bit to see if that's any better. Anyway, here are some observations I've made last night and this morning-

* Males are much darker in colour, almost black on the side, with very red fins. I don't know if they are always like this and it just took them a couple of days to settle in or whether it is an indication of spawning condition. They seem quite at home now anyway. One male (the smallest) is much much brighter than the other 2 (or 3!).

*Females are not as dark. They seem slightly larger and fatter. Some of them have a dark spot on their vent, apparently this indicates they are ready to spawn. About 4 (I think!) of my females have this, a couple of them being quite small.

*The males tend to hang around on their own a bit more, as much as you can hang around on your own in an 8 gallon tank The females hang around in a group more.

*There has been quite a bit of chasing between the brightest male and a few of the females. No actual spawning behaviour yet though, just a bit of flirting I think I've got a very blurry video of it which I will upload to youtube later if it's any good.



Mine are quite random sizes too, no idea how old any of them are. I know what you mean about the responsibility though, hard to believe I could breed an endangered species in my own living room!


Here are some pics I managed to get-

Males- http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/modules/ ... /photo.php?lid=2143&cid=5

A female- http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/modules/myalbum0/photo.php?lid=2142
Coralline Coralline
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  • Posted on: 25/3/2007 22:54
Re: FK Galaxy Rasbora Breeding Program #9
spent a 'while' watching them today... i have identified the 'alpha male'! lol. there only two males that are fairly good size that have the stripe on the bottom fin, i can see another 2 that are smaller that have very little marking on thier fins but can see begining of stripe. can see three females with a dark spot. and theres only 9 now, the skinny skinny one didnt make it, he was doing so well, but obviousley too late.. bless. so the other two i think are females but hard to keep track of which ones which- they move so fast!!
Gill

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Fishy-Fishy Fishy-Fishy
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  • Posted on: 25/3/2007 23:06
Re: FK Galaxy Rasbora Breeding Program #10
I know! I've got a couple that I still haven't sexed them cos they don't stay still I'm going to do a water change tomorrow morning, play them a bit of Barry White, put on some mood lighting and see if I can't get them to get jiggy