There's enough information on the internet, mailing lists and aquatic forums relating to the breeding of these beautiful and hardy killifishes... so I won't repeat the nitty gritty details here.

Instead, I'll take a tongue-in-cheek approach and hope you find it deliciously refreshing.  Enjoy!

Chapter One : Acts of Passion
 

Boy meets girl

Looking for a new home

Making whoopie!

Gimme a break...

Well conditioned pairs or trios don't need alot of encouragement to get the show going.  They'll swim around looking for a comfy spot, spread out the mat and urm.... you know...

After they're done, I transfer the trio to temporary quarters, while I get at the eggs...

Chapter Two : The Mid-wife ( that's me! )
 

I don't have the eyes to pick tiny eggs from tangled java moss or spawning mops, so I thought... if a washing machine can wash out the gunk in dirty linen, would the swishing around be enough to dislodge some eggs.   heh, let's find out.... ( adjust setting to 'delicate linen' mode ) swish ... swish... swish... swish

 

After each 'swishing cycle',  I pick 'em eggs up with a turkey baster and transfer them to a take-away plastic container. Not a bad haul... I'm looking at 25 eggs in tub, that has a concoction of PMBB and Peat Ball's juice*! Click here to see a closeup of the eggs, with some of them from a earlier spawn and are already eyeing-up. * Tannic water extracted from filtering through peat, stuffed into    stocking!... like a ball!  ( what were you thinking??? ... naughty!)

Chapter Three : The Nanny
 

I'm game to go with 'dry incubation' and here, the java moss is spread out like a spring roll skin, to receive eggs.   Again, the transfer is done with a turkey baster... indispensable tool for the kitchen and killie hobby! It's good to space-out the eggs to minimize fungual infection. Eggs are CIRCLED... in case you're as blind as I am...

 

Our menu today... "Golden Caviar Sandwich" with fresh greens, and franked with wholesome fibres. As wet media is supposedly responsible for a shorter incubation period, excess water is absorbed with 2-ply toilet tissues.   How 'dry' is it?  Let's just say that the java moss is not glistening or wet to the touch.

 

Click on image if you want to see a bigger label.

I repeat the 'drying' process until the moss doesn't stick to my fingers. It's then bagged & labelled* with the collection date, Nov 6th 2003.  I expect to wet the eggs in 2 weeks, which means Nov 20th.  In the meantime, these eggs will be resting in a foam box, kept in the storeroom. On the left are 2 bags of egg-laden(?) spawning mops collected from Aphyosemion bitaeniatum  Lagos.  I did see a couple of eggs, but no counting please... 2M/2F simply means a spawning group of 2 males & 2 females.  duh... * heh... nobody noticed that I posted the wrong pic!!!  This image belongs to the     Aphy. australe Chocolate!!  hmm... dark chocolate bars, chocolate fudge on ice     cream... yummy!!

Chapter Four : The New Borns... ( stay tuned.... to be continued )

Do they cry?
What do they look like?
What do you feed them?
What do ya wanna know?