By Kevin Korotev, MAS
kevinkorotev@ameritech.net

The clown’s joke is on me.

I’m writing this because I just realized I have to. I didn’t know this was a Class D fish. I truly believed that I was just having trouble with it. I blamed it on only having a pair to start. If you want to spawn this fish, get a couple pair.

I am turning in 6 Epiplatys annulatus today. The old male is the only one that didn’t hatch in my house. He out-lived the old female who (with him) produced two females who, in turn, produced three more fry (with him). The smallest is 45 days today. Did that make sense?

Is the old male the problem? I don’t think so. Having only ONE is the problem. SEEING the fry living in the waterline is a problem. Not syphoning fry during water changes is a problem. Picking eggs is a REAL problem…so I decided not to and THEN fry started showing up. If you’re laughing at me now; go write a book.

If you want to know how NOT to do these fish, ask me. If you want GOOD advice, drive to "Pets ‘n’ Things" in Cudahy, WI and ask Gary Greenwood. He’s the Killienut who talked me into trying these buggers. He’ll tell you they’re easy. Warm (80 degrees) water in a 1-gallon drum bowl, a mop and live brine shrimp. Incubation time; 2 weeks. Done. Simple. Yah…right. HE can say that. He’s a true, bonafide, worldclass expert.

Final piece of wisdom? If you’re going to DO a Class D Killiefish…KNOW it. There’s probably a good reason they’re 20 pointers. Laughing again? How’s that book coming?