Phenacogrammus smykalai - Tropical Fish

The coloration of the male specie of this fish is strongly light dependent and when illuminated from above, they look just gray. Only when a light beam falls on the body, is the splendor of their color seen. The aquarium is inclined from the front part of the cover disk illuminated, the back-shimmering metallic blue. The anal fin is white, lined in dominant animals. The dorsal fin in adult males is about 2.5 cm long and drawn out uneven. The iris is red. This is the color and size of the species is a nice alternative to Kongosalmler. Is reinforced by the light color of the male by a darker water color.

The females are colored gray and have no drawing patterns in the fins or colored areas. As the males have a black spot on the tail fin stem. The maximum length of Alestopetersius smykalai is about 6 cm. In general, many tetras from the West African States must be  kept cooler than their South American relatives of the Amazon. Therefore, I adjusted the temperature in the storage tanks to 24 ° C. The conductance was about 50 ms / cm, pH 6.0 without any apparent hardness.

Immediately after being placed in the aquarium both animals developed a white, milky coating which showed on the pupil. This phenomenon is something I could have often observed in West African fish, and also members of other orders, if I would implement it for farming in a soft, acidic water and have made them get used to it quickly. The coating was gone after two weeks. Since these fish should be kept in a school, it was the attitude of a couple I wanted to see..

However, it was the male, I wanted to watch after the animals had acclimated, especially in the early morning hours on the courtship. Similar to the female Phenacogrammus, it has caudal fins they spread when courted by the male and forced into the nearest spawning wool. I could not find eggs. Encouraged by the courtship of the male and the corpulence of the female I put the female in a separate breeding aquarium without substrate.
 
Undeveloped eggs are very easy to find because of their white color. The eggs are very light and float slowly to the ground when they are moved. To incubate small, weak ventilated container with some alder cones are well suited. The embryonic development can be observed very well. On the second day is a beige colored embryo Alkern visible to the larval form . On the third day, the tail forms. On the fourth day, the body is grown and on the fifth day the eyes and mouth are visible in the column. The larva is now in a circle on the outer shell of the egg capsules and hatch two days later. With a total length of 3-4 mm, the larvae are quite large, but have a small foot column.

The yolk sac is used up after about 40-50 hours at a temperature of 24 C. As a starter feed purified paramecia or rotifers are suitable. Brine shrimp nauplii are too large. For a small number of juveniles some Java moss provides enough food to get through the first one to two days. Then brine shrimp nauplii can be eaten. Unfortunately, the young fish in the further breeding is not unproblematic. When temperature changes, changes in water chemistry or one-sided diet of brine shrimp nauplii I had high losses. 

 Due to a vacation in November 1997, I lost all my breeding animals. A new approach in March and April 1998, however, brought back about 30 juveniles, of which I was able to raise only eight animals. In the summer of 1999, my tomboy pair died, presumably due to high temperatures. The water in storage tanks for three weeks had a temperature of 29 ° C and more. The animals were at this time on little food and their respiratory rate increased. The offspring survived and had in October 1999 reached their likely final size of 6 cm length and the males were impressed with each other. There were 5 males and 3 females.

The approach in the same aquarium, in which the parents had spawned was unsuccessful. Even after changing the number of individuals in several variations and I could not see the animals spawn. After two months all I had I was 2 males and all females in a 200 liter aquarium size. A week later I could see the eggs. It was the first time I could see and since then, the animals have spawned two to three times per month, depending on the food and the water temperature. The number of eggs varies 20 to 30 eggs. At a temperature below 22 C and 26 C represent the best temperature for animals' spawning.

In the last year I have been introduced repeatedly by various importers of that species. Here, she was with Phenacogrammus (Rhabdalestes) imported intermedius, which is not particularly suitable for socialization, as their enforcement capacity is greater. In my experience I can say in summary that must be taken to smykalai for keeping Phenacogrammus no special measures. The minimum size of the aquarium should have an edge length of 80 cm, larger the better. At high water temperatures should be avoided.

For breeding animals and several larger vessels in the neck are more appropriate since it has spawned more readily. A larger number of eggs can be obtained through a Gazegitter that is placed over the gravel in the aquarium. Also, plastic fabrics are suitable. However, it must be made up so that the fish can swim through and the eggs won’t  fall through it. For the spawning , a varied approach should be fed with different insect larvae, and rare or Enchytraen Grindal. Otherwise,their feed should contain less fat. The pH should be in the slightly acidic range and the conductance of 100 microseconds / exceed cm. Also, in order to rear them correctly, a varied live food and frequent water changes are important.