Killifish eggs?

[Zoe]

What's the deal with buying killifish eggs on e-bay? Can you actually hatch out killifish that way?

[Christine]

Yes you can. Some of them have short incubation times (2 weeks) and others longer (3+ months).

[Zoe]

Can I get them shipped to Canada? Some of the auctions are for worldwide shipping but they might get too cold on the way here.

[Christine]

Heat packs should be fine. I've also heard it said that unlike fish, eggs can ship country to country without the use of a transhipper. This doesn't really make much sense to me, but what do I know! If you are worried about the legalities of it, definitely check first.

[harif87]

I wouldnt expect a decent hatch rate from shipped eggs, but ive never bought shipped eggs before. If you purchase the eggs let us know if you had success or not

[Christine]

I have received eggs before on peat and had a good hatch rate.

I have also sent eggs before both in water and in coir. The eggs on coir did just fine. The eggs in water were really touch and go. I found they shipped best for me in chlorinated water with a teeeeeeny bit of meth blue provided they were shipped immediately after picking. Then upon arrival, they go into regular dechlor water and that seems to work well.


Oh and I should add, it could depend on the type of eggs you get also. I think some are harder to hatch out than others. For example, there was one type I was interested in and I talked to 2 people that had received eggs and neither were able to get a hatch from them.

[harif87]

It should depend on the source. Alot of the hatch rate depends on the quality of eggs that the sender is sending you. If theyre in experienced they might be sending you damaged or infertile eggs. If they send you some soft eggs it is very likely that they get damaged or killed during transit. If that happens bacteria will colonize the dead eggs which is why its advised (exactly like christine said) to add some antibacterial. Its also possible for fungus to spread if the shipper doesnt take neccessary precautions. The reason why im a little skeptical on this is because its going to be an international shipping which would take longer thus allowing for more to go wrong. But my concerns would be mainly with the shipper and their experience.

Christine, about the eggs shipped on peat, how did the shipper manage to keep the peat moss damp during transit? They didnt dry out?

Anyways i hope you get some good stuff

[Christine]

The peat was just in a poly shipping bag like you ship fish in. He pulled the peat one afternoon and let it dry til the next afternoon before packing it. He didn't leave air in the bag like you would if you were shipping fish. So basically it was a flat bag of dirt rolled up so the peat would all stay together. I believe the bag containing the peat was then rolled up and then placed in a second bag. I actually had to dry the peat for another 24 hours before putting it away for its 3 months.