South American Annuals Beginners page

If you are new to South American Annuals or have been put off from keeping them because you have heard or read that they are "difficult, aggressive and short-lived", then this is the page to whet your appetite.

Most SAA’s are not as boldly coloured as Nothobranchius or Aphyosemion types, they are best viewed in natural light where irridescent spots and lines, and subtle hues of reds, blues and greens stand out, transforming them into tiny jewels.

It is possible for nearly all South American Annuals to be maintained successfully. None of them are overly succeptible to disease, in fact some of the hardier types are nearly indestructible. All that needs to be done is supply reasonable water parameters and food that they will eat. Water parameters can mean temperatures of 15° C to 30° C. pH’s of 6.0 to 8.0, and hardness of 0.5 dH to 25 dH . Most parameters would depend on the species being kept. Foods that are usually used by South American Annual keepers are Brineshrimp (live, frozen, adult, nauplii). Bloodworm (live, frozen), Whiteworm, Grindalworm, Microworm (fry only). Earthworms (whole, chopped), Beefheart, Chickenliver, Daphnia, Black mosquito larvae…… the list goes on. The key word is experiment, some keepers use flake food and blends of meat and vegetables with great success. Try new things, if they don’t eat it then don’t use it, simple. Some keepers even keep groups of species together in the same tank, which blows away the aggressive label. Did you know that some keepers have had fish live for over 2 years!

The spawning, incubation and raising of fry is possibly the most exciting part of keeping South American Annuals, If you would like to know more then contact the beginners coordinator or post a message on our mailing list.

Take a look below at some of the brief write ups that have been put together by some of our members…….

The genus Austrolebias

This genus contains around 19 species, although probably more will be described in the near future. The species are between 4-10 cm, and come from Argentina, Uruguay and southern Brasil. The most common species are Austrolebias affinis, bellotti and nigripinnis.

These fish can be kept as a male and two females group in a 30 liters aquarium, or in a larger group in aquariums from 50 liters. When kept in a large group it is important to have at least 3 males, otherwise aggression from the strongest male can cause the death of the weakest. There must be a minimum of one female for each male.

The species mentioned are easy to reproduce and the eggs have an incubation period of about 3 months at 18-22° C.

The maintenance temperature can range between 10-23° C. The lower temperatures can lengthen the lifespan of the fish, and higher temperatures will intensify spawning activity but also aggression.

The genus Megalebias has very similar requirements to Austrolebias, however, the species are much bigger and more aggressive.

The genus Cynopoecilus

This genus contains a single species : Cynop. melanotaenia. Defined by Regan in 1912.

The distribution area is the coastal areas of southern Brasil and Uruguay.

The males reach about 4 cm in length while females are a little bit smaller.

The males of this species are quite aggressive and are well known as the “fighting gaucho”.

When raising fry the males must be separated or the dominant youngsters will severely threaten the females and less dominant males. Of particular interest is the method of fertilization: The first ray of the male anal fin is modified to brush sperm towards the female oviduct, however, this isn’t real internal fertilization.

They don’t need a big tank to spawn. A ten liters aqaurium is enough for spawning purpose providing hiding places for females, preferably more than one per male. The maintenance temperature can range between 18-24° C and the incubation time for the eggs can reach three months at low temperatures.

The genus Pterolebias

The genus Pterolebias consists of 3 species, Pter. longipinnis, phasianus and bokermanni. Until Recently, it also contained Aphyolebias peruensis, obliquus, rubrocaudatus and wischmanni, Gnatholebias zonatus and hoignei. Also Micromoema xiphophora. Most can be classed as true Peat diving species.

Pterolebias longipinnis makes a good introduction to Peat diving species . It is a peaceful fish and not at all shy. This fish has a huge natural distribution area, it is found in Brasil, Paraguay, Bolivia and Northern Argentina. The average adult size for a male would be around 8 cm, they can be kept in large groups or as spawning pairs, a 2.5 to 4 gallon aquarium would suit a breeding group of 1 male and 3 females.

A spawning jar is provided in the aquarium which is filled to depth of 4” with boiled and washed peat. The average incubation period for the eggs is 3 months. Most of the above named species can Generally be treated in the same manner, the main differences being in individual temperature requirements and egg incubation times.

The genus Simpsonichthys

The species of the Genus Simpsonichthys contain some of the more boldly coloured South American Annuals. Fish such as Simp. constanciae , bokermanni and flammeus are good introduction species to this Genus. All 3 can bekept in the same conditions of slightly acid to Neutral pH and soft to medium hard water. Temperatures of 72° to 82° are tolerated well.

They will spawn quite happily in a shallow dish with peat to a depth of 30 mm. The average egg Incubation period is 6 to 12 weeks. The fish can be kept as pairs or in groups , they are not overly Aggressive although some “fin nipping” may be observed.

There are many other species in the genus Simpsonicthys, and more are still being discovered. Some of them are quite difficult to keep and maintain. Problems include very high water temperatures, low egg production and extremely variable incubation periods. Eggs of some species can rest in diapause from 6 weeks to 11 months. When faced with these difficulties, there is only one answer to the question "How long should I store the eggs for?" - Until they are ready! Searching through bags of peat, looking for eggs and signs of development requires the patience of a Saint and the eyes of a hawk.

The genus Nematolebias

A small genus with only two members. Nematolebias myersi and whitei.

They are both from Brazil. Nem. myersi reach a size of 5 cm and whitei can reach 7-12 cm depending on the variety.

The fishes are maintained at a temperature on 18-24° C in aquariums from 30 liter for a trio. They are easy to spawn and the peat can be stored at 20-24 degrees for 2,5 –4 months.

Nematolebias whitei are among the easiest and most beautiful of the south american annuals and is an all time favourite. It is kept by both the beginner and the experienced breeder that cant get enough of it.

Others

There are many other types of South American Annuals over and above those

Already mentioned. As this is a Beginners page , we won’t go into those right now. Some of them are relatively easy to keep , some of them are very difficult , or very rare in the hobby. I hope this has created some interest And encouraged you to join our group and devote some tank space to these Interesting fish.