American Killifish Association, or AKA, is famous for their many years of experience in guiding, taking care of, and distributing killifish. If you wonder if this association sells killifish or not, the answer is yes.
They reunite many breeders that farm killifish with moderation to ensure the health and quality of the fish. There are 5 scientifically proven-to-be-good pieces of advice that this association offers when it comes to taking care of killifish. Please get to know the details below with me.
American Killifish Association’s Vision
Unlike many mass breeders or pet stores that breed and resale killifish for solely commercial purposes, the goals of the American Killifish Association are to promote the love and protection of killifish and encourage the participation of the members. This is much more of an awareness program than a lucrative channel.
The AKA runs a variety of programs to help achieve these goals. They organize an annual convention as well as a killifish show every year. They also update news, investigations, and information about killifish backed by scientific proof.
Numerous regional clubs across North America are affiliated with the AKA and share the same goals. They organize regular meetings and have annual shows. Through these shows and meetings, affiliate clubs become the most efficient ways to buy killifish, and hobbyists can get expert advice on keeping these majestic creatures.
The health of the fish is the prime priority for this association and its affiliated clubs, which makes the purchase mean so much more. If you are thinking about getting a killifish through auctions on this association, I’m 100% behind you.
Guide On How To Care For Killifish
There are 5 pieces of advice that professionals aquarists want you to know about taking care of killifish. Don’t miss it!
Lighting
Many killies are derived from streams in the forest that are shielded from direct sunlight and don’t enjoy bright lighting. In brightly lit aquariums, there is a possibility that plants provide shade for the killies that require conditions with low light.
A lot of killies thrive best when the light comes from above instead of from the side since it can be more or less covered and dimmed by the plants in the aquarium. Due to this, many fans of killies illuminate their tanks using ceiling lamps. They will only add more light positions variety only when intense lighting is required.
Water Temperature
The ideal temperature for water varies based on the breed of killifish. But for most killifish, the temperature should be within the range of 72-75 degrees F. Many aquarists will use heaters to maintain the perfect water temperature of the tank. This is common for anyone who keeps tropical or sub-tropical fish as pets.
Professional fish breeders that farm hundreds or thousands of killifish simultaneously won’t make use of individual heaters since this can be hectic to control or detect abnormalities in the system. In this case, breeders will turn the entire room where they store the tanks into a giant heater, which requires perfect placement for even heat dispensing, but less management.
Water pH
Although many killifish originate from soft acid waters, there are more and more captive-bred killifish that are products of local raising nowadays. Before purchasing one of this species, it’s recommended to study killifish in-depth to discover the water conditions they were raised in.
The preferred water conditions are different based on species, but the majority of killifish thrive in a level of acidity of 6.0 to 7.0 with a total hardness range of 120 ppm to 160 ppm.
You should check with the store where you purchase the fish and study the condition of the fish itself. If the fish thrive perfectly fine even though the water condition of the tanks at the stores isn’t exactly up to standard, it’s best to avoid switching the water condition of the fish to the recommended state right away.
You can slowly adjust the components of the water to avoid bringing the fish to a state of shock, which ensures that it won’t die prematurely.
Diet
Many killifish enjoy live food while others do very well with frozen food items, and some are able to thrive on dry food. In any case, aquarists should avoid using one food item only because this can lead to a deficiency of nutrition.
Some of the foods that killifish like the most are: brine shrimps, daphnia, larvae of mosquitos, microworms, dry food, etc. In general, the diet doesn’t include vegetables, given that killifish are carnivores, but they will feed most of the typical “meaty” choices for community fish.
Plants And Decorations
What plants to choose will be a question of preference for aquarists, but, because killies thrive in tanks with low levels of lighting, plants that can withstand low light levels are recommended. Keep in mind that the use of plants will change the water hardness, so it’s crucial to investigate a bit before purchasing and placing them into the tank.
Video: American Killifish Association (AKA) Convention 2017 Highlights
FAQs
Does American Killifish Association sell killifish?
The AKA doesn’t directly sell killifish, but the association links potential buyers to sellers that farm healthy and high-quality killifish. This is one of the best places where you can auction a beautiful one of this species. If you aren’t familiar with the auction method, you can purchase from other online stores.
Where can I buy killifish?
There are many online stores for aquarists to purchase killifish from. If you prefer a quick buy, you can check Aquabid, Arizona Aquatic Garden, or Aquarium Fish Depot. If you want to get the best killifish with peak health and appearance, you can start bidding for one you like on American Killifish Association.
Does American Killifish Association sell fish eggs?
It depends a lot on each seller, but you definitely can get killifish eggs through AKA. However, it will require a bit of patience since auctions aren’t always on. The quickest way to get killifish eggs is through Aquabid, which is an excellent platform for buying anything killifish-related.
Annette M. Chaney is an experienced marine biologist with over 20 years of experience as an aquarist and fishkeeper. She started her first aquarium at a young age, filling it with frogs and goldfish obtained from the ten-cent pet store.
Annette grew up caring for and breeding African Cichlids, which led to a hobby in high school that doubled as a profitable means. Attending Reed College gave her time to solidify herself as an accomplished aquarium caretaker with an eye for sales. After that, from 2009 – 2013, she studied at Roger Williams University – one of the most prestigious universities for Aquaculture and Aquarium in USA. She is the founder of AquariumCircle since 2010.