Beauty And Aggression In The Rocket Killifish (Clown Killifish)

Dramatic footage of male rocket killifish sparring with each other
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[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Great work, Dave!

[@TheDave333]

Many thanks!

[@brettlamar118]

Thank you for making these incredible videos!

[@TheDave333]

Thanks for watching!

[@sghettinona]

Beautiful fish. Enjoyed the music, too Your's are more active than mine.

[@TheDave333]

There's a lot of males in the tank, so they're constantly sparring with each other. I'm trying to find more females. . .

[@tamarrajames3590]

These are beautiful Dave…and their colouring and shape really do make them look like rockets. Love the music choice too.🖤🇨🇦

[@TheDave333]

Thank you once again, and I really hope that it warms up soon. You can keep that arctic air. . . 😁

[@tamarrajames3590]

@@TheDave333 Well, it started to rain yesterday, and we are having a melt, we are in the plus numbers again, so I guess we will see. It was pretty nasty there for awhile, I’m not fond of polar vortex, and they are happening more than usual. Are you getting hit with cold there?🖤🇨🇦

[@TheDave333]

Yes, the arctic air is dipping right down into New England where I live. Today, it's raining and relatively warm, but old man winter is not far behind. . .

[@tamarrajames3590]

@@TheDave333 Oh dear…do keep warm, all this changing weather gets people sick with colds and flu. All the snow is melted here, and it is very damp. Of course we still have February ahead, which is historically our most unkind month.✨🖤🇨🇦

[@TheDave333]

I wish you the best - stay warm. 🖤 U.S.

[@spyderpittsburgh5264]

Awesome Vid! Love the Music!

[@TheDave333]

Thanks!

[@Doomtogloom]

please make more videos sir, I love everything about your videos.

[@TheDave333]

Thank you, I will

[@netandjer7024]

not sure if i will be able to sleep tonight!

[@TheDave333]

Still less scary than an Assassin snail!!! 😁

[@Chinco_NL]

Beautiful footage (!) of beautiful fish. I like the music too.

[@TheDave333]

Thank you very much!

[@kinnikuzero]

Now I look at them their tails do look like a jet nozzle

[@TheDave333]

Yeah just like a flame . . .

[@LushSaltyAquariums]

Perfect music for Rockets ;)

[@TheDave333]

Thanks :-)

[@moonpleco5083]

Great job Dave for catching moments of fish life. I'm more and more into this species however first I must find place for aquarium for them - now it's hopeless dream . I'm hypnotized by their big blue eyes. l can't sleep tonight ,1 o'clock is approaching, but thank to their lookl hope that in few minutes l will fall asleep 😴.

[@TheDave333]

Hopefully, you fall asleep soon. Thanks for watching. 😁

[@ajnfire]

Incredible colors! Thanks Dave for the close experience once again! Killies are allways amazing to see... Do you keep other species?

[@TheDave333]

I have in the past, but not at the moment. I'm running out of room!!! In the near future I plan on filming and breeding a few different killifish species; Aphyosemion australe, Aphyosemion bivittatum, Nothobranchius guentheri, and others. I started this hobby with killifish many many many years ago.

[@ajnfire]

@@TheDave333 I knew you had a soft spot for killies!☺️ Those species have amazing colors and in your hands, i mean, in your tanks, they will be astonishing!😋

[@maldzramos4429]

Hello, what camera are you using? Great shots! ❤

[@TheDave333]

Hello, I just put a link to the camera in the description section below the video. ❤

[@maldzramos4429]

Thanks for updating! I never knew older camcorders can take vids like these :) Im new to your channel and share the same passion for aquatic life. I appreciate your work. Thank you for blessing us with your content 😊

[@TheDave333]

You're very welcome, thanks for watching. 😁

[@shuanminchia2298]

Beautiful fishes, like how their eyes and tail color are similar to the neon tetras family.

[@TheDave333]

They are very striking fish. Just waiting for them to have babies.

[@shuanminchia2298]

@@TheDave333 hopefully you will make a video of the baby fishes.

[@TheDave333]

I will if I ever see any.

[@artandgrow9240]

Gosh such unique fish! If only they got along! Honestly I’ve observed similar intense body wiggle fights between two of my male guppies that I raised, to the intensity that not even sticking my bare finger in between them or poking them would stop the fight 😂 I’ve found that they get along much better in an overstocked tank with fry and no females.

[@TheDave333]

They really are very unique fish, and like all killifish they can be very territorial. Overstocking does help spread the aggression out a little.

[@melissaskinner4501]

I adore all killifish.I keep mine in large groups-must have heavy planting.They can lock lips

[@TheDave333]

I adore killifish as well, and I hope to film more of them soon. Killifish are what started me in this hobby. I've seen them lock lips too . . . not a fan. It looks painful.

[@jamiegallier2106]

❤❤❤

[@TheDave333]

Getting ready to head out to the river to film Sea Lamprey!!! Thanks for watching another video! ❤❤❤

[@joannafernandez3848]

How big do these get? Amaxingly beeeee-utiful video amd fish 🗯😘💚😍🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@TheDave333]

They're very small fish. They max out at around 1.5 inches. They like calm water and dense vegetation. 😁

[@nicksweeney5176]

Scary. Tense. Menacing. Frightening so, that I ran to put my lights on and have a snuggle with a hot mugful of steamy Hot Cocoa!!😬

[@joannafernandez3848]

😂sounds bout right!!🎉

[@nicksweeney5176]

@@joannafernandez3848 Riiiight...???😉👍🏻

[@TheDave333]

It's best to face your fears and buy more fish . . .

[@Populiervogel]

Great footage again Dave! Please make a breeding video of this species, thanks in advance!

[@TheDave333]

I'm working on breeding them in a colony, but no luck finding babies yet. The local shop also keeps sending me mostly males . . . having trouble finding enough females for the colony.

[@Populiervogel]

@@TheDave333 OK thanks for the info, good luck in finding females.

[@brettlamar118]

@TheDave333 flip aquatics has them for sale online. You can purchase just females. May not be the cheapest option, but could be a way to boost your female population.

[@TheDave333]

@brettlamar118 Thanks, I appreciate the help. They're good people over at flip.

[@brettlamar118]

@TheDave333 they are! I currently have two males and two females from them. Hoping to see some spawning behavior.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Hey, Dave, have you heard of an Eastern blue devil/Paraplesiops bleekeri?

[@TheDave333]

I've never heard of them, so I went and looked them up. Wow! What beautiful fish, I wish they were a freshwater species.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

@@TheDave333 It kinda looks like a cichlid. Huh?

[@TheDave333]

Yes, it really does.

[@Hellbillyhok666]

Mine are breeding now, I'm ever so happy as they're my wee favorites, cheers frome Fife 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@TheDave333]

Congratulations, I'm colony breeding mine, and I'm still waiting to find babies!!! 😀

[@njoyreading3503]

Killies are my favorites!

[@TheDave333]

Mine too! They're what got me started in this hobby.

[@danieldang3412]

What was the fish you kept in your experience and have any fish died in your aquarium before?

[@TheDave333]

I've had many fish die over the last 35 years or so. It's an inevitable part of life. . . My favorite fish was probably my Nothobranchius guentheri killifish, or maybe the German Blue Rams. . . . Right now I'm really loving my Hillstream Loaches! It's very hard to pick favorites.

[@danieldang3412]

@@TheDave333 what is the hardest fish you kept in your experience?

[@TheDave333]

I always do my homework before I buy any fish. So, I haven't really found any of them to be all that difficult to keep. Breeding them is where the real difficulty is. Hardest fish to breed and raise young in my experience = Discus. Breeding Neon Tetras was also a real pain in the butt.

[@danieldang3412]

@@TheDave333 Maybe I notice some fish species short lifespan when they seem to be doing well for at least over a year

[@TheDave333]

You never know how old they are when you buy them, so it's really hard to pinpoint an age unless you're breeding them.

[@joannafernandez3848]

The beauty of the blue eyes is anazing. What a beautiful fish. My 2nd red tailed shark died and about the same size/age.. Can i get these at pet supermarket or is there a secret club to get fish i dont know about🤔

[@TheDave333]

Yes, these fish do have very beautiful eyes. They are very small fish, about 1 inch in length (25mm) and most pet stores or pet supermarkets will be able to get them for you. 😁

[@reneesnugent3358]

Beautiful! Why are they called kill fish?

[@TheDave333]

It comes from an old Dutch word "kille" that means small stream or creek. You'll see the word "kill" in many places that were settled by Dutch immigrants = New York = the Catskill mountains, Fishkill, Peakskill New York etc. . .

[@reneesnugent3358]

Thanks for the video and your time with the exclamation!! You're very smart 👌

[@Populiervogel]

@TheDave333 Great information and explanation Dave! Dutchie here, Kill/Kil/Kille is more a Brook or a Rill. I'll bet that 95% of the Dutch population today have never heard of those words Kill/Kil/Kille, it's so old.

[@TheDave333]

@Populiervogel Thanks for the additional information. I get asked that question quite a lot.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Mind if I give you another quiz? It will be a double one this time.

[@TheDave333]

Hello Chi! I don't mind.

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

@@TheDave333 What is my favorite whale? A. Gray whale. B. Blue whale. C. Killer whale/orca. D. Beluga whale. What is my favorite dolphin? A. Bottlenose dolphin. B. Pacific white-sided dolphin. C. Common dolphin. D. Killer whale/orca

[@TheDave333]

If I remember correctly your favorite whale is the Orca which is part of the dolphin family. So, the answer is the same for both questions!!! Were you trying to trick me?

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

@@TheDave333 No, not at all.

[@TheDave333]

Was I right?

[@danieldang3412]

Can killi fish live in a open tank?

[@TheDave333]

They can live in an uncovered tank, but it's risky. They'll won't be as likely to jump out if you have lots of floating plants covering the entire surface, and if you lower the water level a few inches. Still, they will probably jump at some point.

[@danieldang3412]

@@TheDave333 What if they find the conditions to be favorable, would they still randomly decided to jump for no apparent reason?

[@TheDave333]

There's always a reason. Only humans do things without thinking and without a good reason. . . :-) The light at the top of the tank will attract flying insects and the killifish might jump to try and catch them. Or there might not be enough females in the tank, so the males will try and jump into another area to find mates. Killifish jump in search of food or to find a new place to live. It's also a fear response to avoid a threat.

[@danieldang3412]

@@TheDave333 What if there’s a closed lid but there’s a gap for the HOB filter?

[@TheDave333]

That might work, but just to be safe I would use filter floss to plug any small gaps that you might have. Better safe than sorry.

[@pencilpauli9442]

Did one of the Killis jump @3:35 (Timestamp a couple of seconds earlier.)

[@baltik1715]

they are notorious jumpers...

[@TheDave333]

I didn't notice, but it's very likely, all killifish love to jump.

[@pencilpauli9442]

@@TheDave333 I've heard that they are jumpers, but I noticed at that point one of them just disappeared. Wasn't sure if I was a) Seeing things b) The fish had jumped c) The fish had been instantaneously beamed up to an orbiting UFO by aliens. lol

[@baltik1715]

2 females found 5mm opening on the lid left for the air hose and jumped out overnight...

[@TheDave333]

@baltik1715 Isn't it crazy how they can find a small hole like that? Filter floss stuffed in the hole will work.

[@nicksweeney5176]

Firrrrst...!!!

[@TheDave333]

Yes you are! Thank you. 😁😁😁

[@chisaquaticvibe6524]

Why is it so hard to find females these days?

[@TheDave333]

Their sex is determined, in part, by water temperature, so many population have strange sex ratios that favor the males. Many killifish have temperature dependent sex ratios.

[@isaiahbarron1868]

I have a problem breeding a bunch of females willing to sell