# Pseudomugil furcatus



## samc (6 Aug 2009)

just found these on the internet and thought they look really nice but not sure how avalible they are in LFS as i would like to try some  

any of you guys seem them about?


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## Themuleous (6 Aug 2009)

I've kept these a few times, nice fish especially when the makes display to each other.  Didn't have the best of luck with them, they just seemed to die one by one.  

Not a 'bread and butter' fish but I see them fairly regularly in larger shops.

Sam


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## samc (6 Aug 2009)

ahh thanks. they look quite nice. do you have any pics of yours or did you find them to be as colourfull as the one in the pic with the blues eyes?


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## Nelson (6 Aug 2009)

i've had some before.got them from wholesale tropicals.i had the same problem as sam.not sure what i was doing wrong.


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## rawr (6 Aug 2009)

Do they have a common name?


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## squiggley (7 Aug 2009)

rawr said:
			
		

> Do they have a common name?



Forkedtail Blue eyes

http://members.optusnet.com.au/rainbowfishes/Furcatus.htm

My local MA had them in a while back, I think they 6 for Â£10

Also got some Spotted Blue Eyes at the same time

http://members.optusnet.com.au/rainbowfishes/Gertrud.htm

They've been compared to killies due to they seem to have a short life span and the eggs can be transported, although finding a breeder in the UK is hard.


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## jonny_ftm (7 Aug 2009)

I kept them a while.

In a planted tank, under good conditions, they will display much nicer colours than any photo you see. They are not shy and good shoaling. The display dances are amazing.

They originate from fast flowing streams. The key to keep them is perfect water quality, consistent surface movement, frequent and abundant water changes, feed them live or frosen as often as you can. Also, low PH/GH planted tanks are not really suited for the long term maintenance. They'll live longer in a 7-8 PH and especially a GH >10

Resepct also a ratio of 1male/2-3 females and a shoaling of >10 fish

With the Tateurndina Ocellicauda, they are by far the most interesting fish I ever kept

I sold them because I found them too crowded in my 60gal heavily planted tank. They truely need a large aquarium as they are excellent swimmers and the males are easily above 5cm


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## samc (7 Aug 2009)

thanks for all the info guys, its a real help  

i was thinking of getting around 6ish for my 100l tank and just have it for them. do you think they would be ok?


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## jonny_ftm (7 Aug 2009)

Some people will tell you they are good in a 80L, in 4-6 family.

For me, in a 100L tank, I'll definately go with smaller fish and a larger shoal, much better looking. Remember, like most Autralo-Guinea fish, they are really very very good and fast swimmers. I think 120-150cm is a minimum and a large 10-15 shoal to have your eyes plenty. 6 fishes will give you 2 males and 4 females, It could cause too much harassement between the only 2 males, stress, not the true behaviour... The males battles are impreesingly beautiful, they run one behind the other in a circle shape, head-to-tail of each other.

Then, each person maintains the fish as it likes, but not always in the best conditions, sadely


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## samc (7 Aug 2009)

thanks for the info jonny  

i just rang my lfs and they dont stock them anyway  where have you guys got them from/seen them?


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## a1Matt (7 Aug 2009)

samc said:
			
		

> i just rang my lfs and they dont stock them anyway  where have you guys got them from/seen them?



I'v seen them in Wildwoods in Enfield, and as mentioned earlier in the thread Wholesale Tropicals in Bethnal Green.
Never kept them myself, but when I saw them in the LFS' I was quite taken with how beautiful they were


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## samc (7 Aug 2009)

i really like the look of them and they sound like they have a lot of character too  gotta get some. my closest MA at crowland even said they have not had any in for ages   and they have every fish you can think of  but said if i talk so the manager he might be able to get some in   but it would cost me Â£15 in petrol to go get them


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## jonny_ftm (7 Aug 2009)

They are hard to find, despite being easily bred, despite their beauty, despite their character... for one reason: they're not easy to maintain and will deceive you if you don't respect their needs: large volume, large distance to swim, high GH and PH, excellent oxygenation. They have no place in a 60cm tank

If you get fish just for its look, ignoring its needs, you'll just kill them soon or later

They were my preferred fish but I got rid of them because I felt they are too confined in my 260L. I sold them to someone that now keeps and breeds them in a 600L


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## Ed Seeley (7 Aug 2009)

The MA in West Bridgford in Nottingham has had them I think (They had two or three different _Pseudomugil_ spp. in) in but it's a bit of a trek for you!  Gratts on here works there and might be able to confirm the species they have in if you feel the trek to Nottingham is worth it.

I've kept 25 of the _P.gertrudae_ and they were superb but short-lived.  If you get some set them up with some spawning mops and try and raise some babies quickly to keep your shoal going.


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## samc (7 Aug 2009)

the ones you mention look quite nice and seeing as the tank wont be big enough for the ones i wanted they might be a good second option. 

do you have any pics of yours as when i google them they all look different  

thanks for anwsering ed


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## Ed Seeley (7 Aug 2009)

They were too fast for any good pics!  I never got a good one!

These are representative of the fish I had,
http://watershed3.tripod.com/blue-eyes.html

This is a male and female,
http://www.petshop-zoomania.com/Tetras, ... 20pair.jpg

They are rather active fish (far more so than killies for instance) and IMO are best in larger tanks in big shoals even though they are so small.


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## samc (7 Aug 2009)

yours were very nice ones then some you see look dull. are these very avalible in most shops? how larger tank are we talking about too  

your anwsering all my questions tonight


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## Ed Seeley (7 Aug 2009)

My tank was my Rio 180, so 1m, but I think they'd be fine in a 2ft tank upwards, you'd just have to reduce the shoal size a bit.  The males were superb but they did take a week or two to settle down and colour up fully.  The females are much less colourful.  They seem to be fairly easy to get in most MAs as far as I can tell.


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## Nelson (7 Aug 2009)

i think the Pseudomugil gertrudae are smaller,and stunning fish.


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