Pseudomugil Luminatus: viability in only 30 liters!

Before we start, I want to thank Patri (@ Culantrilla Magica on Instagram) for the amount of images and videos he has sent us. Thanks to this, everything will be super well illustrated about how to recreate an aquarium with exceptional viability.

Whenever we start a project, it is usually focused on three objectives: the fish, the plants and the aesthetics of the aquarium, but we rarely think about its viability.

For an aquarium to be viable we need some key components that Patri was very clear about and nailed in this setup.

We start with the video of your aquarium of only 30 liters:

As you see in the video, we have keys that are visually very easy to identify.

On the one hand we have the vegetation, which in addition to playing a very aesthetic role, is perfect for providing shelter for adults and fry, stabilizing parameters and being the perfect place for courtship and finally laying eggs.

The Pseudomugil take advantage of roots, moss and plants to lay their eggs in these elements.

In the image we see two Pseudomugil eggs on the roots of a floating plant, Limnobium Laeviegatum.

A few days after laying, the fry begin to be seen.

In this step to viability we see that the aquarium has the exact point in terms of inhabitants and type of companions, since if this were not the case we would not see any babies swimming because they would prey on them or even on the eggs.

Companions are ottocinclus afinis and neocaridina blue velvet.

After this step and to ensure that the offspring continue and that the parents do not devour some offspring, the fry are moved to a small indoor farrowing pen and later transferred to a fattening aquarium.

Farrowing house.

Mini fattening aquarium.

In this video we see the passage of the fish for their acclimatization.

For proper fattening: I advise doing several weekly water changes and feeding several times a day. In this case, Patri fed flakes ground into powder and the results were excellent.

The fry soon begin to present a juvenile coloration very similar to that of the adults, and this is when they are transferred to the main urn.

This aquarium could be used as an example for the reproduction of all types of pseudomugil, so I hope you can find your inspiration in it.

I also leave you all the information about Pseudomugil Luminatus below:

Male Pseudomugil luminatus have a body color that is usually yellowish tan, orange-yellow or reddish with scales finely outlined with brown, sometimes silvery white on the belly and chest. They have a neon blue stripe on the upper body that extends from the back of the head to the base of the upper rays of the tail fin. The median fins are generally yellowish tan to pale orange, variably marked with widely scattered small black dots; the anal and caudal fins generally have fewer spots, with those on the anal fin being mainly limited to the basal half or posterior-most section. The first dorsal fin has a narrow, white anterior margin that extends over the elongated filament of the fin. The caudal fin has prominent white tips on the dorsal and ventral lobes; translucent yellowish pelvic fins with elongated orange filament above. The pectoral fins are primarily translucent with a bright yellow or white marking along the upper edge of the fin. The snout and top of the head are pale gray to blue-gray, usually with a red hue on the operculum due to the underlying red gill filaments and the transparent nature of the thin outer covering of scales and bones. The pupil of the eye is black and the iris is bright blue. The body color of females is generally similar to that of the male, although smaller individuals are more yellowish and semi-transparent; fins mainly translucent to slightly yellowish, usually without spots. Pseudomugil luminatus is most similar to Pseudomugil paskai from the upper Fly River system (Kiunga area) of Papua New Guinea, which is approximately 530 km east of the known range of Pseudomugil luminatus. The two species exhibit a similar overall appearance and morphology, especially the pattern of scattered black spots on the median fins and elongated filaments on the first dorsal and pelvic fins of adult males. However, Pseudomugil luminatus differs from Pseudomugil paskai in generally having 10 instead of 11 anal fin rays, 9 versus 9-10 pectoral fin rays, 25-26 versus 27-28 lateral scales. Additionally, the body and fins of adult Pseudomugil paskai males are considerably paler and lack the neon blue stripe along the upper body that is characteristic of Pseudomugil luminatus. Furthermore, genetic studies provide strong support for the separation of these species. The new species is called luminatus (Latin: illuminate) in reference to the bright colors displayed by adult males. Pseudomugil luminatus spawning - photo © Taoyeah Deng Distribution and Habitat Pseudomugil luminatus is currently known from south-central New Guinea in the vicinity of Timika, West Papua. Its habitat consists of swamps with slowly flowing clear (although dark-spotted) water. The type locality, located about 20-25 km upstream of the Aikwa River estuary, was severely altered by sediment tailings from the Freeport gold and copper mine in the late 1990s and it is presumed that this species and other swamp-associated fauna are no longer present. . Most paratypes were taken from two sites in the Iweka River system, approximately 31-36 km northwest of the type locality at elevations of 45-60 meters above sea level. The water quality values ​​selected at the time of collection were as follows: temperature of 26 to 28 °C, pH of 4.8 to 7.2, and conductivity of 7 to 126 µS/cm. Observations Museum specimens of Pseudomugil luminatus were originally collected in 1997 in a Sago swamp in the vicinity of Timika in West Papua (4° 40.669'S, 136° 57.046'E) by G. Allen, S. Renyaan and K. Hortle, but were previously identified as Pseudomugil paskai. In 2011, a new blue eye became available in the aquarium trade and was sold under several different names, such as Pseudomugil sp. "Red Neon", the name used by Thai and Indonesian exporters, "Pseudomugil iriani" and Pseudomugil cf. paskai. They were initially thought to be just a differently colored form of Pseudomugil paskai that differed slightly in coloration and fin shape. Then in 2013, a second color form was imported from Indonesia. These were very similar, but the base color of the body was more yellowish. Males are easier to distinguish from the original variant by having deep orange tips on the caudal fin and almost transparent pectoral fins, again with orange tips. However, there is no doubt that both color varieties belong to the same species, although the yellow form also differs somewhat from the red one in the shape of the body: the former is somewhat thinner and has a more pointed head. But the neon-colored dorsal band alone makes the species unmistakable. The females of the two variants look extremely similar. Pseudomugil luminatus is a beautiful blue-eyed fish and has become almost as popular as Melanotaenia praecox among hobbyists, even those who do not normally keep rainbowfish.