# Galaxy Rasbora being captive bred



## NorCal Filters (Apr 8, 2006)

I stopped at my favorite LFS in Modesto, "Tropical Haven", to inquire about their sale of wild caught Galaxy Rasboras. Ted, who I believe is the owner or one of them, informed me that he is only purchasing captive bred Galaxy's. The store was busy but he took the time to take me through the rows of aquariums to show me "ALL" of the very interesting and not very common Rasbora's he stocks as well as some other nice fish. I mentioned I was interested in breeding the Galaxy, then he took me over to his rather extensive food selection and gave me some sound advice for feeding the fry and the adults. He said he was glad that there are people in the hobby that were genuinely interested in taking optimal care of the fish they purchase from him.

I was really happy to hear the Galaxy Rasbora is now being bred in captivity, hopefully this will take the pressure off the wild ones and their habitat.
I was equally impressed that he took the time to help me and show me his store.
I would highly recommend this store for anyone in the area or willing to drive to it. Their in Modesto, CA 1707 Prescott. 209.522.4706

By the way, the Galaxy Rasboras were $3.99

Frank


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## Martin Schellinck (Jun 17, 2006)

I'm from Turlock and Tropical Haven's my #1 stop for fish needs. Ted also has great prices on all-glass tanks (7$ for a 10gallon, 14$ for a 20 gallon). There isn't much of a selection for plants, but he does carry fluorite and he has the widest selection of fw fish I've yet to see. Also, his amanos are very reasonably priced.


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

Thanks for having the balls to talk to the owners about it. I wonder what their source is and still glad he seems to appreciate the effort. I will have to poke my nose in here soon. My local store has not called me back about the 15g AGA quote I asked for...

I was just over in Modesto yesterday but with the 10yr olds birthday at Extreme Paint-ball I was better off keeping the 2yr old out of the swamp they called a parking lot. roud: 

I didn't think about the weather and our plans till i was handed the directions to the place. I looked at my wife and asked if she had hip waders? As usual assuming surprised me again, thought this was an indoor place.


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Keep in mind that they're closed on Sunday.

The owner is a friend of mine and brought the first bunch of galaxies in for me (SFBAAPS group buy). I've been meaning to set up a planted tank there for him, but haven't had the time to do so.


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## NorCal Filters (Apr 8, 2006)

Ibn said:


> Keep in mind that they're closed on Sunday.
> 
> The owner is a friend of mine and brought the first bunch of galaxies in for me (SFBAAPS group buy). I've been meaning to set up a planted tank there for him, but haven't had the time to do so.


A planted tank would be nice for his store. He's got a couple tanks now with some plants for sale but they don't look too good, no co2 and poor light.
If you ever do get the time and need some help let me know.

Frank


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

Actually, the galaxies have been being captive bred since they were first available to us. they breed the same as a other micros, so that was easy. Apparently the place they are caught from is very secret and there aren't just millions of them you know. so i think they started selling them after they started breeding them. cool that your lfs carries them.


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## Storm_Rider (Sep 30, 2006)

That's great!! When i went to Ocean Aquarium in San Francisco i saw some Galaxy Rasbora there. They were somewhat aware that they are threatened/endangered but they didn't seem to care all that much. They sell wild caught ones for $15 each there. "I charge a reasonable price for my fish I think. It's definately affordable" he said to me.


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## NorCal Filters (Apr 8, 2006)

Storm_Rider said:


> That's great!! When i went to Ocean Aquarium in San Francisco i saw some Galaxy Rasbora there. They were somewhat aware that they are threatened/endangered but they didn't seem to care all that much. They sell wild caught ones for $15 each there. "I charge a reasonable price for my fish I think. It's definitely affordable" he said to me.


Well then, I urge you and anyone else wanting to buy wild caught anything, please try to find a captive bred version. Even if you had to drive from San Jose to Modesto, not only could you perhaps save some money ($3.99 for Galaxy in Modesto) you could possibly be saving a species and their habitat and also send a message to those that peddle the wild creatures that those of us in the hobby wont sit idle while this goes on. We do have a voice and this is our forum.


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## Storm_Rider (Sep 30, 2006)

I totally agree with you. That's why i was trying to tell them that they are threatened, but to that they just said yeah, that's why they are rare! so i said i won't be purchasing any because i do not know how to breed them and suggested the same to my friends who were looking at them. then it went off tangent with him tryin to sell me some very small but long cory's that dont grow more than an inch and some other "bop" kind of fish for like $40 or so.

As for driving to modesto, i would love to make that trip if even to just look around a LFS and go home empty handed, but it's just soo far


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## LS6 Tommy (May 13, 2006)

My Galaxy's were almost definitely WC, based on their condition at purchase and the amount of time it took them to socially acclimate to the community tank. They were $3.99 each. I'm gald to say they're doing VERY well now.

Tommy


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## tpl*co (Nov 4, 2006)

kzr750r1 said:


> Thanks for having the balls to talk to the owners about it. I wonder what their source is and still glad he seems to appreciate the effort. I will have to poke my nose in here soon. My local store has not called me back about the 15g AGA quote I asked for...
> 
> I was just over in Modesto yesterday but with the 10yr olds birthday at Extreme Paint-ball I was better off keeping the 2yr old out of the swamp they called a parking lot. roud:
> 
> I didn't think about the weather and our plans till i was handed the directions to the place. I looked at my wife and asked if she had hip waders? As usual assuming surprised me again, thought this was an indoor place.


What is the name of the store in Modesto and do you know if he'll ship to Sacramento? I'd like to try and breed these too.

Tina


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## NorCal Filters (Apr 8, 2006)

tpl*co said:


> What is the name of the store in Modesto and do you know if he'll ship to Sacramento? I'd like to try and breed these too.
> 
> Tina


Hi Tina, name of the store is "Tropical Haven" phone # 209-522-4706
I dont know if they will ship them or not. Drive on down here, Trader Joe's is just around the corner and so is the mall!


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## kzr750r1 (Jun 8, 2004)

Ibn said:


> Keep in mind that they're closed on Sunday.
> 
> The owner is a friend of mine and brought the first bunch of galaxies in for me (SFBAAPS group buy). I've been meaning to set up a planted tank there for him, but haven't had the time to do so.


Thanks Ibn for mentioning this. My luck I'd head over with the boys Sunday and be disappointed.

If you want some help on setting up a tank for him send me an IM an we can get some others from the valley to participate...

Lately I'm WFH three days a week so my drives to the bay are less frequent then the past.

I look forward to checking this store out in a couple of weeks.:bounce:


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## Ibn (Nov 19, 2003)

Thanks for the offer guys. The tank will most likely be set up on a Saturday one of these weekends. I'm PM when I have a date set.


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## Martin Schellinck (Jun 17, 2006)

I stopped by Tropical Haven on Friday since I was in the area. The tank was full of them, I would say easiliy over 100, maybe 200 fish at the time. There were a few dead (maybe 5), so I'm guessing it was a new shipment. The fish were all juveniles and hadn't begun to show all of their color yet. This must be one of the first captive bred batches for them to only be a couple of months old.


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## Urkevitz (Jan 12, 2004)

I just got this message from Practical Fishkeeping:

Dear Reader,

When I saw the first photographs of the Galaxy rasbora back in September last year, I was astounded. It was clear that the species had massive commercial potential. And since its introduction the global response to the fish, and the demand for it, has been unprecedented. Fishkeepers around the world have been after this species and each has been buying them by the dozen.

Sadly, when this fish was first introduced, we didn't know what we do now. New details emerged last week which revealed that the species is from a tiny high-altitude wetland microhabitat. The initial supplier tried to keep the location under wraps, but a number of other collectors found it and have flattened the vegetation in which the fish lives. The catch has decreased to just a few dozen fish per day.

Given that the species has now been successfully bred by a number of fishkeepers, I feel that the hobby now has a resposibility to stop importing this species and to concentrate on its captive-breeding. Hopefully, if demand declines, the habitat and populations will recover and the species will live on. Fingers crossed.

Matt Clarke
Website Editor


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## NorCal Filters (Apr 8, 2006)

Urkevitz said:


> I just got this message from Practical Fishkeeping:
> 
> Dear Reader,
> 
> ...


Urkevitz, thanks for posting this.

Frank


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## Lupin (Nov 21, 2006)

Three cheers to the letter.:icon_mrgr Of course, I am delighted by this letter as it will enable us to think it over why we are often the ones to contribute to the declining rate of these stunning wee fish.:smile: I do hope the wild population will be restored.:smile: In the meantime, it would be best not to interfere with the wild ones, now that they have been bred commercially by the thousands.:smile:


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## Martin Kesmarky (Mar 7, 2007)

Urkevitz said:


> I just got this message from Practical Fishkeeping:
> 
> Dear Reader,
> 
> ...


Dear Matt!
After having read above your report of the destruction again of a natural
habitat, I just wanted to report about my story of this beautiful species.
In early January I was informed by my fellow aquarist,President of the Hungarian Aquarium Society, Budapest, about this newly found species.
He had obtained some from Germany for breeding them asap.Attached I had
received their picture too.
Then I checked one of our local Pet store - A1. Aquarium - where to my surprise - I found some they had received as introduction from their wholesaler.I bought six - 1 male only - and after couple of weeks of conditioning I set them up for spawning in a 2 gls tank with Java moss before the day was over.
1 male with 2 females.They started to spawn with my lights comming up next morning.
It lasted appr. 3 hrs.To my other surprise, the male turned out to be a Non-stop" chaser considereing its size being very aggressive about it.
Seven days later I counted 20 babies just startted to swimm.
Then noticing the male in their regular tank still chasing the other females.
So I put them out again.This new spawning produced 50 youngsters.
Now all the 70 -s, just over one month old are together in a 10 gls tank.
They are doing extremly well. beyond my expectations.
Note that my fellow aquarist are quite interesting in my breeding success, the
first such thing around here.
Question: .......................
Is it true that its name has been changad to "Inlecypris auropurpuseus"
placing them into the species of "Danio" ?
Thanks for the interesting reading material/topics on your website.
Joinig You in hopes about there original "birth-place".
Regards,
Martin Kesmarky
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada


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## dhavoc (May 4, 2006)

too bad all i can find are wc ones. bought 8 to try out but they were in such poor physical health (skinny and hunched backed) i lost all in a week. guess i'll wait for the captive bred ones, as they will probably take prepared foods alot easier than the wc ones.


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## ~T~ (Dec 18, 2006)

dhavoc said:


> too bad all i can find are wc ones. bought 8 to try out but they were in such poor physical health (skinny and hunched backed) i lost all in a week. guess i'll wait for the captive bred ones, as they will probably take prepared foods alot easier than the wc ones.


I picked up another 3 today including a stunning male.

Does anyone know the optimum temperature for breeding and if I get fry where do they tend to gather?


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## milalic (Aug 25, 2005)

~T~ said:


> I picked up another 3 today including a stunning male.
> 
> Does anyone know the optimum temperature for breeding and if I get fry where do they tend to gather?


This information would be good


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## KJoFan (Jan 5, 2007)

I'm not positive on the "optimum" temperature for breeding but 76F is about as high as you want to keep them in general, I would try something around 74F. 

As for fry I have heard they tend to gather in open water right away, in the upper levels of the tank, whereas the adults tend to hang in the lower levels and try to stay in vegetation. Perhaps this is their way to ensure better survival as the males are known to pursue eggs and/or fry from time to time. 

I am by no means an expert, this is just info I have read from others trying to breed them.

Karen


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## Blacksunshine (Oct 11, 2006)

I have just picked up a trio. I plan on breeding them. *crosses fingers*


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## Hypancistrus (Oct 28, 2004)

Giving this thread a bump. _Aquarium Fish_ magazine ran a full page species profile in the June 2007 issue, which is sure to increase demand for the fish in the states.

In the front of the magazine, they claim the fish is now being farmed:



> *Galaxy Rasbora Update *
> 
> The hot new "galaxy rasbora," which was only discovered in September 2006, has been scientifically described. More closely related to danios than the rasboras, this fish has been classified as a danion. This discovery has lead to a change in its common name, as well, as "galaxy rasbora" doesn't fit a danio. The new common name is "celestial pearl danio"— though they will likely still be known as galaxies for a while until the new name catches on. Their scientific name is _Cestichthys margaritatus_.
> 
> ...


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

Just finished reading a 5+ page story on this fish in the Tropical Fish Hobbyist July 2007 issue. A beautiful picture of the fish is featured on the cover. Good article, written by Mike Hellweg (who is captively breeding them) with some particulars on the current thinking regarding tank settings (per someone who visited the actual site, pH 7.60, Conductivity: 530ms (or whatever that symbol should be), Alk 178.14 ppm, Hardness 260.26 ppm). The new species name as of 2/2007 is Celestichtjys magaritatus ("heavenly fish adorned with pearls"). Common name is Celestial Pearl Danio (or CPD), though the article claims it is not officially classified as a 'Danio', though it does share some characteristics.

Hoping I can find a lfs that can get me some at a reasonable price. Thinking about setting up a new 3g nano, and think these would be great for it!


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## argblarg (Aug 7, 2006)

I picked up the only 8 at an LFS ($5.99 I think) but they all look the same, probably females? Anyone know if they are sexable early or may eventually color up?


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## dufus (Nov 13, 2006)

I like that it got a scientific name, but you CAN"T change a common name, but apparently the taxonimists think otherwise. I still like calling them galaxy rasbos


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## eklikewhoa (Aug 29, 2006)

I bought like 50 of them and from the initial peek the group looked somewhat female heavy so I went out and bout what I saw for sure was males. 

Now I have tons of males that colored up beautifully so there are some that will color up.


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## BSS (Sep 24, 2004)

From what I recall from the article, the males are have brighter reds and the females are more orangish. Not sure when you can tell. Also, the female will eventually display a black splotch down around her anal fin when she's in breeding shape (great photos in the TFH article). The article also stated that you will likely have a dominant male, and if the tank isn't big enough or if it doesn't have enough hiding spots, then you are likely to see a bunch of beat up (if not dead) males.


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## Rubiks_Coop (Oct 1, 2010)

Wow... next time im up in Modesto I need to go to that shop! Sounds pretty awesome! =)


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