This fish, like any other form of life, deserve all our respect and attention. So we must assure before acquiring or trading peats if we are able to keep the species properly. The first thing would be to find the desirable literature needed to evacuate any possible doubt.
It is primarily indispensable to check the maximum and minimum temperatures indicated for them. You must foind if the place where you keep fish has the desirable range to host them. Then, we should move to the nutrition facts, as many species are very demanding regarding to this. Consequently, it is important to establish a source to obtain their diet as long as we keep doing the negotiations to get them.
When receiving the peats we must have them checked to verify good conditions. Eggs should be visible and damaged ones retired. Humidity of peats is much important, and should be recomposed if lost. Incubating temperature should be controlled, avoiding extremes.
After the incubation period has finished, according to the collecting date labeled on each bag, a last checking must be done to assure developing has finished and eggs are ready to hatch. Once this has been verified, peats should be placed in small aquariums (about ½ to one gallon) and covered with rain or deionized water to a depth of an inch over. From that point and generally in a couple of hours we will be able to see the first fries swimming around normally. This is the time to start feeding them. For the first days I strongly recommend micro worms, since instead of baby Brine Shrimp, they last longer and start later to decompose if not consumed. After that baby brine shrimp can be slowly incorporated and given as much as 3 to 5 times a day.
From the 5th day ahead it is advisable to split the fries from the peat and dry it again. The idea is to preserve it for 20 or 30 more days and then try to wet it again in order to obtain more fries.
Time to start conditioning the fries aquarium, placing a slow air hose and filling gradually the total volume of the recipient. Using little snails to get rid of the wastes and delaying the degradation of water condition is advisable too.
Specifically talking about Megalebias, a quick development will be observed, being able from 10th day and ahead to feed on Daphnia, Gammarus, and also little Austrolebias fries.
We should realize, then, that after a short period they should be accommodated in big tanks, plenty of aquatic plants that help to create hiding places and keep them from hurting each other as they get very aggressive, which can make us loose many individuals even eaten by their own companions. A good measure would be to split them by size if developing is not equal, allowing the most delayed ones to survive.
On the other hand, in Austrolebias the developing happens to be slow at least from birth to the first month, getting faster later.
After this period, we will be able to tell sexes and start choosing our mating groups. The remaining fish, if we have been lucky enough to grow enough fries, can be given or traded with other fanciers.
Adult fish alimentation can be solved with processed beefheart, but live foods should be mixed: Daphnia, Tubifex, Gammarus, adult brine shrimp, other fish’s fries, etc.
Megalebias accept earthworms, tadpoles or any fish that can fit in their mouth.