Blue Gularis "Loe" (Aphyosemion sjoestedti Loe)

Male is maturing nicely!

I am very excited to have obtained a pair of Blue Gularis "Loe" from a well-respected local breeder here in the Bay Area. Bill Gallagher was incredibly patient when I asked him numerous questions on the husbandry of Blue Gularis!

Apparently the "Loe" population of Blue Gularis did not enter the hobby until many years after the introduction of the "blue" forms of the sjoestedti, which primarily originate from Nigeria and the Niger Delta. The "Loe" population is far removed in Cameroon, where collection was extremely difficult.

Young male

Young female

I was initially drawn to the Blue Gularis because of their large size and absolutely gorgeous coloration. Also the fact that their ferocious appetites and aggressive nature could serve me as a reasonably sized culling machine. I currently have my pair in a planted 16 gallon tank with a small school of feeder guppies, which needs to be replenished fairly frequently. They are growing very fast and I cannot wait to attempt spawning them in the near future!

I hope to have success in breeding and rearing the fry of this magnificent species. Stay tuned for updates!

Continue to grow!

They are now eating frozen krill and bloodworms with relish. The female was a bit hard to get a picture of, but the male glows with any kind of flash. They have been a lot friendlier since they have started to accept frozen/thawed. I estimate the male to be close to 4 inches in the body, the female a little smaller. They are very peaceful with one another.

Update March 2014: Upon my return from Germany, I've decided to ramp up my show betta breeding and drop this project. I'm very sad, because they are such a large and beautiful pair now. The male is really friendly and almost eats from my syringe. I will be trading this pair with a killifish breeder in Wisconsin that specializes in large killifish, and I am sure that he will breed them and help spread them in the hobby. In exchange, I will get a young male Niger Delta to be a beautiful cullinator - hopefully he becomes as friendly as my Loe male. They are just way too aggressive to keep with other fish!!

Update May 19: My babies just left for their new home. I hope that they spawn well and this beautiful species can be given to many killifish keepers around the US. I am sure that Jim K. will spread them through both the AKA conventions and via Aquabid. I miss them so much already!