I have this fish. Let me tell you my saga....
Best I can tell, mine came in on something (cheato or live rocks) as an egg and hatched. I'm fairly sure it's a male rainwater killi because of the strong red, orange, yellow, and black coloration. It's supposed to live for a year. 15 months later he is still going strong.
He was so cute and charming at first. That lasted about two months. Then he evolved into the spawn of Satan.
As a youngster he started hanging out with the blue/green chromis gang I had. Then he apparently decided he was actually the alpha chromis and needed to bump off everyone else in the gang. He was very successful in this effort.
As a baby with the chromis and clowns.
When I caught on to what was going on in around May 2022, I was able to catch the killi. He was in my isolation tank solo for MONTHS. Two chromis are left in the DT at this point. But he was a model citizen during a month-long observation period with a fang blenny and a blackcap basslet. So I figured he was safe to go back into the DT.
BIG mistake. He immediately started terrorizing the chromis, bullying one to death. Tried to catch the killi for a week. Impossible. It's fast and smart and now it knows what's a trap and avoided it like the plague. And while I have no proof of his guilt, three shrimp mysteriously disappeared during this same time period. I finally just removed the last chromis standing (or swimming???) to the iso tank. This is early October 2022.
In December I got a pavo damsel from Biota who the chromis seemed to like hanging with in iso. I thought it could be the two of them against the killi. The damsel is super bold -- a perfect dither fish. And it had been like three months after the last killi terror attack. That would work, right?
Wrong. Pop both the damsel and chromis into the DT with lights out. It took approximately a minute (tank dark) for the killi to start chasing the chromis, who then laid down on the sand in the corner wedged by a rock totally stressed. Chromis goes back in the iso tank where it's been since early January.
The killi then tried to terrorize the damsel, but fortunately the damsel is having none of it. It's actually kind of funny. Damsel chills with everyone else but goes on the offensive with the killi. BECAUSE THE KILLI IS A TURD.
The turd today.
The weird thing is that the killi ONLY chases fish shaped like damsels and chromis. Everyone else is left alone, even fish that are closer in color, size, or shape.
At this point I'm hoping for one of three things: 1. the cat goes fishing and catches the killi 2. the damsel eliminates the problem or 3. the killi will just die because it's already basically 150 years old in killifish years.
But I fear I'm going to end up with the longest-lived killifish on record.
And if I had it to do over? Killi in iso tank or fuge but not in DT.
I do have algae a plenty for it.
