Big Meany!

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Lil'Fishy

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Sep 29, 2004
Messages
42
Location
New Jersey
So my husband decided he wants apostos. About 3 weeks ago we bought a pair (male and female, both very beautiful). The female is nice and peaceful, but the male is a COMPLETE MANIAC. He chases her all the time, and not only that, he goes after the innocent Cory Cats for no apparent reason. One by one they have been missign fins and then dieing. We have lost 3 in about 4 days.

My husband thinks putting in some more male Apistos will solve the problem.... i think it will just lead to more aggression. What can we do to have a peaceful tank? And what fish can we keep with the Apistos?

Thanks!



37 Gal

1 L200 Pleco
1 Clown Pleco
3 Platies
1 Cherry Shrimp
2 Apitos
1 Cory Cat (3 RIP)
 
There are lots of apisto species. Do you know which you have? Although they are cichlids, some are more peaceful than others.

Try providing some cover for the female to hide in. The aggression issue could be as simple as the male is ready to spawn and the female is not. If that's the case, adding more apistos might seem like a declaration of war to your unruly male.
 
I believe they are Apistogramma Cactuoides. The female has found a hiding place to escape to. The male usually chases her into the bottom of a plant, He is still very aggressive towards the other fish, as they are not as swift as she is.

As for spawning..... will the female eventually come around, if the male is ready to spawn? Is there anythign we can do to "help" the situation?

Thanks for your help!
 
Well we want to get more of these species (m&f) in the tank anyway.. so if this one male keeps it up.. it back to the fishy store! hopefully, but i doubt it, he'll calm down..
 
I have 3 females to one male in my tank. If seems to keep him calm. He chases my Corys but they usually get out of the way and he doesn't get violent.

My advice would be to get 2 more females. And feed with frpzen blood worms. That will help condition the female to beeding condition. Once she breeds she will protect her brood and no matter how meek she seems now, she will stand up to the male and he will respect it.

My male seems to have got the hang of fatherhood. He helps protect the area the babies are in. One of my females has so many fry she can't keep them all together in a small herd. I have seen him hover over the area they are and NOT eat them. On one occasion he picked up a bit of foos and 2 babies came with it and he spat them out. He doesn't actually help with the car like Kribs, but he still chases other fish away from the babies. The female also doesn't trust him and keeps him a little distance from the babies.......

Well I have rambled on and written an essay... Condensed version. Feed well and get 2 more females. Don't replace the cory though. The Apistos like the lower part of the tank and in your tank, 4 will take it over completely.
 
Back
Top Bottom