My Apistogramma Agazzi Red Tails

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LindaC

Aquarium Advice Freak
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Messages
355
Location
Massachusetts
I have a pair of Apisto Red Tails in my 10 gallon tank. The male is approx. 10 months old or a bit older, I purchased him as a juvenille 10 months ago along with a female but this past summer I lost the female. I recently got another female who is a little younger but not much but she is a lot smaller, as he's a really big boy.

She is very shy and always hiding, she also seems to be afraid of the male, as he tried to get close to her and she runs away and he ends up chasing her. She pretty much hides all the time, even when I'm trying to feed her. I'm not even sure if she's eating!

I'm wondering if I added a couple of other small fish to the tank if that would give her a little more courage. I know it would add more activity to the tank. I was thinking of a coulple of neon tetras or maybe some pristella tetras. Anyone have any advice on this? Do you think it's a good idea and if so, what type of fish would be good?

Thank you!
Linda
 
She's not liking all the attention; another female or two would help. As far as other fish, you need to pick ones that do not require much swimming room. Neons or white clouds may work, but I think the male simply has tunnel vision when it comes to the female.
 
Yeah, most Apistogramma are harem brooders......instead of pairing up with one female like rams and angels, most Apisto males like to have several girls to 'visit'. LOL I have 3 A. cacatuoides females for my one male.....you've never seen a happier fish. ;)

I'll bet the problem would resolve if you add a few more females.
 
The biggest thing is to make sure she's got lots of places to hide. My male harassed my female (cacatoides) for about a month before they finally spawned. He'd do his thing and she'd run off and hide.

Is a 10g room enough for a harem? A 20L should be since you can make two separate breeding areas, but would there be problems in a 10g if he chose one of the females?
 
Yep, a 10 gallon is large enough for a trio, assuming you stay on top of your water changes (you can't get lazy with apistos). Adding another female will be your best bet, along with making sure there's plenty of hidey places for the females to escape the male's attention.
 
Thank you all, you've been very helpful. The only problem is trying to find an older female to add to the tank. I usually only see pairs for sale on Aquabid and the LFS near me does not carry apistos. It's too bad, I would love to add another female to my 10 gallon.
 
The apistos that I got on aquabid were far from mature anways. LFS or Local breeders are really your only chance at getting a mature one. For the time being though additional hiding places, or just making sure that she's escaping now, would help.
 
Sometimes, you can contact the breeder on Aquabid and let them know what your situation is. They are usually more than happy to send you the sex of the fish you need, it's just that more people bid on pairs than anything else. This worked for me. I just emailed the seller with the question about getting 2 or 3 of a particular sex instead of a pair and they were more than happy to help. Give it a shot.
 
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