Breeding Apistogramma borellii (Update #1)

[mematrix]

Howdy all. I recently aquired some A. borellii they exceeded all expectations. By spawning 2 weeks after getting them (7 times). Though I have had a lot of set backs most have not reached freeswimming stage. 2 of them reached freeswimming total of 8 between the 2 which did not survive either. So this last spawn I decided to do an artifical hathcing method I used for my rams. Out of 100 plus eggs ther is about 85-95% survival 3rd week into experiment. They are about 3-4 cm long and I feed them microworms live/frozen BBS and smallfry powdered food. I plan to move them to bigger digs mid week. after getting some more growout tanks set up.
Sincerely Curtis

[Billsgate]

Please, tell me all about your method of 'artificial' hatching? I'm about to do the same thing with my keyhole cichlids and want to have a good survival rate!

What did you do?

[acronym:dc2a4514e9="By the way"]BTW[/acronym:dc2a4514e9], Congrats with the babies!!!!!!!!

[mematrix]

Originally Posted by Billsgate

Please, tell me all about your method of 'artificial' hatching? I'm about to do the same thing with my keyhole cichlids and want to have a good survival rate!

What did you do?

[acronym:0bacb6c872="By the way"]BTW[/acronym:0bacb6c872], Congrats with the babies!!!!!!!!

Hi Thomas. I will be glad to help I used a couple of web articles. They were very informative and both articles are same principle. Jut a little different. Here they are I used the first one mainly because I found the second one about a week ago and it has pics but is still the same basically.
http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/prof...mbreeding.html
http://www.gcca.net/howto/hatch_substrate_spawners.htm

All I did was follow the sugestions except I used distilled water instead of [acronym:0bacb6c872="Reverse osmosis"]RO[/acronym:0bacb6c872] because I didn't have any at time of spawning for both my rams (2 spawns) and my A.borelliis. When you see them spawn wait about 1-2 or if you want a day. Then take the eggs rock/pot/leaf and all put in the (1qt) jar of distilled/[acronym:0bacb6c872="Reverse osmosis"]RO[/acronym:0bacb6c872] water which has been in parent tank hanging or sitting on something so top of jar is above water line and is at tank temp. Add anti fungal I use 3% hydrogen peroxcide (12 drops per [acronym:0bacb6c872="quarantine or quart depending on context"]qt[/acronym:0bacb6c872] per 12 hrs) it converts to inert water and don't stain water or clothes [acronym:0bacb6c872="Laughing out loud"]LOL[/acronym:0bacb6c872]. Add aration and wait not sure of incubation time for key holes probly 48hrs 82 deg F freeswimming probly 72 hr after Leav the fry in jar alows you to keep food in close proximity just have to watch and change water but 50% 1 [acronym:0bacb6c872="quarantine or quart depending on context"]qt[/acronym:0bacb6c872] water change much easyer than whole tank do it offen for about 1-2 week then trans fer to larger digs. Oh you can discontinue fungal stuff after hatched your choice. This Is all explained In the links Hope this helps Good Luck Thomas

Sincerly Curtis

[Billsgate]

Thank you very much for those links!!!

My keyholes spawned some hours after I wrote the previous message. I will do all that is mentioned in the article, except I will have to transfer them to a 10g tank immediatly, no rubbermaid container or anything. I will be using all water from main tank, so parameters are the same!
Hope this works, and if not, I'll do it exactly as the article says I should

Thanks for your help, and congrats again on the spawns!

[mematrix]

Congrats On spawn. The 10gal should work My girlfriend is doing it that way with a half ten looks like a 5gal long same footprint as ten [acronym:dd93887825="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:dd93887825] just 5 [acronym:dd93887825="Gallon"]gal[/acronym:dd93887825] she has freeswimming blue ram fry just became freeswimming might want to put a already colonized sponge filter in tank Instead of just airation. Good luck Thomas

sincerely Curtis
PS Any Good Apisto supliers over there that ship to states pardon my spelling
Curtis

[mematrix]

Hi All. I thought I would post an update on my A.borellii. They are about 1 cm long about 95% still kickin. Getting bigger by the day also getting juvie color. I have finally got my 4 35gal tanks decalcified so I can I can transfer them to larger qtrs. I will be needing to soon as I have another borellii and 2 german blue ram spawns (frm parents and their kids) also. So I have about between 4 diferent spawns from 1wk to 4wks old to house. I also had a pr of A.cruzi spawn but were only 6 viable eggs and they didn't survive to freeswimming after hatching. So In about 6-7 mths I should have some sexable rams and borellii to move. [acronym:a535a406f5="Laughing out loud"]LOL[/acronym:a535a406f5]

Sincerely Curtis

[mattrox]

Wow. Congratulations. It cerainly sounds like a success!

[gheitman]

Great job mematrix. I had looked at getting some Apistogramma borellii but my fish store appeared to only have males and I prefer to get both sexes.