Apisto Breeding Journal

[JDogg]

this will be my first attempt an intentionally trying to get any fish to breed, so i though i would journal it...

Species: Apistogramma hongsloi

i will be picking up a pair (i know most apistos prefer a hareem, but 1m and 1 female is all she has) from a local breeder. she has not breed them yet, but received them at an auction she wanted to get ride of them so i decided to take them (FREE FISH!!!!)

i will be re-arranging my ten gallon that currently houses a Apistogramma sp. Steel-Blue" (he will move to my 75 gallon) and 4 Zebra Danios (they will move to 26 gallon asian community).

the tank is planted, Eco-Compleat Substrate, with DIY CO2, one piece of driftwood, and a small terra cotta pot "cave".



current water params...
Ammonia/nitrite = 0
Nitrate = 20 ppm
Phosphate = 2 ppm
PH = 8.0
KH = 13 degrees
GH = 21 degrees

after acclimation i plan to slowly add RO water (thinking 1 gallon of RO week 1, 2 gallons week 2..so on) on PWC days... or should i go in smaller increments?

i am also thinking of adding peat to the filter...

[Zagz]

Can't advise you on the RO water additions. But very cool to keep a journal for the breeding. I'll check in and see how you are making out. Good luck!

[JDogg]

Originally Posted by Zagz

Can't advise you on the RO water additions. But very cool to keep a journal for the breeding. I'll check in and see how you are making out. Good luck!

thanks anyways i guess i can ask the breeder about the RO when i pick up the fish... TOMORROW i am very excited!

today my thoughts are on foods to condition them...

Any suggestions on a diet to bring out the "mood for love" in them?

i was thinking of using frozen Brine shrimp and Bloodworms as well as New Life Spectrum Brand food.

i like the results i am getting in my malawi cichlids using NLS Cichlid Formula and i rotate in NLS community in to my feeding regiment of my 75 gallon. is there a better NLS formula to help induce apistos to spawn...(other then Community formula) or is there a better food all together?

thoughts?

Thanks

[bs6749]

I use NLS cichlid formula for my GBR's and the danios, and glo-light tetras eat it as well. I feed my GBR's live blackworms to try and induce spawning and it seems to work. Water changes also seem to have a positive effect on them.

I am curious as to why your pH is 8.0 if you have DIY CO2 injection, which should lower it quite a bit. I would start off with half RO and half of the current tank water to get the pH down to about 7.5. That way any partial addition of RO will not be that substantial of a change in the pH. You will want a slightly lower pH not only because the fish would like that but because it inhibits the growth of fungus which will destroy the eggs. With the parents fanning it may not be a big problem but my thought is to give the eggs the best chance possible.

[JDogg]

Originally Posted by bs6749

I use NLS cichlid formula for my GBR's and the danios, and glo-light tetras eat it as well. I feed my GBR's live blackworms to try and induce spawning and it seems to work. Water changes also seem to have a positive effect on them.

I am curious as to why your pH is 8.0 if you have DIY CO2 injection,

water out of the tap is 8.0... i have only been running the DIY about a week now and to be honest i have not checked the ph yet...

which should lower it quite a bit. I would start off with half RO and half of the current tank water to get the pH down to about 7.5.

so after i remove the current inhabitants do a pwc with and add back 5 gallons of RO? i can do that that is so simple any extra acclimation advice since the fish will be coming to to from water with 8.0 ph (no CO2 in that tank)

That way any partial addition of RO will not be that substantial of a change in the pH. You will want a slightly lower pH not only because the fish would like that but because it inhibits the growth of fungus which will destroy the eggs. With the parents fanning it may not be a big problem but my thought is to give the eggs the best chance possible.

thanks

[Zagz]

Frozen bloodworms always seem to help my fish get in the breeding mood LOL. Don't know why but they do. I use both NLS community formula and cichlid formula. IMO it is a great food. All my fish's coloring has come out like crazy and I can't get the cichlids to quit spawning. I've even removed the females yellows from the tank to give them a break. They were holding every two months and I was concerned that they didn't have enough time in between to rest and recuperate, not to mention eat!

[bs6749]

If you haven't tested the pH yet and assuming it is working it may actually be around 7.5 anyway.

I would not take the fish out of the tank when you do PWC's because it would be more stress. As for acclimating I would do it over a period of half an hour or so if you are really worried about it. I doubt that it will make a big impact on the fish.

If you don't want to do 5 gallons all at once, do 2.5 the first day and 2.5 two days later. That would be another way to gradualy lower the pH. This may help them to acclimate as well.

[JDogg]

Originally Posted by bs6749

If you haven't tested the pH yet and assuming it is working it may actually be around 7.5 anyway.

I would not take the fish out of the tank when you do PWC's

i removed the Apisto "steel-blue" and put him in my 75 gallon... and put the 4 zebra Danios in my 26 gallon. i did not remove them for the pwc and put them back in LOL

because it would be more stress. As for acclimating I would do it over a period of half an hour or so if you are really worried about it. I doubt that it will make a big impact on the fish.

If you don't want to do 5 gallons all at once, do 2.5 the first day and 2.5 two days later. That would be another way to gradually lower the pH. This may help them to acclimate as well.

i already did the pwc last night with bottled RO from the grocery store (the re-fill able bottles I think should be economical for a 10 gallon ) water was cold so I wanted to adjust to temp over night for the fish to be added today. i apparently did not drain out quite 5 gallons of water as i was only able to squeeze 4.8 gallon of RO back into the tank I can not see how 0.2 gallon should make much of a difference though... will post NEW tank parms later


Update
PH= 7.2
KH= 7 degrees
Better keep any eye on this might need a better diffusion method
GH= 11 degrees
Those are what you would expect when my tap water was mix 50/50 with RO water no surprises there…

Nitrate= 10-15 ppm (fine for the fish a little low for he plants according to dosing calculations I should have 20 ppm, perhaps the plants used 5 ppm in 5 hours of light )
Nitrite= 0 ppm
Ammonia= 0 ppm

I know you are want pictures…well you are going to have to wait…the fish are currently acclimating LOL

EDIT #2Ok they are not really wanting to cooperate much...but here are a couple pictures...

Female


Male

[Zagz]

They look great! Good colors and very healthy looking.

[rich311k]

Nice looking fish.