Normal behavior for an apisto?

[Aqua315]

I just got an apistogramma pandura two days ago. I've never had apistos before so I'm not sure how they normally act. For the first day he was just sort of hiding in the corner. I have some small flowerpots sitting on their sides in my tank and now he seems to have claimed one as his own. He's been staying in there practically all the time now and chases off any other fish that get close. He's even pushed out a few pieces of gravel. To make himself more comfortable maybe? He seems perfectly healthy otherwise. I've never had my other fish stay in a pot for that long. Is this normal apisto behavior?

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Very much a healthy behavior. Apistos are cave spawners and he is just claiming territory. If you see him hovering around the top of the tank, then you have a problem. Most people do not realize that Apistos actually stay at the bottom of the tank all the time. Good luck!

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Forgot to ask; do you have females with the male? Apistos tend to do better with a 1 to 2 or 3 male female ratio. Also, do not have any other apisto males in there as there will be most certainly a fight. How big is the tank?

 

[Aqua315]

I only have the one apisto and I'm not sure if it's male or female. My tank size and other fish are in my sig.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

I only have the one apisto and I'm not sure if it's male or female. My tank size and other fish are in my sig.

Sorry I'm on the iPhone app, so the sigs don't show up

The easiest way to tell a male Apisto from a female is the tail. Since it is old enough to know to claim some territory, I'm thinking it is old enough to sex. Look and see if it has a lyre tail. That is the top and bottom ends stick out creating a "c." That and males tend to be prettier

 

[Aqua315]

Sry I have a 28g bowfront stocked with 6 neon tetras, 4 albino cherry barbs, 2 gold barbs, 2 german blue rams, 1 oto, and 1 apisto panduro. I can't tell if it's a male or female because I don't think this species has a lyre tail. It looks like this:

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Sry I have a 28g bowfront stocked with 6 neon tetras, 4 albino cherry barbs, 2 gold barbs, 2 german blue rams, 1 oto, and 1 apisto panduro. I can't tell if it's a male or female because I don't think this species has a lyre tail. It looks like this:

Gotcha gotcha. Do you see a black line or a black spot on the side of your fish?

 

[Aqua315]

There is a faint black line through the eye just like in the pic

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

There is a faint black line through the eye just like in the pic

But no spot on the body?

 

[Aqua315]

there is a faint black spot in the center of the tail but not on the body. After looking at some online pics I'm pretty sure mine's a male.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

there is a faint black spot in the center of the tail but not on the body. After looking at some online pics I'm pretty sure mine's a male.

Yeah, if you don't see the black spot on the body you most likely have a male.