Apistogramma care/info

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Samzter

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Hi everyone! I am getting a pair (possibly trio) of apistogramma agassizi for my 30g. I would like to know any info possible on them :) obviously I would do my own research too but I need to know what they like, foods, breeding conditions. I have £150 which I can potentially use to pimp out the tank... So any info would be great! Thanks
 
Hi everyone! I am getting a pair (possibly trio) of apistogramma agassizi for my 30g. I would like to know any info possible on them :) obviously I would do my own research too but I need to know what they like, foods, breeding conditions. I have £150 which I can potentially use to pimp out the tank... So any info would be great! Thanks

Apistos are great fish and one of my favorites. They will accept pretty much any food you give them. I feed mine nls Cichlid pellets and cobalts flakes. They are cave spawners so you are going to want rocking caves I used a slate like rock to create piles. Driftwood and plants won't hurt either.
 
I have around six amano shrimp but will they be eaten? And how many apisto's do you reccomend?
 
Species Profile: Apistogramma Agassizii

Agassizi Dwarf Cichlid,*Apistogramma agassizii*Species Profile, Agassizi Dwarf Cichlid Care Instructions, Agassizi Dwarf Cichlid Feeding and more.**::**Aquarium Domain.com

here are a few good articles on the appisto. i would not recommend this fish if you are new to aquariums or if your tank has not been established for at least 6-9 months to avoid problems with your water chemistry. it's better to wait until you have the ideal enviornment to try to keep these fish. they can be quite sensitive to their surroundings so it is important to have the best conditions possible for them to thrive. i do water changes (10-15%) every third day. i clean gravel 1-2 times a week. clean, fresh water will save many headaches in the future. i have had several appistos and other dwarf cichlids and all of mine ate shrimp. you might have to remove them if you wish to keep them alive. good luck. :)
 
Species Profile: Apistogramma Agassizii

Agassizi Dwarf Cichlid,*Apistogramma agassizii*Species Profile, Agassizi Dwarf Cichlid Care Instructions, Agassizi Dwarf Cichlid Feeding and more.**::**Aquarium Domain.com

here are a few good articles on the appisto. i would not recommend this fish if you are new to aquariums or if your tank has not been established for at least 6-9 months to avoid problems with your water chemistry. it's better to wait until you have the ideal enviornment to try to keep these fish. they can be quite sensitive to their surroundings so it is important to have the best conditions possible for them to thrive. i do water changes (10-15%) every third day. i clean gravel 1-2 times a week. clean, fresh water will save many headaches in the future. i have had several appistos and other dwarf cichlids and all of mine ate shrimp. you might have to remove them if you wish to keep them alive. good luck. :)

Don't worry :) I'm not new, had this tank for a year and a half... These fish will be arriving in a few weeks and my water parameters ought to be fine. For pH I was going to use almond leaves? Would that lower enough to 6.4?
 
i never used almond leaves. i use r.o. water and add seachem fresh trace which adds back the good nutrients that are removed when you use r.o. water. works very well and keeps my ph at about 6.5. there is argument about whether you really need to keep the ph that low for cichlids that are aquarium bred since they usually are kept in water that has a higher ph then the water that what wild caught cichlids come from. you can inquire to find out if they are wild caught or captive bred. what is your ph level now? if you want to adjust and lower ph i think you should start now. whatever you do don't add any chemical adjusters as these will lower the ph initially, but when the chemical wears off ph can fluctuate dramatically and cause great stress to your fish or even kill them. do you already have the almond leaves? how quickly will they lower the ph? possibly a combination of removing water from your aquarium, adding ro water to lower to the desired ph and then adding the almond leaves to help keep the ph steady. it's important to do a chemical ph test almost everyday to make sure your ph stays at the desired levels.
here's a few pics of my cichlids.
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36993-albums8563-picture44462.jpg

36993-albums8563-picture44457.jpg
 
They wouldn't spawn in a pH of 7.8 though? See that's why I was thinking of getting almond extract or leaves and adding lots of plants to recreate their natural habitat. Was think 2-3f to a male? They are so rare here they would be very precious.
 
i never used almond leaves. i use r.o. water and add seachem fresh trace which adds back the good nutrients that are removed when you use r.o. water. works very well and keeps my ph at about 6.5. there is argument about whether you really need to keep the ph that low for cichlids that are aquarium bred since they usually are kept in water that has a higher ph then the water that what wild caught cichlids come from. you can inquire to find out if they are wild caught or captive bred. what is your ph level now? if you want to adjust and lower ph i think you should start now. whatever you do don't add any chemical adjusters as these will lower the ph initially, but when the chemical wears off ph can fluctuate dramatically and cause great stress to your fish or even kill them. do you already have the almond leaves? how quickly will they lower the ph? possibly a combination of removing water from your aquarium, adding ro water to lower to the desired ph and then adding the almond leaves to help keep the ph steady. it's important to do a chemical ph test almost everyday to make sure your ph stays at the desired levels.
here's a few pics of my cichlids.

They're truly stunning. I'm only 14 so my parents probably won't let me have an R.O system. Almond leaves are basically the only things :) not sure how long it takes to work but I will order them now and begin :)
 
Yea if you ph is closer to 7 you will be fine you may want to drop it from 7.8. Peat or almond leaves will work. Apistos are great good luck with them. And I would do two trios in that tank. 2m4f
 
Wow thanks! You're a great help! I've just brought almond extract which should last for a year! Mind if I update this often? Would like to keep some sort of log of their journey!
 
Only problem is... I have cherry barbs which I don't want? And there isn't anyone who would actually want them. I don't want a overstocked tank... Any options?
 
I've just read your thread on your dwarf cichlids! Seems you have a lot of experience! What plants do you suggest? Okay, so 4f 2m is a good number? Just wondering...
 
I'm not big on plants. I kept myrio and cambomba before but i yank that project. Java moss is the only living plant I have now. Some amazon swords would be a good addition IMO
 
Cardinals and rummies are already in the tank. Along with 2 BNP. Also have 2 cores but would like to add to that if I have room? They once had a breeding group but they died out over time and I forgot to replace them
 
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