apistos

[medge00]

Any one here have apistos? how aggressive are they?

i'd really love to keep some, even if that means getting a new tank... how well would they go with rams? i figure they're more aggressive than rams but i wonder how much so.

for all those who have em, where did you find them? i've never seen a LFS with them, and i don't know which online place i'd want to buy them from...

 

[Fruitbat]

medge00...

Apistogramma dwarf cichlids aren't especially aggressive but they are territorial and, like most other cichlids, will vigorously defend their eggs and fry. In fact, the female usually takes over that job immediately after spawning and will often drive the male away from the eggs as well.

If there isn't sufficient room or enough hiding places in an aquarium then it isn't a good idea to keep more than one pair of Apistrogramma in a tank. Although I don't have any of these little gems now, I used to keep and breed them quite a bit. I had success keeping a single pair in a 5 gal tank with only a Corydoras or two as tankmates. If you plan on keeping more than one pair then I suggest a 20 gallon or larger.

I've seen a few Apistogramma species offered lately in some of my lfs but they are few and far between. Oh....as for the Ram, Microgeophagus ramirezi, it used to be called Apistogramma ramirezi before the splitters got ahold of cichlid classification.

 

[ScottS]

There are some very knowledgable people over at apistogramma.com. I'd highly suggest posting/reading through their forum. Temperment vary with species, but as noted, they get particularly territorial during breeding.

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

Your best bet in obtaining Apistogramma is to check your area for local breeders, fish clubs, etc. I'm a member of both the ACA and the Apistogramma Study Group, and I see listings for breeders all over the country. David Soares is somewhere in the Pacific Northwest (WA, I believe), and he's one of the premiere Apisto guys in the country.

Like Fruitbat said- your rams basically are Apistos. The taxonomists have a field day when it comes to naming/re-naming cichlids, though. The key to keeping dwarf cichlids healthy and happy is providing soft, low-pH, warm, CLEAN water.

If you don't have any luck finding someone- PM me and I'll see if I can track down someone fairly local to you.

 

[medge00]

thanks for the info... i checked out apistogramma.com last night... got some excellent info. I noticed their area code is 916, which is Sacramento area, near where I am right now for Christmas vacation (my tanks are 8 hours away in Santa Barbara with my most responsible roomie feeding and doing water changes in my absence... though i'm still worried for my babies). i'm going to see if I can't get some from them in Sacto on my way back home. I may even decide to have him ship some when I get back, if I can't find a breeder near Santa Barbara. Voodoo, I may hit you up for that info.

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

I'll start digging around and see if I can find any listing for breeders in that area, Medge!

Any certain species you're interested in- or just Apistos in general?

 

[medge00]

mostly just apistos in general... easier to keep/breed ones at first, i suppose like the cacatuiodes (i've heard their easy). I'm actually not really looking to breed as a sole purpose for keeping them, but would likea pair. I think their just beautiful! Thanks Voodoo for your time! I'd love any info you'd have for me. I'm going to keep reading what I can on them.

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

Apistogramma cacatuoides is an excellent first apisto!

Many of the dwarf species are harem breeders which means a male and two females is a much better idea than going with a single pair. The blue rams you've got are one of the few dwarfs that'll pair bond. One of the nice things about cacatuoides is the many color "morphs" they come in. They don't look like much as juveniles, but when they reach sexual maturity- wow! Colors everywhere.

These little guys are great because they aren't real demanding, regarding water parameters. The important thing is to provide a stable pH and keep your water quality high (frequent water changes). Provide an aquarium with some plants and lots of hiding spaces/breeding caves. Temps around 79-82F are ideal. Males grow to about 9cm and females reach 6cm.

I've got a good bit of literature on dwarfs and have had a good bit of luck with keeping them myself- so don't hesitate to ask questions. I'll be glad to help out if I can.

If you don't mind shipping fish, check out David Soares' site: http://apistogrammaidiots.com/. He's one of the best dwarf cichlid breeders in the country and has awesome fish. Last time I looked there, he had a "fish store" link with their available species.

 

[medge00]

thanks for the link! I checked out Soares' sight, but the minium order is $100.00, and while I'd love to start a new tank with $100 in fish, lets just say I don't have the room. Hence, I will continue to look for local-ish breeders. Besides, I don't want to set that up until I get back to Santa Barbara. I'm soooo excited!!