Hi fish people. I have a pair of apistos and like to know how easy or hard it is to breed them. Id like to start breeding apistos, i like my pair alot and would love to see them breed. If i can get this rite ill try and start to breed different kinds of apistos.
If you get it right to breed them, I shotgun the babies It is very dependant on the species of apistos, because some will only spawn in soft acidic water, but some will spawn just randomly. I think the basics will be to provide them with good food, good water and keep everything consistent and stable. Don't do large WC, rather do smaller but more regular WC. They need hiding spots, or caves where they make their "nest" . So add some half coconut shells, or clay flower pots. They generally like a dimly lit tank, with lots of leaves, but again they will adapt to what they have. Do you have lots of fish with your apistos? Good luck with the breeding and I'll be holding thumbs for you
Got hold of two small bonsai pots i had cleaned it up and made caves out of it and immediately they occupied the caves. I must start to get the water parameters correct. I have 2 pygmy gourami and 4 litle tetras an some shrimp. what tipe of leaves do one use.? @Chongkie
I got two pairs in a 90cm tank.. would love to put them in a dedicated tank.. Hope you get to breed them.
@Adrian , I see that you down in the Cape. Your water should be quite soft down there, so should be perfect. Try not to alter the water parameters too much, if you do, do it slow. The recommended will be Indian Almond Leaves (T.Catappa), which i think both Luis and Prof sells. I do think that the Gouramis might chow the fry, so best to keep the apistos in a dedicated tank. You could try though, and see how protective the apistos become, they might f up the other fish though. hehe
At the last get together Prof mentioned that our water are shoft. Just my pH are very high though at 7 at the moment. Also when i tested my tap water it was at 10 so i would just mess up my pH if im going to use tap water for water changes. Can i use RO water for water changes?
RO water wont drop your pH, it just has a very low TDS, plus a pH of 7 isn't high, let alone very high. Use tap water, but add dechlor and let is aerate for 24-48 hours and test pH again (before adding to tank)...it should have dropped. A very low pH is important to breed wild caught fish, but with tank breds, the are used to higher pH, MOST important is to keep your water parameters stable. Too many fluctuations will not only hinder their breeding, but might kill them as well. A few other things to remember: If you use too much RO water, your water wont have any buffering...which might bring a pH crash. Also, the softer the water, the less accurate pH pens are
@JAX i haven't used RO water before just some articles i read about breeding apistos. I also saw that the correct diet can lead to better chances of breeding?
Remember...EVERYONE on the net is an "expert" There's no set rules when it comes to breeding, what works for me wont necessarily work for you. Same with planted tanks...some people can grow a certain plant, where some can not...regardless of CO2 levels, light, substrate, ferts, etc... Breeding is more about "trial-and-error" than anything else. Find what works for YOU and go from there...sure some guidelines will be helpful, but nothing is set in stone
If you have soft water already, no need to use RO. as Jax has mentioned, RO just softens, and if you already have soft water, and not much buffer, you might get a pH crash. I think best if @Dirk B , explains it. Regarding the feeding, you should feed good food and a good mix of food. i.e. a mix of quality dried foods, frozen and live foods. I dont think there is a set 100% guaranteed diet that will make sure they breed. Also, just let things happen, dont rush it, etc. When the time is right, they will breed.
I got cattapa leaves, lots of them, and I use one in the tank every two weeks. The ottos, ancistrus and the apistos love it.
Il will let you know when im coming to capetown area normally Fridays. But mabe ill have a chance on Wednesday wen im coming to see my builder in pinelands.
