Hello from the Netherlands - Apeldoorn

[Frank Claessen]

Hi

I am Frank and I have been keeping and breeding fish starting at the age of 8. It all started when my father introduced me to the hobby at a young age.
This year I created an amazon biotope. Amongst other species I am keeping A. Baenschi. A really beautiful fish.

I bought them November 2018 when they were about 2 cm. I have one dominant male and female now. In the community tank they had 4 nests - all failed. The moment the fry starts to swim free, they disappear.

I want to learn here as much as possible

 

[ButtNekkid]

Hi Frank, welcome to the best Apisto forum around!
I also have 1+2 A. baenschi (F0) in the quarantine at the moment. They decided to breed in there.

What other fish you have in your community?

 

[Frank Claessen]

Hi Frank, welcome to the best Apisto forum around!
I also have 1+2 A. baenschi (F0) in the quarantine at the moment. They decided to breed in there.

What other fish you have in your community?

Cheirodon Axelrodi
Moenkhausia Pittieri
Nannostomus Beckfordi

The tank is not that huge <68 gallon> so that's it

Are your breeders succesfull?

 

[Tom C]

...The moment the fry starts to swim free, they disappear...

While most Nannostomus usually take none, or very few fry, Nannostomus beckfordi is the only species of the genus known to actively hunt for other species' fry.
Moenkhausia pittieri will for sure hunt for fry.
Paracheirodon axelrodi - Cardinal tetra, could be considered as a specialist on hunting down other species' fry.
Being a blackwater species, they are made for environments very poor on nutrition, which make them extremely opportunistic.

Sometimes, when an Apistogramma female realises that she cannot protect her fry against the predators, she will eat the remaining ones; better to take those valuable proteins for herself, than just give them away to others...

It is very natural that all offspring disappeared.

 

[ButtNekkid]

Cheirodon Axelrodi
Moenkhausia Pittieri
Nannostomus Beckfordi

The tank is not that huge <68 gallon> so that's it

Are your breeders succesfull?

Well, I only have 2 Nannostomus Marginatus (F0) there, so no predation expected. All of the fry from day one are still there.

 

[Frank Claessen]

While most Nannostomus usually take none, or very few fry, Nannostomus beckfordi is the only species of the genus known to actively hunt for other species' fry.
Moenkhausia pittieri will for sure hunt for fry.
Paracheirodon axelrodi - Cardinal tetra, could be considered as a specialist on hunting down other species' fry.
Being a blackwater species, they are made for environments very poor on nutrition, which make them extremely opportunistic.

Sometimes, when an Apistogramma female realises that she cannot protect her fry against the predators, she will eat the remaining ones; better to take those valuable proteins for herself, than just give them away to others...

It is very natural that all offspring disappeared.

Thank you very much Tom. This is exactly why I signed up here. Lesson learned and duly noted. I have been successful with Cichlasoma Salvini in a community tank. If they were not confronted with other fish that preyed on their young they would become aggressive against each other and the outcome of that was a certain death of one of the parents. Apparently that is different with Apistogramma. Is that a general thing or only with specific species? I would really like to know what their stress level is in nature. ... question upon question racing through my head. Again thanks.