Help with apistos

[FabianUlSua]

I've been trying to breed cacatuoides and agassizii apistos for a while now... both did the same thing on me, when they got here after one month of good feeding they started spawning, spawned around 5 times both of them but they always eat the eggs.
Now the females lost the yellow and haven't spawned for 4 months, they look stressed and barely eat, unless is frozen but are still living good.
I just don't understand why all 3 of my pairs on different tanks all did the same thing.
When they used to lay eggs I always watched a LOT of snails around and over the eggs but idk if they can eat them...
The set ups are 20 longs with multiple caves, leaf litter and low light, they get a good diet (frozen, live and pellets) and the water is 7.2ph, 70-90ppm I just don't get it... it's frustrating watching even my wild corydoras spawning but no luck with apistos.

 

[ARK93]

What other fish are in the tanks? Corydoras are likely to eat the eggs, I used to keep a rough Rio Meta themed tank and watched my Corys barge their way into the female macmasteri's cave on several occasions, no amount of pecking and charging on her part kept them out. I honestly feel Apistos do best without any other bottom dwelling species in the tank.

 

[FabianUlSua]

What other fish are in the tanks? Corydoras are likely to eat the eggs, I used to keep a rough Rio Meta themed tank and watched my Corys barge their way into the female macmasteri's cave on several occasions, no amount of pecking and charging on her part kept them out. I honestly feel Apistos do best without any other bottom dwelling species in the tank.

Species only tank, it's the pair and some dither fish (pencilfish and male endlers) and that applies for all of my apisto tanks, they also get leaf litter and drift wood with multiple caves

 

[MacZ]

Can you post pictures of the tanks? Often times factors slip through that can be obvious when just looking at the tank.

Also, what's your maintenance routine?

 

[FabianUlSua]

Can you post pictures of the tanks? Often times factors slip through that can be obvious when just looking at the tank.

Also, what's your maintenance routine?

When I get home I'll take some pictures, I do two 30-50% WC a week, feeding two times a day, I do that to all my fishroom and every other type of fish I own is thriving and breeding

 

[FabianUlSua]

Can you post pictures of the tanks? Often times factors slip through that can be obvious when just looking at the tank.

Also, what's your maintenance routine?

 

[FabianUlSua]

Those are the current setups, all my females are acting the same... shy, don't accept foods to well and simply won't get in the mood.
Maybe sand subtrate? Or less light?

 

[MacZ]

Maybe sand subtrate? Or less light?

Both might help.

But to be frank: All three tanks look barren and barely structured to a degree, especially the A. agassizii tank has even less cover than a standard sales tank.

I would think about restructuring and sand substrate.

 

[FabianUlSua]

Both might help.

But to be frank: All three tanks look barren and barely structured to a degree, especially the A. agassizii tank has even less cover than a standard sales tank.

I would think about restructuring and sand substrate.

Ty very much for the help, so adding more plants, caves and sand would help?
Funny thing is the guy who breeds them keeps them in a bare bottom, 2 caves and hard water tanks, yet they all breed for him.

 

[Mike Wise]

It can also be due to location. Busy locations and tanks at lower levels seem to keep fish in hiding.

 

[FabianUlSua]

It can also be due to location. Busy locations and tanks at lower levels seem to keep fish in hiding.

Hey Mike!
It's a dedicated fishroom, I'm currently breeding a ton of different Cories and some tetras/pencilfish/rams.
I thought about that, since is a fish I love and really want to breed I've been checking on them a lot... I'm probably stressing them out doing that...
I'm so frustrated at this point lol

 

[MacZ]

Ty very much for the help, so adding more plants, caves and sand would help?

Driftwood and leaf litter instead of caves, but yes.

Funny thing is the guy who breeds them keeps them in a bare bottom, 2 caves and hard water tanks, yet they all breed for him.

Doesn't mean anything. Every tank is different. What works for one doesn'thave to work for another. I'm going by what I know works, that's the opposite of what that guy has. Sounds to me like a multiplier, not a breeder.

 

[FabianUlSua]

Driftwood and leaf litter instead of caves, but yes.

Doesn't mean anything. Every tank is different. What works for one doesn'thave to work for another. I'm going by what I know works, that's the opposite of what that guy has. Sounds to me like a multiplier, not a breeder.

I know that, most corydora breeders for example use barebottom tanks aswell... I use planted tanks full off moss for them because it's what I think they will be happy with, same with the apistos, I want to make them happy! The agassizzi display is lacking indeed, but I just added more caves and plants,currently looking for leafs. The other setups I had nannacaras anomala breeding before adding the cacatuoides so I thought it would of work for them aswell

 

[Ben Rhau]

Funny thing is the guy who breeds them keeps them in a bare bottom, 2 caves and hard water tanks, yet they all breed for him.

It could be that the pairs/trios he has are in sync as to when they want to breed. If that's the case, it's nice for the tank to be pretty clear so you can see what's going on. But you need to be able to pull a fish if they're not behaving.

IME, problems arise when the male wants to breed and the femaie isn't ready. He then keeps trying to chase her out of the tank. I had this problem in quarantine, which is barebottom but has tons of PVC pipe at the bottom. There's hiding spots, but no breaks in line of sight. I put a divider in that tank, and then the female turned yellow almost immediately. When I moved them over to the larger breeding tank, where there is much more structure, it wasn't a problem at all.

I would recommend building clear territories where you can't see from one to the other if you're in the bottom third of the tank.

 

[FabianUlSua]

It could be that the pairs/trios he has are in sync as to when they want to breed. If that's the case, it's nice for the tank to be pretty clear so you can see what's going on. But you need to be able to pull a fish if they're not behaving.

IME, problems arise when the male wants to breed and the femaie isn't ready. He then keeps trying to chase her out of the tank. I had this problem in quarantine, which is barebottom but has tons of PVC pipe at the bottom. There's hiding spots, but no breaks in line of sight. I put a divider in that tank, and then the female turned yellow almost immediately. When I moved them over to the larger breeding tank, where there is much more structure, it wasn't a problem at all.

I would recommend building clear territories where you can't see from one to the other if you're in the bottom third of the tank.

Ty a lot!
They are behaving like that, extremely aggressive males and the females just run from them and try to hide, the males are always displaying even to me when I get close... I'm going to keep adding plants, leaf litter and Driftwood!
Hopefully that helps

 

[Ben Rhau]

Ty a lot!
They are behaving like that, extremely aggressive males and the females just run from them and try to hide, the males are always displaying even to me when I get close... I'm going to keep adding plants, leaf litter and Driftwood!
Hopefully that helps

Yeah, it's not surprising particularly for these polygamous species. Some have better luck with trios as well, so the male has someone to occupy him. But that can also be tough on the third wheel.

Feel free to shoot us pics of the redecorated tanks. Sometimes it's hard to know if what you added is enough.

-B

 

[FabianUlSua]

I also would like to add that I have a holding shitty tank with some spare apistos, I got a male fire gold and wild female agassizzi in there... they freaking breed every two weeks but the eggs get eaten by the other fish... the pair I don't want to breed on the shitty tank... lol.

 

[Ben Rhau]

Yeah, I don't think those males are going to get along so well together long term.

 

[FabianUlSua]

Yeah, I don't think those males are going to get along so well together long term.

They actually do, they don't even bother each other lol... I'm just trying to find a good home for them and the agassizzi's... it's just ironic the only pair I don't want to breed... breed often haha

 

[Mike Wise]

IMHO the tank is still too open and too brightly lit/not enough floating plants.