Is this a pair of Apistogramma cf. moae?

[rasmusW]

Thanks for all the info and pictures. It’s always fun to hear others observations.

-r

 

[anewbie]

Personally i would remove the keyhole - eventually something sad will happen and stress is well quite stressful on the fishes. I've found in tanks where i never observed any aggression at all one morning someone will end up dead. I never quite understand who attacked who because i never saw any signs of aggression but eventually something sad will happen.

 

[LBT]

The pair is busy courting and looking for a new spawning site. There are still several dozen fry left, but in my opinion they have largely been left to fend for themselves. They are no longer very small, but with other Apistogramma species I’m used to seeing parental care continue for a longer period. Is this typical behavior for this species, or is it simply due to the female’s inexperience?

 

[Mike Wise]

More than likely due to being in an aquarium with no fry predators and a lot of food. I've also found that some species take more time guarding their fry than others.

 

[LBT]

The fry are all hiding in the jumble under the parents. Right now you think there are none left, but if I wait there are numerous and every time more than I expect. Every time I raise my phone and try to take a photo of them they scoot away

 

[anewbie]

feeding them bbs ?

 

[LBT]

feeding them bbs ?

Yes, and decapsuled brine eggs, and green water and biofilm and whatever I feed my other fish. They like tablets for bottomdwellers as well

 

[LBT]

The fry are all hiding in the jumble under the parents. Right now you think there are none left, but if I wait there are numerous and every time more than I expect. Every time I raise my phone and try to take a photo of them they scoot away

Wait, in this picture, right above the pebble between the parents i caught one fry.

 

[KenL]

Wait, in this picture, right above the pebble between the parents i caught one fry.

What is the plastic thing to the left of the picture?

 

[MacZ]

What is the plastic thing to the left of the picture?

This. Most people use them for small spikey catfish, pufferfish (so they don't draw air when puffing up) or domestic longfin bettas.

 

[LBT]

What is the plastic thing to the left of the picture?

It's a fish trap. Literally translated from Dutch Fish catch bell. It’s very stressfree way of catching fish.

 

[LBT]

View attachment 18261

This. Most people use them for small spikey catfish, pufferfish (so they don't draw air when puffing up) or domestic longfin bettas.

You were faster!

 

[MacZ]

It's a fish trap. Literally translated from Dutch Fish catch bell. It’s very stressfree way of catching fish.

We zeggen ook "Fangglocke" (vangklokken) in het Duits. Maar ik geloof dat het een nederlandse uitvinding is.

 

[LBT]

We zeggen ook "Fangglocke" (vangklokken) in het Duits. Maar ik geloof dat het een nederlandse uitvinding is.

I’m not sure whether the fish-catching bell is a Dutch invention. I first read about one in a book by Hans Frey, Aquarium houden kunt u ook (Dutch title). The book dates from the late 1960s or early 1970s. After that, I couldn’t find one anywhere for many years, and then suddenly I saw them again from SuperFish. The old fish-catching bells were made of glass and were available in many more sizes. Hopefully, they’ll make a comeback in a wider range of sizes.


Ich bin mir nicht sicher, ob die Fischfangglocke eine niederländische Erfindung ist. Zum ersten Mal habe ich darüber in einem Buch von Hans Frey gelesen: Aquarium houden kunt u ook (niederländischer Titel). Das Buch stammt aus den späten 1960er- bzw. frühen 1970er-Jahren. Danach konnte ich viele Jahre lang keine mehr finden, bis ich sie plötzlich wieder von SuperFish gesehen habe. Die alten Fischfangglocken waren aus Glas und in deutlich mehr Größen erhältlich. Hoffentlich werden sie eines Tages wieder in verschiedenen Größen angeboten.

 

[MacZ]

I'll stick to English again (so people can follow)

I only remember my dad bringing one of these from a saturday afternoon trip to Venlo to test on our eggholding Mbuna so they wouldn't spit when we moved them. That was... 1997 0r 1998.
It was out of fashion during most of the 80s and 90s and in the late 90s with the rise of Aquascaping on the one hand and more invertebrates in the saltwater hobby they popped up here and there again.

At the moment I think there are only glass ones available from ADA (which have a lot of cool stuff but for insane prices). Superfish and Aquamedic only offer plastic ones.

I also hope different sizes will be available again.

 

[martin_c]

I have one too. I wished though there was a version of it with a square shaped opening so you can reach the bottom in corners with it.

 

[anewbie]

Do these things work better then nets? My problem is once my fish see a net they never come near me again.

 

[LBT]

Do these things work better then nets? My problem is once my fish see a net they never come near me again.

I think it works better. I will show you pictures later of fish swimming in the trap. If you work slow and with patience it’s very stressfree and easy. But it’s not without drawbacks. In small tanks or densely structured tanks it’s very cumbersome. I usually throw some food in the trap and wait until the right fish swims inside. You can also actively follow fish around and for tetras and sorts that is very effective.

 

[anewbie]

I'm confused - it doesn't look like a bottle trap can't the fish just swim out of the top ?

 

[LBT]

I'm confused - it doesn't look like a bottle trap can't the fish just swim out of the top ?

I send you a link to youtube. It’s Dutch but the video speaks for itself.