'tudes

[inexorable]

I just got 6 wild caught bitaeniata and they have a nasty disposition. I put them in a 55, and after they got used to my water (15-20 mins) they all started going ape jockeying for territories amongst the maze of driftwood, ceramic caves, and lava rocks. I have had many captive bred apistos and I was surprised at what I thought was a excessively high level of aggression. I am curious if a) there is an expected difference in aggression relative between captive-bred and wild-caught apistos and b) if A. bitaeniata is one of the nastier characters in the apistogramma disposition spectrum.

Thanks

Dave

 

[Apistt_ed]

I wouldn't say that bits are "nasty" as I have found that most cichlids can have a pretty bad disposition just because they're cichlids... Of the apistos that I've kept to be overly aggressive, I'd say elizabethae, nijsenni, panduro, and most females can be pretty aggressive but that's just based on individual fish.

As for captive bred vs wild fish and which would be more aggressive, there might be some truth to wild fish being a little more aggressive.

What I am suspecting is that its because they're wild fish. In the wild, they're territory is the amount of "ground they can defend" and in a tank where they can't escape the aggressors, they'll "fight" more often, because the subbordinate fish can't just up and leave the area... so you'd see more chasing. For 6 bitaeniatas, I'd say that if there are males and females in the bunch, then your 55 is smaller than I'd like to have that amount of fish in. Once they have divided up the tank into separate territories, the fighting should stop. If not, add more hiding spaces or take out the chased fish and leave maybe a trio or just a pair in the 55. My breeder pairs of bits that have been with me for about 2 years are well behaved and I can keep a pair in a 15gallon tank and have them be productive. they are older fish and fairly mild mannered though. I haven't had them chase each other for the better part of a year and a half. They just do their duty and raise their young... and they are wild peruvian bitaeniatas as well.

my .02 cents... hope this helps and hope your fish get "nicer.." john

 

[AdamT]

I've heard that the bitaenifehfsisomething tend to stake out a large territory, and that it's hard to keep many of them together. Thas just hearsay, tho.

-A

 

[apistodave]

Wild fish do tend to be a little more aggressive I've found--bitts are *****-cats and A Sp nanay are psychopaths

 

[Mike Wise]

I've heard that the bitaenifehfsisomething tend to stake out a large territory, and that it's hard to keep many of them together. Thas just hearsay, tho.

-A

This is true. However, if you start with males of equal size, the aquarium is well decorated with well delineated boundary markers & none of the fish can see across the entire expanse of the aquarium, then 6 bitaeniata should co-exist in a 55.

-bitts are *****-cats and A Sp nanay are psychopaths

David is using Römer's name for the fish almost everyone else calls A. sp. Papagei/Parrot - not the cruzi-like fish that is actually from the Rio Nanay. If I were king (which I certainly am not!) I would get rid of the 'Nanay' name entirely and use "Papagei" for "A. sp. Nanay" from the Rio Ampiyacu & "Melgar" for "A. sp. Nanay" from the Rio Nanay. It would certainly eliminate a lot of confusion.

 

[inexorable]

Papagei

David, I'm thrilled you brought up A. sp. Papagei. I desperately want to get some. I would love it if you could comment a bit more about their 'psychopathic' behavior, as well as your recommendations for the appropriate quarters for several individuals, as well as male/female ratio, so I can observe their social or 'anti-social' behavior.

Thanks,
Dave

p.s. by the way, my bits have settled down quite a bit. There are now less frequent confrontations, settled with civil displaying protocol, in stark contrast to the biting they did the first day or two during the initial land-grab.