Apistogramma Agassizii

[TuvaM]

Hi!
I am thinking about getting a pair of A.Agassizii fire red. I have read several places that this species is sensitive to poor waterquality; will they survive if I go on vacation for 2-3 weeks? I will probably get an automatic feeder so they at least get some food. I have a 60 litre (15 gallon) tank.

 

[Russ Hennessey]

Tough question...3 weeks is a long time....if you're just keeping just the 2 fish in a 60l the water quality shouldn't be too big an issue. The bigger problem is maybe going to be aggression by either the male trying to breed with the female or worse if the female breeds during your absence and goes hyper-protective-aggressive protecting her fry....this usually means big problems for the poor male. You would want to have a very complex aqua-scape to allow the male to completely hide from her if she gets mean.

 

[TuvaM]

I see. I will probably have them with a group of otocinclus, but no more than that.
What would be the thing to do if I'm at home and the same thing happens? I don't have a spare tank. I can post a picture of my tank, but I'm thinking redmoore roots, densly planted with different types of swords and Hydrocotyle leucocephala, and leaves on the ground

 

[Siggi]

Hi.
IMHO your most important issue is maintaining a good water quality while you are away. With that much vegetation and leaf litter, aggression wouldn't seem to be an issue.
Do you have a cycled filter?

 

[TuvaM]

My filter is cycling at the moment. I started adding ammonia last week, and today my NH4-levles were at 1.5. So things are happening. Hopefully I can add some fish in about a month. It has a 300 l/h capacity if that means anything.

 

[Siggi]

It normally takes at least six weeks to cycle a filter. Unless you seed it with filter medium from a previously cycled filter, of course.
Once it's cycled, and given the high sensitivity of cichlids, it's wise to add some additional ceramic filter medium to increase the filter's purificating capacity...
Once you've got the filter up and running you'll be fine about leaving your apistos in a well planted tank for some weeks - given they are fed in your abscence.
You mention a lot of plants and leaf litter - that will probably work as a seeder for your filter, as the de-nitrifying bacteria are on every surface in your cycled tanks. If the plants and leaves came from a cycled tank, you're nearly done, right when you start.
Keep measuring ammonia, though and wait for a week without NH4, to add fish.
Keep us updated and post some pics...
good luck.

 

[TuvaM]

Those ceramic filter mediums you mention, can they be added to any filter? I have a Juwel Eccoflow, and there is some open space at the back of it, just behind where the blue filter medium is. If you get what I mean.

 

[Siggi]

If I'm not mistaken, the Eccoflow is an internal filter with two or three blue sponges and a plastic container with carbon.
IMHO the best way to use that filter is by leaving only one sponge to make a mechanical pre-filtration and fill the remaining space with ceramic filter medium - it has a far greater surface for the de-nitrifying bacteria to colonize than the sponges.
Don't take out all the sponges, as the mechanical filtration avoids clogging the filter with muck.
Store the carbon for a time when you need to clean up some medicine, no need for it now.

 

[TuvaM]

Acctually, I'm wrong. It's called Bioflow ONE. I got it together with my Juwel Primo 60, the new series with LED lighting. But yes, there are two blue sponges, but no carbon. I suppose I can google my way to find out if there is place for it if needed. I will ask my LFS if they can give me advice. I would guess that the ceramic thing will be all over the place if I don't put them in a container of some sort.

 

[Siggi]

It's about the same - perhaps a little smaller. If you can get a handful of ceramic medium - either small light-brown balls or light-gray rings (here the leading brand is sera and tetra - product name is siporax). Best place will be the fish store where you got the filter - they will have sumps below the exposition tanks with filter medium easy to take out - they won't even notice if they give you a hand ful - and won't mind giving it to you if you buy a bag of it at the same time. Just say you need it to seed the one you are buying (it's the truth!...).
Them put the handful inside your filter as soon as you get home - don't be long as the ceramic medium shouldn't dry out - bag it in plastic on the way home!
BTW - no need to bag it or box it in, inside your filter - the rings / balls won't have anywhere to run, so it won't "be all over the place", as you say... ;-)

Another thing - in the long run you should consider getting a cannister filter - it's much more stable, efficient and economic after some months of work. Keep an eye out for cheap opportunities on the net.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I can post a picture of my tank, but I'm thinking redmoore roots, densly planted with different types of swords and Hydrocotyle leucocephala, and leaves on the ground.........My filter is cycling at the moment. I started adding ammonia last week, and today my NH4-levles were at 1.5.

You don't need to add ammonia to cycle the filter, if the tank is well planted.

We know a lot more about nitrifying organisms via DNA, and they are <"a lot more diverse than was originally thought">.

cheers Darrel

 

[Siggi]

I agree...
If the tank has a lot of vegetation, the bacteria will kick in by themselves and start colonizing the ceramic microporous filter media.
There is nothing like a handful of bioballs from a cycled tank, though

 

[TuvaM]

Well, I don't have a lot of vegetation at the moment. One hydrocotyle, one sword I don't know the name of, and 3 Echinodorus Tenellus. I use the ammonia-method because I have used it before, and had good experience with it last time.
By all over the place I ment that they would float around in the filter. Or isn't that a bad thing?
I will go to the fish store this weekend to get some, hopefully they have the one you are taling about.

 

[Siggi]

Your filter is rather small. The space freed by the sponge should be filled with the ceramics. So it won't float around...
If the fish store gives you ceramics from their filter, it will be cycled material. You could put fish in your aquarium right away.

 

[Siggi]

Just looked at this thread again and wanted to add a detail:
@TuvaM - don't add cichlids as the first fish in the tank. Start with a little shoal of less sensitive tetras/guppies/danios and once the parameters are stable and the vegetation grows in a little, add a couple of apistos.

 

[TuvaM]

I wasn't planning on having any ditherfish other than otocinclus tbh. But I'll see if my fish store has anything interesting. Guppies and danios prefer harder water than the apistos though, so I think I will avoid them.

 

[Siggi]

I wasn't planning on having any ditherfish other than otocinclus tbh. But I'll see if my fish store has anything interesting. Guppies and danios prefer harder water than the apistos though, so I think I will avoid them.

You are right about guppies and danios. They (G) will even endure slightly brackish water.
If you already have oto's it'll be fine.

 

[TuvaM]

I have been looking at some tetras now, and I actually think it would be nice with a group of Hemigrammus erythrozonus. They are nice to look at, and they are cheap. Also I red that some ditherfish will make the apistos less aggressive, so maybe it isn't a bad idea. Unless they will make the waterquality much worse if I go on vacation for some weeks.

 

[Siggi]

If your water quality deteriorates after a few weeks you are overstocked! The amount of fish should always be below your filter's capacity.
If your ceramic balls are doing their job, even your small quantity should be enough for for a couple of oto's, a pair of apistos and a few (<= 6) glowlights.
Here the amount of plants can be important, as the internal surfaces in the aquarium are all colonized, not only the filter media...If you get a carpet of hairgrass or some stems, you'll be be more comfortable...

 

[TuvaM]

How do I know what my filtercapacity is? If that is at thing one can know about.
Just thought I should add some pictures. First one is how it is now, second is how I plan on having it. Lovely drawings, right. I may rearrange it, but that will be later. Also, leaves are going in when my filter is cycled.