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  1. Mike Wise

    Natural Kiln Dried Black Sand As Apistogramma Substrate?

    I imagine it will be OK for apistos if it doesn't harm the barbels on corys. I would just check to see if the grains are smooth or have angular edges.
  2. Mike Wise

    How many species of Apistogramma in one tank?

    dust, if you don't want breeding, then don't get both sexes. Otherwise there will be breeding and all of the problems inherent in breeding in a community tank. Your advantage is having a very large aquarium. If I had a community tank of that size I would include 2 or 3 male apistos of different...
  3. Mike Wise

    How many species of Apistogramma in one tank?

    I'm guessing that we are using metric (cm) here. In this case I would agree with MacZ. Apistos in the wild can occur with each other, but the volume of water that they live in is many magnitudes of order greater than your aquarium.
  4. Mike Wise

    Tank Size Confirmation Please :)

    I always try to use both metric and imperial values when I discuss volume and linear measurements just so everyone knows what I am writing. I understand that the US and Myanmar(?) are the only 2 countries that don't use the metric system. My wife was the top metrologist (weights and measures)...
  5. Mike Wise

    Book recommendations

    I have to agree with MacZ on this. All of the really good apisto books are 20+ years old so they don't have any of the more recently discovered species. Still many of the books contain accurate information. It is sad that Mergus Verlag went out of business. Their Aquarium Atlas series is great...
  6. Mike Wise

    Misidentified as elizabethae

    Yes, on many apisto species color can be rather variable. This is why at times I take a photo, convert it to black and white and increase the contrast so I can view the diagnostic pattern of dark markings. I will agree with Frank on this one, they are both specimens of A. sp. Blutkehl/Cutthroat...
  7. Mike Wise

    Tank Size Confirmation Please :)

    Yes, especially the ones by Koslowski, Römer and DATZ The old adage, "you get what you pay for", applies here. Yes, the internet information is free but this is why you have found so much conflicting results. Each has an opinion of the writer with no one else (a technical editor) checking the...
  8. Mike Wise

    Tank Size Confirmation Please :)

    Doesn't anyone own books anymore? They tend to be more accurate than anything on the web. As for Fishbase vs. Seriously Fish sizes, Fishbase is based on information on wild fish describedd in the original description while Seriously Fish uses domestically raised fish. Fishbase uses standard...
  9. Mike Wise

    Apistogramma Kullanderi

    Importing fish - even in carry-on baggage - requires an import license and the cost of inspection by US Fish & Wildlife officials. Unless you are bringing in sizable numbers of fish to spread the cost it simply is not worth it anymore.
  10. Mike Wise

    Sexing Macmasteri

    Yes Cardinals are found with apistos in the wild. The problem in an aquarium is that it has a greater population density than in the wild. This means more interaction between species. Cardinals, being a blackwater species where there is also a lower amount of microfauna available, have become...
  11. Mike Wise

    Sexing Macmasteri

    No, the male doesn't need to enter the cave. He can fertilize eggs from the outside. The female would rather he not enter. 3 days to hatch and another 4 days until freeswimming at normal temperatures. Sadly the female will be stressed trying to defend her fry, as will the tetras from continued...
  12. Mike Wise

    Questions regarding softwater tanks

    "Slow and steady wins the race" (Aesop). I personally wouldn't reduce water changes to less than once ever 2 weeks, but it depends on numbers of fish.
  13. Mike Wise

    A. Eunotus Biotope

    Looks about right, but only more algae and mulm.:)
  14. Mike Wise

    A. Eunotus Biotope

    Having collected various forms of the eunotus-subcomplex in Peru I personally wouldn't want a display tank that represents their natural habitat. I think Darrels suggestions would be better. Natural habitats have a lot of leaf litter and submerged wood with a thick coating of algae.
  15. Mike Wise

    Ivanacara bimaculata eggs

    I think #1 would be best, especially raising the tanks higher. If your 20 gallon tanks have the same bottom dimensions as your 15 gallon tanks then there will not be a lot of difference. 20 Long tanks would be better.
  16. Mike Wise

    A. Panduro Sexing

    OK, there are 2 different patterns on female A. panduro. One is a large more or less round blotch toward the bottom midway along the body of the fish. The other is what is called a 'Brustband or Breast-band', which is an elongated blotch that extends from the bottom of the fish all or most of...
  17. Mike Wise

    A. Panduro Sexing

    The 3rd and probably the 4th are female. The 2nd is a poor specimen female (no breast-band) of a juvenile male. Personally I would wait until 2 formed a breeding pair. Panduros can be a bit choosy about with whom they breed.
  18. Mike Wise

    Pair of A.Ortegai

    It is a male, but probably either A. cf. orteagai (Pebas) or a hybrid of the 2 species. It also has re-grown an abnormally small caudal fin.
  19. Mike Wise

    Sexing Macmasteri

    Hopefully they are both the same sex. A breeding pair of apistos has almost no chance of raising fry with fry predators (cardinals) in the tank. Additionally, apistos trying to raise fry in such a tank leads to stress in both the female apisto and other fish in the community. Stress is the...
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