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It is not unsual for newly purchased dwarf Cichlids to be in poor condition.
All along the males dominate the females which exacerbates their problems as they make their way through the sales and distribution system.
All new fish should be quarantined and it is a good idea to segregate the sexes...
I have given both Pimafix and Melafix chances to prove themselves but I have not found them to be of any use for any group of species. I only use medications with well tested and proven efficacious results.
I use praziquantel, flubendazole, metroniadazole, malachite green and chloramphenicol for...
Even with all the resources available it can be difficult to identify Apistos, especially immature and/or stressed adults.
SSo many new species are constantly being introduced that the task is getting harder.
Most of the N. eques that jump out do so within the first month. Then they seem to settle down quite a bit but as long as there are any openings the risk is always present. Best to plug all openings as best you can to minimize losses due to jumping out.
The foam filter material swisstropicals.com sells makes a tight and form fitting divider and doubles as a bio-filter if set up right. I highly recommend it's use over "egg crate" light diffuser as it prevents fry from escaping into the dangerous side of a divided tank.
Jason,
N. mortenthaleri may be the most aggressive species of all the Nannostomus.
If I were going to try one of the two new extra colorful Nannostomus I think it will be N. rubrocaudatus. I think they are more mild mannered and probably very similar in behavior to N. trifasciatus. I have...
I would keep them in a species tank although one could also keep a colony of Cherry or Zebra Shrimp with them to make things more interesting. Some of the very young and small shrimp would make good occasional snacks for the Dario.
N. eques is probably my favorite Pencilfish. I have about 2 dozen in my planted Tetra tank which is a 125 gal tank. My Pencilfish occasionally spawn in this large community tank but there is no way any fry would ever survive. I have 100 Green Neons, 12 Robert's Tetras, 10 Diamond Tetras, 12...
I think you happened to buy a sickly group which may have only had a chance had they been quarantined, treated if necessary and above all, fed abundant amounts of live foods at first.
N. beckfordi is normally a very hardy species well suited for even beginning fish keepers.
Even so, I do not...
I kept a dozen Mesonauta acora, the endemic species of the Rio Araguaia, with a group of wild Alenquer Discus for a couple years.
They are a fairly peaceful genus and except for eating the swordtails fry, I do not see any reason why they can't be be kept together.
My M. acora formed several...
I think that is what most of us do. A dedicated fish room baster is the easiest way to feed brine shrimp to fry. They are usually only about US$3.00, at least those on sale.
I use breeding tank water initially but then I usually and gradually begin to acclimate the fry to the water most convenient to use which for me is dechlorinated tap water. My local water is not too extreme so most fish do fine in it. It has a pH of 7.4, TDS about 140 ppm, KH 5 to 6 and a GH of...
I do not have any links to photos or videos showing how to artificially hatch and raise Apistogramma. There are a variety of techniques that are used. How I do it is I remove the newly laid eggs being careful to transfer them still attached to the inside of a pot or whatever other substrate the...
Given the size of your tank and the existing community of fish I would not consider adding anymore fish.
Your Red line barbs need a lot of room and I am pretty sure that your Red lines are far from being adults and they need a great deal of space. Once they have reached their adult size or even...
If you stay with the community tank theme, you might consider getting some Dicrossus filamentosus, Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlids.
I find they mix well with other small Cichlids and since they do not use caves they seem to live among the lower levels among the plants most of the time. They mix...
Mike,
That sounds like a good way to isolate compatible pairs. I'll have to give that method a try.
You already covered this but I was about to mention that Apistogramma pair bonds are fleeting unlike those of Discus and Angelfish. Even their bonds aren't really permanent. Just for one season in...
The one pair of A. nissenji I had was wild caught and I have never seen any TR A. nissenji that came close to the color intensity of that pair. I think they were the prettiest Apistograma species I had ever seen.
I had a similar experience with A. panduro.
Unfortunately I never could get any fry...
Looks like all of your fish are males .
Female A. bitaeniata will probably be the easier to find but this off shoot of this type of A. agassizi's females are another matter.
It is not unusual for wild imports to be skewed heavily towards being the males because collectors' eyes catch the...
Hard water means very different things to different people.
I dislike the frequently used phrase, "liquid rock" which I have seen used in reference to water with a TDS of only 140 ppm TDS.
I have bred several pairs of wild Brown and Blue Discus in water with a TDS of close to 500 ppm TDS and a...