A. cacatuoides

[christo420]

hi i am new to this forum and to these fish, i found a pair of "double red" a. cacatuoides at my local dealer, and i need any and all suggestions! first thing is water conditions. i have a test kit but i am not sure about a few things. i have the ph between 7-8 and virtually no ammonia, but i am unsure of the other tests. the directions are kind of short and simple. i am also looking to buy more (when everything is right). my tank is a 20 gal high. i have dark stone gravel, and driftwood sunken on the bottom. plenty of hiding in that peice of wood. also some bigger rock caves. any advice would be great.

thanks for your time
christo420

 

[flyinmysoup]

Hi there!

Hi there Chris!

I'm new here too and its great to know people all over the world who appreciate these beautiful fishes.

One suggestion that I might offer is to have lots of moss and hiding places for your cacas. Mine do very well on a diet of frozen blood worms and flakes.

They've spawned recently and its real exciting to see the fries swimming around while their Momma is busy trying to herd them into groups.

Have fun dude!

 

[rafael]

Hello.

A great election. You would have to lower pH next to 7.

And as the males are polygamous, to have at least 2 or 3 females in the tank, each one of the females with a cave or refuge.

Sorry for my bad english.

Regards.

Rafael.-

 

[Randall]

Apistogramma cacatuoides

Dear Christo,

Apistogramma cacatuoides does well in water that is harder and more alkaline than the more soft water species of the genus. Although their pH is not extremely important, as it is with some other species, ideally your water should be moderately soft. This can be accomplished by conditioning your water with peat moss.

In a 20-gallon tank, it may not be a good idea to house more than one pair, otherwise you may experience some social problems. Adding small tetras or pencil fish, however, is a good idea.

For more information, please conduct a forum search using the keywords "cacatuoides" and "peat." There is a lot of information here for you.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn