A. Elizabethae Q's

[DH247]

I was wondering if anyone has any advice on care and water conditions for this species. I am looking to get a pair in the new year and I'm having some trouble finding details for tank set-up on the net. As well, are the polygamous breeders or do they pair up? Any tips for someone looking to breed them (albeit for fun!) Thanks,

Cam

 

[blueblue]

I was wondering if anyone has any advice on care and water conditions for this species. I am looking to get a pair in the new year and I'm having some trouble finding details for tank set-up on the net. As well, are the polygamous breeders or do they pair up? Any tips for someone looking to breed them (albeit for fun!) Thanks,

Cam

Hmm, the water conditions are actually classic to apistos:
Soft and acidic water (pH 5-6) is preferred and is necessary
for the eggs to hatch. As a remark, the digestion system of
eliza is relatively weak. So, do NOT overfeed it, especially
the bbs...

 

[Mike Wise]

Römer and Koslowski both describe conditions for breeding A. elizabethae in their books. Römer goes into great detail. I recommend you get this book. Anyone who is willing to spend good money for fish like these should own it. Remember, anyone can write anything on the internet.

 

[DH247]

How very right you are! I have been eyeing up Romer's Cichlid Atlas I for a while now. It will go along great along with my orchid species books! Thanks very much for the help!

Cam

 

[Genes]

Hi Blueblue

So what do you feed your eliza? Mine don't take dried food. So they are constantly having either live brine shrimps or frozen brine and bloodworms.

Hmm, the water conditions are actually classic to apistos:
Soft and acidic water (pH 5-6) is preferred and is necessary
for the eggs to hatch. As a remark, the digestion system of
eliza is relatively weak. So, do NOT overfeed it, especially
the bbs...

 

[blueblue]

Hi Blueblue

So what do you feed your eliza? Mine don't take dried food. So they are constantly having either live brine shrimps or frozen brine and bloodworms.

Well, i feed my eliza with bbs, ADA's staple food, cyclos, and other branded pet food (Sera, Tropical, Tetra, etc). However, i will NEVER overfeed the eliza with bbs now.

Essentially, what i am pointing out, from my experience, is the digestion problem of eliza with bbs, with which one can observe nearly the WHOLE batch of fries die in a minute after eating very fully with bbs. The fries which did not eat too much survived while the fries which ate a lot died at once...

 

[valice]

Blueblue, your cyclops are freeze-dried or fresh?
I can't seem to get my guys to eat them...

 

[Milk]

Well, i feed my eliza with bbs, ADA's staple food, cyclos, and other branded pet food (Sera, Tropical, Tetra, etc). However, i will NEVER overfeed the eliza with bbs now.

Essentially, what i am pointing out, from my experience, is the digestion problem of eliza with bbs, with which one can observe nearly the WHOLE batch of fries die in a minute after eating very fully with bbs. The fries which did not eat too much survived while the fries which ate a lot died at once...

Hey BlueBlue...as for rearing up Eliza fries,beside feeding BBS,you did mention feeding cyclos...but these dried cyclos will eventually floats at the surface...so how do managed to sink these cyclos so that the young fries can get access to them??

My current routine for feeding A.Eliza fries and Broad Bane Fries...
1)Feeding in the morning @ 9pm~10pm with BBS(1~2 pump of BBS)
2)Feeding in the evening @ 4.30pm~5.30pm with BBS(1~2 pump of BBS)
3)Ocassional Feeding of cyclop-eeze(Once or Twice a week)

My current routine for feeding my Adults Apistos:
1)Feeding in the morning @ 9pm~10pm with Frozen Blood worm(cut in smaller bits)
2)Feeding in the evening @ 4.30pm~5.30pm with Frozen Blood worm(cut in smaller bits)
3)Ocassional Feeding of cyclop-eeze(Once or Twice a week)
4)Weekly treats of BBS or Adults Brimeshrimp
5)Ocassional change of feed from Frozen Blood worm to Frozen Adult Brimeshrimp.
6)Trying to get the Adults to eat some dry pellet...which most of them are still rejecting...

Is there any over-feeding in my case??OR there under-feeding???

Thanks & Regards
Dimas

 

[wickedglass]

Milk
have you tried grinding some of your pellets into powder and dusting your bloodworms with some of it before feeding? In my experience eventually the fish get to know the taste of the pellets and are easier to ween onto straight pellet feedings. I've had some pretty stubborn fish in my time and they come around with some patience ... but I must admit I've never had elizabethae to try this on, though.

 

[blueblue]

Blueblue, your cyclops are freeze-dried or fresh?
I can't seem to get my guys to eat them...

I now only feed the dehydrated one. My apistos have been trained to eat!!

 

[blueblue]

Hi Dimas,

well, i used to have the following description:
1. Blood worm (for apistos) = chicken leg (for men)
2. bbs (for apistos) = pork/beef (for men)
3. staple food (for apistos) = biscuits (for men)
...

For me, i only feed the apistos of an age less than 3 months
twice a day. For the older apistos, it depends on my time;
i may only feed them once a day or even once every two days.
I never feed them with blood worm unless for some big-mouth
(caca type) species which I want to entice them to spawn.
Blood-worm is a source of germs and apistos which used to
eat blood worm will tend to refuse to eat
staple food (if one is used to eating chicken leg, one probably
does not like eating biscuits...!!)

For the cyclos, i will put them inside water first,
then i will inject them strongly into the tank...
the apistos will eat them when they are hungry.

BTW, you are diligent in feeding your apistos

Hey BlueBlue...as for rearing up Eliza fries,beside feeding BBS,you did mention feeding cyclos...but these dried cyclos will eventually floats at the surface...so how do managed to sink these cyclos so that the young fries can get access to them??

My current routine for feeding A.Eliza fries and Broad Bane Fries...
1)Feeding in the morning @ 9pm~10pm with BBS(1~2 pump of BBS)
2)Feeding in the evening @ 4.30pm~5.30pm with BBS(1~2 pump of BBS)
3)Ocassional Feeding of cyclop-eeze(Once or Twice a week)

My current routine for feeding my Adults Apistos:
1)Feeding in the morning @ 9pm~10pm with Frozen Blood worm(cut in smaller bits)
2)Feeding in the evening @ 4.30pm~5.30pm with Frozen Blood worm(cut in smaller bits)
3)Ocassional Feeding of cyclop-eeze(Once or Twice a week)
4)Weekly treats of BBS or Adults Brimeshrimp
5)Ocassional change of feed from Frozen Blood worm to Frozen Adult Brimeshrimp.
6)Trying to get the Adults to eat some dry pellet...which most of them are still rejecting...

Is there any over-feeding in my case??OR there under-feeding???

Thanks & Regards
Dimas

 

[blueblue]

Milk
have you tried grinding some of your pellets into powder and dusting your bloodworms with some of it before feeding? In my experience eventually the fish get to know the taste of the pellets and are easier to ween onto straight pellet feedings. I've had some pretty stubborn fish in my time and they come around with some patience ... but I must admit I've never had elizabethae to try this on, though.

Chris is right and his proposed method works in many cases.
For eliza, i do not find it especially difficult to attract it to eat
high quality staple food. Among ALL brands, i myself like
ADA Original Fish Food Gold AP-1, AP-2 series most. ALL my apistos
eat it ... but i am not sure if it is available in your local vendors.
In Hong Kong, only the biggest authorized retailer has it

 

[STOKER]

Well, i feed my eliza with bbs, ADA's staple food, cyclos, and other branded pet food (Sera, Tropical, Tetra, etc). However, i will NEVER overfeed the eliza with bbs now.

Essentially, what i am pointing out, from my experience, is the digestion problem of eliza with bbs, with which one can observe nearly the WHOLE batch of fries die in a minute after eating very fully with bbs. The fries which did not eat too much survived while the fries which ate a lot died at once...

It seems that reading these posts that micro-worm as a food is not used ,I have had the same problem with bbs but with certain species of killiefish and now only feed bbs to semi adult fish as bbs have a exo-skeleton (skeleton on the outside) is it possible for this to cause a digestive problem ?? and the fry become constipated and die . This is a problem that many killie keepers have had and now use micro-worm as a first food.

 

[Milk]

Hey BlueBlue;
Humm....i have being feeding all the young adults Apistos which i have recently acquired the Hikari frozen brimeshrimp and Blood worm...all their packaging states that their products are germs & harmful baterica free...As for the 2 species of Apisto fries,they have freshly hatched baby brineshrimp everyday...:biggrin:
I will try getting my apistos to eat some staple food as soon as possible as i might have to be away from them for some weeks...and my family members definately wouldn't be as diligent as me in taking care if them...:frown:
So far, i have only noticed that the A.Diplo pair that i have got from you eats the pellets readily....Humm...maybe i should try getting some of the ADA stable food that you recommand to try feeding all my apisto...currently the dry pellets that i'm feeding them is from JBL---Nova bits which are actually meant for discus...I have tried ginding the pellets into powder forms to try feeding the fries...so far,i haven't notice anyone of them eating them...but on the other hand,i have noticed the broadband fires going to the surface to eat the dried cyclos...

I have to be diligent in taking care of all my apistos as they are like treasure to me...So beautiful and precious to me...And also,i don't want them to die in my hand and disappoint you mah....:biggrin: So must grow them up well.....

Hi Dimas,

well, i used to have the following description:
1. Blood worm (for apistos) = chicken leg (for men)
2. bbs (for apistos) = pork/beef (for men)
3. staple food (for apistos) = biscuits (for men)
...

For me, i only feed the apistos of an age less than 3 months
twice a day. For the older apistos, it depends on my time;
i may only feed them once a day or even once every two days.
I never feed them with blood worm unless for some big-mouth
(caca type) species which I want to entice them to spawn.
Blood-worm is a source of germs and apistos which used to
eat blood worm will tend to refuse to eat
staple food (if one is used to eating chicken leg, one probably
does not like eating biscuits...!!)

For the cyclos, i will put them inside water first,
then i will inject them strongly into the tank...
the apistos will eat them when they are hungry.

BTW, you are diligent in feeding your apistos

 

[blueblue]

It seems that reading these posts that micro-worm as a food is not used ,I have had the same problem with bbs but with certain species of killiefish and now only feed bbs to semi adult fish as bbs have a exo-skeleton (skeleton on the outside) is it possible for this to cause a digestive problem ?? and the fry become constipated and die . This is a problem that many killie keepers have had and now use micro-worm as a first food.

Yes, i myself also suspect that it is the "shell" (exo-skeleton) which causes the problem.

 

[blueblue]

Dear Friend, thanks for your good words. Well, i alos use Hikari's frozen food. Even though the food is claimed to be sterilized by UV light, etc... please don't use them without any care!! We need to at least thoroughly rinse them under tap water before feeding.

Hey BlueBlue;
Humm....i have being feeding all the young adults Apistos which i have recently acquired the Hikari frozen brimeshrimp and Blood worm...all their packaging states that their products are germs & harmful baterica free...As for the 2 species of Apisto fries,they have freshly hatched baby brineshrimp everyday...:biggrin:
I will try getting my apistos to eat some staple food as soon as possible as i might have to be away from them for some weeks...and my family members definately wouldn't be as diligent as me in taking care if them...:frown:
So far, i have only noticed that the A.Diplo pair that i have got from you eats the pellets readily....Humm...maybe i should try getting some of the ADA stable food that you recommand to try feeding all my apisto...currently the dry pellets that i'm feeding them is from JBL---Nova bits which are actually meant for discus...I have tried ginding the pellets into powder forms to try feeding the fries...so far,i haven't notice anyone of them eating them...but on the other hand,i have noticed the broadband fires going to the surface to eat the dried cyclos...

I have to be diligent in taking care of all my apistos as they are like treasure to me...So beautiful and precious to me...And also,i don't want them to die in my hand and disappoint you mah....:biggrin: So must grow them up well.....