A. mendezi spawned...

[frodejo]

Hi.
I have a trio of wild caught Apistogramma mendezi that I have in a 75-gallon (250 litres) tank, where the water parameters are pH=5, gH=1-2 and kH=0-1. The temperature is 26-27 degrees Celsius (is that about 80 degrees Fahrenheit?). I do 25-30% water changes every week with cold water, which my fish love.
I got my first mendezi spawn 3 weeks ago, but the eggs disappeared. This was this female’s first spawn. Some days ago the same female spawned again, and since this species is very hard to find here I decided to hatch the eggs artificially. I put them in a 3-gallon tank with an air stone and methylene-blue in water from the parents’ tank. The egg turned one by one white, and I couldn’t see any fungus (which doesn’t mean that it’s not there, of course). My question is: could one of the fish be infertile? Is that common in Apistogramma?

Frode

 

[Randall]

A. mendezi

Dear Frode,

With young cichlids, it's not uncommon for the first couple of spawning attempts to be unsuccessful. Apisto species are certainly no exception.

Your water parameters sound perfect: soft, acidic and warm. I don't think there is any need to artificially incubate the eggs, especially given the quality of your water and larger aquarium setup. Please feed your fish well and be patient with them. They will get it right eventually, and you will be handsomely rewarded in observing their fascinating broodcare behavior.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[frodejo]

Yes, I know that the first spawning attempts usually are unsuccessful. I’ve experienced that with other Apistogramma species. My only concern this time was that the eggs turned white with no visible fungus. So I wondered if the male could be infertile. I guess I just have to wait and see…

 

[Neil]

If you don't have success on the next spawn or 2, I would try dropping the pH a touch. Additionally, if you can get your TDS down to about 15ppm, it might be helpful also. I will be getting some of these fish soon and will have to go through the same thing you are. This is probably where I will direct my efforts.
Neil

 

[frodejo]

Hmm, maybe I'm a little bit slow today, but what is TDS? Is that the same as conductivity?

Frode

 

[farm41]

Total Disolved Solids, it is a different measure, but the same device is used, so most people use it interchangable with EC.

 

[Neil]

Yes, if you can get your conductivity to below 50us/cm, that would go along way towards helping with this species. At least, that is what I have found with similarly difficult species like this.
Neil