A. rubrolineata breeding?

[slimbolen99]

So I've had this trio of Apistogramma rubrolineata for almost a year. They are the only apisto in my fishroom I cannot convince to breed. I'm not 100% confident I have a M/F combination, but I've attached some pics below that might help.

They are in a 75 gallon tank filled with leaf litter, driftwood, half clay pots on their sides, full clay pots with holes carved out on end, and lots of java moss. There are six neon tetras as dithers. Filtration consists of two hydro 5 sponge filters on medium air flow.

The temp of the water varies between 76*F in the winter to 79*F in the summer. Using a Hanna pH/conductivity/PPM meter, the pH is typically between 4.50 and 5.50; depending on if I've got rain water available, the PPM is averaging about 280, and the conductivity around 565. When I add rain water, the PPM and conductivity drop, but not much, and usually comes back up around there after a treated tap water, water change.

They are fed live mosquito larvae, live BBS, frozen BBS, frozen blood-worms, once in a while a little "cichlid" flake, and on occasion a little bit of "green" flake.

For the life of me I cannot figure out what is going to trigger these little guys to spawn! All my tricks that work on other apistos have been tried, with no success. Once in a while, after a big water change, I see some "flashing" by a fish I believe is a female, and she looks to yellow up, but a day or two later, they are back to just hanging out. Fish 2 is the female that predominately flashes the other fish; and I've seen some excavation under a terra cota pot, but nothing so far as eggs have been seen.

Any help would be appreciated.

Here are some pics...

FISH 1 (male?):

FISH 1 (male?):

FISH 2 (female?):

FISH 2 (female?):

FISH 3 (female?)

 

[Gwendal]

Nice pics!
I think you have 2 males and the last one i cant say what it is.
Put more photos, so we can help you.






1 saludo

 

[hapaluku]

I think you got 3 females :/

 

[Mike Wise]

Brian, do any of the fish show any kind of pattern in the caudal fin? All of my males do.

 

[slimbolen99]

None that I can tell, but I will go look more closely.

 

[slimbolen99]

There are absolutely no caudal fin markings on any of the three fish I have. Out of curiosity, I put a You Tube video of a male on my phone, and placed the screen next to the glass, and the fish in the tank ATTACKED the glass...so I am thinking I've got 3 females.

MW - I'll see you in July at the ACA.

 

[Mike Wise]

Brian, I'll contact you about a male when I return from Peru.

 

[wethumbs]

Have you tried putting a pic of a bacon cheese burger on the phone and place the screen against the glass? I bet they will attack that too. You definitely got all females. I was in the same boat with a group of 'brokeback' "Blutkehl". The smallest male even tried to pretend as a female.