Apisto aggi's, advice please

[Konigwolf]

Purchased a male aggissizii yesturday and a female this morning (different stores, each store had one sex but not the other) with the male being a german import. The female has settled VERY well but the male is being very shy, but at least appears to be eating (frozen bloodworm). any tips on helping him settle would be great

in tank are 2 black neons, 2 glowlight tetras and 2 (i think) neons
3 panda corydorus
and a bunch of small apple snails

their were also 2 5-6cm peppermint bristlenose which I just removed as they seemed to very much be unsettling the aggi with all their movement in and out of caves he was in (the pandas may have to go for same reason )

Andrew

 

[Konigwolf]

More info, now he just seems to be hanging around the top of the filter, not looking good

Andrew

 

[LindaMC]

Hi, I just purchased a pair of apisto agg myself and received them last Friday. My male is very shy too, while the female is coming out to the front of the tank to greet me, the male is hanging out in a coconut shell I added to my tank to make him feel a little more comfortable. They like caves and places to hide so they'll feel secure. I sure hope your male is going to be okay, hanging out at the top of the tank is not a good thing. Have you purchased fish from this store before?

Good luck!

 

[BIG_CICHLID]

I've had two pairs of Aggies here recently and on both occasions the females settled well while the males died after about two weeks! They seem very shy and lethargic when introduced. Not sure if this is normal for them or not. Perhaps someone can suggest................

Hiding up high behind the filter is a sign of being threatened by another fish. You'll lose him if something isn't altered.

BC

 

[kenkht]

What is the size of your tank? If it is too small, say 10g or less, you might have a problem. A way to help this guy out is to put in lots and lots of plants and driftwoods. Coconut shells are also good as caves. The more thickly planted the tank is, the more secure the fish will feel and also will help in hiding from the aggressor.

 

[fishgeek]

nitrate and other water quality issue's
is the fish eating


the behaviour you are seeing is not specific and is seen in lots of ill health issue's

 

[Konigwolf]

Think things maybe piking up, water stats are fine but have done 30-40% water changes today and yesturday just in case. He was moving around the tank a little very clamped and lying on the bottom a bit so I gambled and put a target fish in (male apistogramma sp. steel blue) come home from a getting some christmas supplies and hes out and without the clamped fins (varies between loose clamp and normal relaxed caudual fin) but didnt eat , seems things are picking up though I hope

Andrew

 

[Konigwolf]

What is the size of your tank? If it is too small, say 10g or less, you might have a problem. A way to help this guy out is to put in lots and lots of plants and driftwoods. Coconut shells are also good as caves. The more thickly planted the tank is, the more secure the fish will feel and also will help in hiding from the aggressor.

Sorry missed your post , LOL its only a small 14 gallon (24"x12"x12") but have had Cacatouides and Blue Rams spawn in before (while being used a community tank with cory's and tetras's) so I figured is should be an ok tank for the aggassizii. moderate planting and 3 caves plus a big chunk of driftwood. might try adding some surface plants as well. May also pick up (LOL christmas eve could be hard hehehe) some coconut shells as well, whats a good amount of caves? I usually only put 1 or 2 cave per pair (or female). Now that I think about it thats prolly not enough :redface:

Andrew

 

[kenkht]

Sorry missed your post , LOL its only a small 14 gallon (24"x12"x12") but have had Cacatouides and Blue Rams spawn in before (while being used a community tank with cory's and tetras's) so I figured is should be an ok tank for the aggassizii. moderate planting and 3 caves plus a big chunk of driftwood. might try adding some surface plants as well. May also pick up (LOL christmas eve could be hard hehehe) some coconut shells as well, whats a good amount of caves? I usually only put 1 or 2 cave per pair (or female). Now that I think about it thats prolly not enough :redface:

Andrew

Yeah, your tanks' OK. 2 coconut caves will do. I also "drop" in quite a few driftwoods and plants tied to driftwoods (java fern, nana and java moss). I like moss because it will also give some protection to the fries.

 

[Konigwolf]

Update, I lost the male on the Saturday morning (christmas eve) even though he appeared to be picking up the night before, though I think it may have had something to do with my 4 year old as there was a glass of water sitting next to the tank with a female betta and a dead black neon , oh well the joys of parenthood. Finally got back to the store that had the male agassizii's yesturday, besides the german bred imports they also had a local bred male, for half the price again which I unhappily decided to get figuring it should be able to handle less precise conditions better. Getting him home I took 3 hours aclimitising(sp?) him in a bucket with water slowly syphoning in, he appears relatively relaxed now

Andrew

 

[nightowl1350]

Hope the local bred one does better for you.