Apisto females brooding black worms.

[Apistomaster]

Hi Everyone,
I have been having problems with my female Apistogramma's not spawning but taking up station over patches of black worm tails waving out of the sand.

This has been occurring with my borelli, baenschi, and iniridae. They take this seriously all the way to turning full brood care yellow and viciously attacking the males to the point of driving them into hiding as best they can.

I usually set up a pair in a 20 long with 1/2 inch of fine silica sand, bog wood, rocks, flower pots and potted plants. There are also floating Ceratophyllum and a few dither Tetras. The females attack them also if they come too close to her worms.

I have tried going with bare bottom and a couple of potted plants and the other furnishings of wood, rocks and flower pot caves.

The last method I tried was eliminate any potted plants where the worms may become established but even then worms can find places under rocks or wood from which they may wave their tails.

The last thing I can think of trying is to go bare bottom use the rocks, wood, caves no pots and feed bbs and no black worms.

These females go so far as to stop eating falling worms once they have adopted brood mode over worms. Then they eat frozen blood worms and bbs.

This has become a problem this past year and a half as I began shipping in worms every week to facilitate breeding Corydoras and treats for my discus.

Have any of you had this kind of problem?

 

[Gillie]

Sorry I have not had this problem, but I have to say that it is the weirdest thing that I have ever heard of and at the same time very interesting.

 

[Mike Wise]

Female apistos that brood/protect worms and even live daphnia is not uncommon. These females aparently have an increased brood instinct. If they won't eat the worm or let other fish eat them, then you might want to try chopped earthworms as a substitute.

 

[Apistomaster]

I did just set up some different tanks without plants in pots or substrate so worms can't establish themselves in any substrate. I want to allow the tank's to break in but I'll try other foods and maybe chopped black worms that don't wiggle so enticingly.