apistogramma advice

[ed seeley]

Eco-complete does raise the KH, and therefore the pH when it's new whereas Aquasoil lowers the KH and pH when it's new, as well as releasing ammonia.

I understand that the pH buffering effect of Eco-complete does wear off after a while but can't be specific I'm afraid as I've only used aquasoil out of these two substrates.

IME you don't need to age RO water. I just add remineralising salts to the tub as I add it to the tank and it's ready to use straight away.

 

[Hassles]

Eco Complete

I have been using Eco Complete in my planted tank and when new buffered PH a little but only short-term. about 6 weeks later it settled and I can now get my PH down if needed without dramas.

 

[kristina]

Krikey Hassles... 6 weeks? Some of us get all the luck. How long have I had the substrate in now? I can't remember to save my life, but it hasn't settled down yet that's for sure. When I age my water I just put it in a seperate bucket for a few days. I use it to prop the front door open on a sunny day, and it heats the water for me without having to have any cords running to it. I find that my RO water will age after about 2-3 days, a full week doesn't do anything extra. Test test and re-test your water. It's good to know what's going on.

 

[Kenshin]

update i have a good fishshop looking for a panduro male for me may even buy a small group to try and get a pair, my macmasteri are going ok and colouring up nicely in the 3fter, my mrs purchased a 60x18x18 inch aquarium for my birthday next month its the first brand new tank iv had so looks spicko ill plan on building it up slowly so i can afford the best filter/light/substrate ect

can i house multiple apisto's and other fish in a tank like this? i wouldent be getting any fish in there for quiet some time until its fully cycled and i got the right lights/plants in there

also the fish shop thats trying to get my male panduro is getting me a pair of agassizii's double reds for a nice cheap price so i think ill hold still for awhile when i have my trio of macmasteri, pair of panduro's, pair or trio of both cac's and agassizii's and my RO unit (getting a 5 stage desktop unit off ebay!!!! nice n cheap) hopefully should get some fry out of that lot

 

[Hassles]

In a tank 60 inches by 18 inches by 18 inches you could probably get away with 2 pairs of Apistos prividing they were not big or agressive apistos and that the environment was complex enough eg: heaps of hidey holes, plants rocks driftwood etc etc. I would also suggest that should you undertake something along these lines taht both pairs of fish be entered at then same time - this was you prevent one pair suddenly encroaching upon the territory of the other pair and both pairs will begin on an even footing so to speak. It will be interesting to see others opinions about your options.

If you like the idea of a number of apistos rather than a pair consider A.gibbiceps which can be housed in more dense social groupings than most other Apistos. I know a fella here in Melbourne who successfully keeps a trio of cacatuoides and a trio of gibbiceps in a 6 x 2 x 2.

Let me know if you miss out on your panduro.

take care

update i have a good fishshop looking for a panduro male for me may even buy a small group to try and get a pair, my macmasteri are going ok and colouring up nicely in the 3fter, my mrs purchased a 60x18x18 inch aquarium for my birthday next month its the first brand new tank iv had so looks spicko ill plan on building it up slowly so i can afford the best filter/light/substrate ect

can i house multiple apisto's and other fish in a tank like this? i wouldent be getting any fish in there for quiet some time until its fully cycled and i got the right lights/plants in there

also the fish shop thats trying to get my male panduro is getting me a pair of agassizii's double reds for a nice cheap price so i think ill hold still for awhile when i have my trio of macmasteri, pair of panduro's, pair or trio of both cac's and agassizii's and my RO unit (getting a 5 stage desktop unit off ebay!!!! nice n cheap) hopefully should get some fry out of that lot

 

[kristina]

Talbot gives some good advice when introducing new fish to another fish's territory... While waiting for fish to acclimatise, change the decorations in the tank around, so that it breaks up the territory and they have to make new territory boundaries. This basically means that if you can't introduce both pairs at the same time, the latter pair that you introduce will have a chance to create territory while the first pair are disorientated and trying to make their own territory again. Good luck with it

 

[Kenshin]

well the larger tank is at least 2 months off being setup so thats only a thought for now

hey hassles on the panduro i havent been able to locate a male the aquarium shop that is trying for me said that they can only get young/unsexable animals and i definatly want a male

ill most likely be getting some of your stock when warby orders off you (panduro male if you have one spare) and possibly some gibbiceps and maby pair of something else

 

[kristina]

Get a pair of his trifasciata, you won't regret it.

 

[Kenshin]

id love some but unfortunatly us perth apisto people are doing a group buy off hassels and he wont have any ready by the time we order so im going choose 2 species out of
A.jurensis
A.gibbiceps
A.steindachneri

suggestions? of course ill still hunt my male panduro down that will mean ill have panduro, macmasteri and 2 others of the aboves plus double red agassizii 5 species of apisto aint bad and im of the oppinion once i get my RO unit in the next 2 weeks that spawning will be taking place my macmasterii are spawning i think the bigger female has gone all yellow and walled up one of her pot caves so she can only just squeeze in and out she spends time in there but comes out to eat and kind of swims sideways at the male trying to entice him over to the cave so i dunno if the spawn has taken place yet the male has however gotten alot more blue on his face and the smaller female i think is starting to colour up as well (dunno how successfull this will be in ph 7 water)

 

[kristina]

If I had a pick of two out of those 3 I would definitely go for the steindachneri. Don't miss those! Then I would choose Jurensis over gibbiceps purely out of personal preference for the species.

 

[georgedv]

About a year ago I put a pair of trip red cacs in a 29gal tank. The back half of tank in planted w/vals and today its a very densly planted area. The fron has patches of moss. Also many caves & hide outs w/tree branches. Today that tank houses the original pair, 11 grown males & 4 grown females (diff ages & all offspring of original pair) plus a new batch of fry.

No other pair has formed. The origonal male (still largest in tank) has not paird up w/younger females.

All this time I have not seen any fighting amongst them. These must be very social species.

I know its time to remove them as its getting too crowded.

g

 

[Kenshin]

just an update iv got 3 tanks currently setup for apisto's at the moment my rams have spawned for a 3erd time tonight (hopefully they dont eat the offspring this time) i still have the lone panduro im considering moving her on to make room for other apistos i can get pairs of the macmasteri are displaying breeding behaviour but due to my harder ph or the bristle nose cats they are housed with i havent seen any fry this will change when i purchase a RO unit

friday i should be picking up a pair of agazzis's double reds in the not to distant future iv got 1-2 species comming from hassles and i got a pair of borelli on order from another LFS to

was thinking while im stuffing around with all these soft water dwarfs i may put a tank or two aside for some wild betta's in a couple months

 

[james595]

A. steindachneri are not very difficult to please. Mine spawn in a pH of 8 in very hard water. They have great color, and although large they are not too agressive. I have never had to separate my pair and they share a 10g.