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Apistogramma agassizii or cacatuoides

central tanks

Active Member
Messages
109
Location
Dallas, Tx
Well guys let me know what you think. This is my hard scape. I will be planting it medium density. Jungle Val in back right, stem plant in back left, Amazon sword kinda in the middle area. Crypt plants will be planed in the front to mid ground on the left and right. Leaf litter will be used lightly and I have jungle pods and savu pods for cave areas. Let me know what yall think!
1493094938790-207732160.jpg
 

bbetta

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
128
Location
Greece
Looks good! Are you planning to place Java Moss or Anubias on the woods? Any kind of moss would help providing food to the fry.
 

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
Poke a few pieces of aragonite/coral gravel or oystershell grit down into the sand around the Vallisneria roots - that will give them the Ca and Mg they need without adding much hardness to your water. However, either cacatuoides or agassizi should do well with low-moderate hardness (3 dGH, 50 mg/L; enough to satisfy mineral-hungry plants like Val) so you really don't need to fear a little hardness for those species.
 

bbetta

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
128
Location
Greece
Because my tap water is very hard and I'm already struggling to soften it up properly, I didn't want to add anything that could possibly raise the hardness. That's why I successfully tried Cryptocoryne Balansae that looks like Vals. If the Val's don't work you could give this crypt a try.
 

central tanks

Active Member
Messages
109
Location
Dallas, Tx
Looks good! Are you planning to place Java Moss or Anubias on the woods? Any kind of moss would help providing food to the fry.

I always make a massive mess with mosses, I have some Subwassertang which is classified as a fern but is moss like. Ill try putting it on some of the wood. I just bought these half circle holders to put moss in that grows it like a ball ( uxcell Plastic Aquarium Shrimp Fish Tank Moss Ball Holder ). I figured id put some of the Subwasa in these and try them out as well, might give moss a try again, but ya java fers will be up on the wood some.

Poke a few pieces of aragonite/coral gravel or oystershell grit down into the sand around the Vallisneria roots - that will give them the Ca and Mg they need without adding much hardness to your water. However, either cacatuoides or agassizi should do well with low-moderate hardness (3 dGH, 50 mg/L; enough to satisfy mineral-hungry plants like Val) so you really don't need to fear a little hardness for those species.

Im reminirlizing RO/DI water. So after reminirilizing before adding tannins my water sits at
6.8 ph
0 dkh
3-4 dgh
91-100 tds

I will be placing fertilizer tabs under the more demanding plants like the vals and amazon sword. might chuck in a red tiger lotus since my 2 bulbs grew 2 and then detatched from the bulbs and the bulbs started growing 2 more... not enough room for 4 tiger lotus plants in my 10 gallon lol. But I may try moss in one of those plant growers.
 

central tanks

Active Member
Messages
109
Location
Dallas, Tx
Hi all, I haven't been able to grew Vallisneria successfully in soft water.

cheers Darrel

I always see you talking about Frogbite so i figured your a good bet for this question.
My understanding is that it is a floating plant. i got my plant order in today and the 3 frogbite plants they sent me are rooted and about 6inches of stem to the leaf. Kinda look like a weird amazon sword. If i just float them will they start growing as if there floating?
 

central tanks

Active Member
Messages
109
Location
Dallas, Tx
Well tank is all planted except for frogbit plant for now. Iv added some jungle pods, savu pods, casulo pods, and light leaf litter.

Plants
Melon sword
Java fern
Crypt petchii
Brazilian penny worth
Jungle Val various Americans
14933534488071290133347.jpg
 

bbetta

Member
5 Year Member
Messages
128
Location
Greece
Looks nice! Did you place the filters in the back?
I don't think the "frogbite" will develop properly on the surface, judging from its roots.
Be sure to add fert tabs on the crypts right away to avoid a melt down.
Have you decided/ordered the fish?
 

dw1305

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,755
Location
Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
Tank looks good.
I always see you talking about Frogbite so i figured your a good bet for this question.
My understanding is that it is a floating plant. i got my plant order in today and the 3 frogbite plants they sent me are rooted and about 6inches of stem to the leaf. Kinda look like a weird amazon sword. If i just float them will they start growing as if there floating?
Under condition of high humidity Limnobium species will develop long stemmed emergent leaves.

I have one tank where the Frogbit plants often root in the substrate when they are growing well and then develop these floating leaves and flowers.

I think your plant might be the N. American <"Limnobium spongia">, rather than Amazon Frogbit <Limnobium laevigatum>?

Limnobium spongia
isn't a plant I've grown and I'm not sure whether it will produce new daughter plants (with floating leaves) or not.

cheers Darrel
 

central tanks

Active Member
Messages
109
Location
Dallas, Tx
Looks nice! Did you place the filters in the back?
I don't think the "frogbite" will develop properly on the surface, judging from its roots.
Be sure to add fert tabs on the crypts right away to avoid a melt down.
Have you decided/ordered the fish?

Yes, I found the filters look almost invisable in the back, I have the out puts pointing in oposite directions making basically 2 half circles on each side with current then the currents combine and push straight back to the filters. (its a very light current and seams to be sweeping debris around and back to the sponges.)

I did place fert tabs that I have around the crypts, vals, and amazon sword.

I guess I goofed up and got the wrong species of frogbit, it was insanely hard to find so I guess ill start searching again.

I have decided on Agassizii metallic blue double reds, perhaps a maybe a 10 pencil fish or so. Might not go with any pencilfish tho.

I just received military orders for training the next 2 weeks, so ill be waiting at least another 2 weeks before getting any fish in the tank, yay army always waiting last second to inform us! The tank will be sitting for 2 weeks without anyone to check on it/top it off. Could be an issue but I have no choice since my roommate also got orders to go. So ill just do a water change before leaving, maybe set lights to only 8-6 hours a day when im gone and pray it turns out okay and doesn't evaporate to much water out.
 

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
Here's Amazon frogbit (leaf nearly round, all green) and American frogbit (heart-shaped, reddish petiole) side-by-side. The green color is NOT a species difference; I just brought an indoor-grown Amazon frogbit outside for a photo shoot with the tub-grown Americans, which look a bit nitrogen-deficient. The reddish petiole DOES seem to be a species difference; i've never seen the Amazon species get any red, indoors or out. Not sure if your plant is either one of those, but IF it's a frogbit species, it was apparently grown emergent, not floating. Look for the thick air-filled spongy cells on the underside where the stem joins the leaf. If it doesn't have that, then maybe it's Pontederia or Heteranthera ???

Limnobium.Spongia+Laevigatum.05849.sm.JPG
 

central tanks

Active Member
Messages
109
Location
Dallas, Tx
Here's Amazon frogbit (leaf nearly round, all green) and American frogbit (heart-shaped, reddish petiole) side-by-side. The green color is NOT a species difference; I just brought an indoor-grown Amazon frogbit outside for a photo shoot with the tub-grown Americans, which look a bit nitrogen-deficient. The reddish petiole DOES seem to be a species difference; i've never seen the Amazon species get any red, indoors or out. Not sure if your plant is either one of those, but IF it's a frogbit species, it was apparently grown emergent, not floating. Look for the thick air-filled spongy cells on the underside where the stem joins the leaf. If it doesn't have that, then maybe it's Pontederia or Heteranthera ???

View attachment 6760

DW1305 I believe is correct. I called the company and they confirmed in is Limnobium spongia. I have found a person selling 20 plants for 5 bucks on craigslist where I live. When I return ill probably just get them then.
 

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
L. spongia seems more determined to get its roots into soil, and for me it does not grow vigorously without roots in soil. L. laevigatum grows well free-floating, but will also take advantage of rooting in soil when it can. My water supply in central North Carolina is soft. I'm guessing in harder water L. spongia might do better free-floating too. Another difference I've noticed is that L. laevigatum lies flat on the surface until it gets crowded, then it puts up aerial leaves. L.spongia makes aerial leaves as it grows, regardless of whether it's crowded or not. There's also a European species I've never seen.
 

central tanks

Active Member
Messages
109
Location
Dallas, Tx
ya well the bit I have does grow its leaves vertiacally out of the water so it is most likely Spongia. Iv planted it up in my 10gal planted tank that has some bamboo shrimp, they like the added high areas that put them closer to the current on the water surface, there happy with it so it wasn't a total lose. Ill be heading out tomorrow so ill be topping my tanks of to the brim and lowering my light sycle to 6 hours for the next two weeks. Hopefully not to much water evaps. Then my apisto tank should be ready for some apistos!
 

central tanks

Active Member
Messages
109
Location
Dallas, Tx
Quick update for everybody. Was supossed to get the fish this weekend but the guy im buying from had missed the overnight shipping and the overnight saterday shipping. He is giving me 6 pencil fish for free for the mishap.
However iv discovered (after lots of testing) that my Silica Sand (pool filter sand) i used for the tank is actually creating a PH Rise in my water. Iv ordered some sand iv used in the past and know to be truly inert. It will be here on Wednesday.
Thing is my fish get here Tuesday. So i will be setting up a 15 gallon storage bin as a QT tank to house the fish for about a week or two. Enough time to redo the substraight and get the tank back into working condition with a week of monitoring tank levels to ensure stability. Tank water was at 6.4ph and was being raised to 7.8PH.

Will be putting a sponge filter in the QT setup with about a dozen pvc pipes that are 1inch in circumference and about 6 inches long. Ill be tossing in floating plants to ensure nitrates are absorbed out quickly. Ill be sure to monitor the fish closely over this time has the foot print isnt very big.
 

Phile

Member
Messages
58
Location
Indianapolis, Indiana USA
Quick update for everybody. Was supossed to get the fish this weekend but the guy im buying from had missed the overnight shipping and the overnight saterday shipping. He is giving me 6 pencil fish for free for the mishap.
However iv discovered (after lots of testing) that my Silica Sand (pool filter sand) i used for the tank is actually creating a PH Rise in my water. Iv ordered some sand iv used in the past and know to be truly inert. It will be here on Wednesday.
Thing is my fish get here Tuesday. So i will be setting up a 15 gallon storage bin as a QT tank to house the fish for about a week or two. Enough time to redo the substraight and get the tank back into working condition with a week of monitoring tank levels to ensure stability. Tank water was at 6.4ph and was being raised to 7.8PH.

Will be putting a sponge filter in the QT setup with about a dozen pvc pipes that are 1inch in circumference and about 6 inches long. Ill be tossing in floating plants to ensure nitrates are absorbed out quickly. Ill be sure to monitor the fish closely over this time has the foot print isnt very big.
Storage containers make great tanks, especially for breeding. I have a rack of them in my garage on a sump system. They are easy to drill with a wood auger, and you can make simple overflows and bulkheads with PVC. They are easy to clean, bleach, and store when not needed. I am using a large heavy duty one as my sump.
 

central tanks

Active Member
Messages
109
Location
Dallas, Tx
Ya, iv been using a 10 gal plastic tub (plastic grade 5, food safe) for pre treating water for my tanks, figured id get a larger one with more length and width then hight to give me a bigger blueprint. Figured putting in pvc pipes for hiding places with floating plants should provide plenty of sight breaks/ hiding holes. This way its also easily cleaned. Itll be 3 apistos and 6 pencil fish in the QT tub. Or I can put the pencil fish into my 10 gallon for the time being. Its a plant only tank right now.
 

central tanks

Active Member
Messages
109
Location
Dallas, Tx
Another update. I received my fish yesterday and my new Sand. I Quarantined all the fish in a 25 gallon storage tub. They all appear to be doing great the male is dancing around for the females already.

I attempted to feed them NLF pellets, they took them in and spit them out, im assuming they will eventually take the pellets as they get hungrier, the Pencil fish destroyed some ground up flakes. The guy I bought them from was having his fish food made for him so there not used to my pellets. Will be getting some frozen Brine shrimp or bloodworms( black worms if I can find them close by). Ill attempt to get pictures of them. Ill only keep them in the QT for about a week to ensure the water in my tank is being altered.

Male looks great tho with lots of blue spots streaking through his body, once he gets comfortable he should look amazing.
 

central tanks

Active Member
Messages
109
Location
Dallas, Tx
Probably my last update on this thread.

Today while checking my QT i noticed one female being rather aggressive. Shined a light in the pvc pipe shes staying around and can see eggs, although there to far back to see if there fertilized. This will be my first batch of fry and iv only had them for a week. Female seams to be doing good at chasing off pencil fish so in a few days ill see if they actually hatch out. Ill will attempt to just feed crushed flake and pellets to the fry. Not concerned with rearing them since the fish are still in a Quarantine tank .
 

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