Apistogramma bitaeniata - female or sneaker male?

[TheHolding]

Bought a pair of Apistogramma Bitaeniata, I definately have a beautiful male but not sure about this one, is it female or a sneaker male -

Hoping it is not a sneaker! Have not had much luck in the past with regards to getting females!

 

[Ruki]

For me you have female. Your fisht doesn't have elonged ventral fins.

 

[TheHolding]

Thanks Ruki, I hope so!

What do others think?

The back of the dorsal and anal fins are curved, the caudal fin does not seem to have any points like the male I have.

Got some Agasizzii Fire Reds comin next weekend hope I have a pair there as well

By the way Ruki, Krakow is a lovely city I have been there twice! Do you get a lot of Apisto species in Poland?

 

[Ruki]

At this moment Krakow is really beautiful because we've some snow everywhere. :biggrin:
We don't have problems with Apistogramma from Peru, because some people are ordering them direct from Peru. :biggrin:
Second place from where we've cichlids is Germany, but prices there are bigger(because of Euro :wink.

 

[Tom C]

I agree with Ruki.
Even young males, before their fin rays in the dorsal fin get elongated, will show pointed upper and lower rays in the caudal fin, and also a pointed posterior part of the dorsal fin.

This is a young male, collected in the Rio Tigre drainage last October:

P.S. I'm sure your fish would love a substrate of fine sand with leaf litter. This is biotopes they inhabit in the wild:

Rio Ampiyacu drainage:

Rio Tigre drainage:

I think Ruki and the others Polish guys now have access to more Apisto species than most of the world's Apisto lovers....

Good luck with beautiful fish!

 

[Ruki]

Tom, it's hard to believe what we have in Poland now. Few years ago wild fishes were rarity and only few people had them. Now- even beginners can buy them. :biggrin:

But I'm really envious for your trips and I can't wait for next articles about your last trip.

 

[TheHolding]

Thanks Tom,

Do you also think it's a female?

It's difficult to get a nice dark sand substrate in England that won't effect PH.

The substrate there is one used in shrimp tanks - very small rounded gravel approx 2mm.

Are there any plants you can recommend for this fish? I will be getting java moss and sone java fern and maybe a floating type of plant?

I also have some leaves - Indian almond I think should I add them to the tank?

 

[TheHolding]

A few more pics of the fish in question -

 

[ed seeley]

It's difficult to get a nice dark sand substrate in England that won't effect PH.

You just need to know where to look!
http://www.aquaessentials.co.uk/gravel-sand-sand-c-414_102_280.html

Or you can use a plant substrate like this,
http://www.thegreenmachineonline.co...stem/ada-aqua-soil-powder-amazonia-ll-9-litre

Not cheap but this is actually compressed soil and plants grow brilliantly in it. This is the powder version so it's very fine, I've used the standard version with apistos before and it looks amazing.

 

[Tom C]

Tom, it's hard to believe what we have in Poland now. Few years ago wild fishes were rarity and only few people had them. Now- even beginners can buy them. :biggrin:

But I'm really envious for your trips and I can't wait for next articles about your last trip.

Yes, the situation has obviously changed for you. Just a few years ago I had emails from Poland, people were considering driving all the way up to me (in Norway) to get some Apistos. Now I see you have lots of beautiful species from Peru, and even species that I never see around here, fish from Colombia and Brazil.....Are the changes all due to small companies like the one of Arek?

We've been moving our site to a new server the last days. Now it should work faster. Then I hope Martin will fix the bug that prevent me from uploading articles :tongue:

When will we see the first Polish apisto-collectors in the Amazon?

Thanks Tom,

Do you also think it's a female?

It's difficult to get a nice dark sand substrate in England that won't effect PH.

Are there any plants you can recommend for this fish? I will be getting java moss and sone java fern and maybe a floating type of plant?

I also have some leaves - Indian almond I think should I add them to the tank?

I was quite sure it's a female, but the last pictures made me a little bit uncertain. Do you have a close up picture (in focus) of the caudal fin?

As you see in the picture from the Rio Tigre, the sand isn't dark at all.
I've seen several fishkeepers in the UK using fine light sand, Mark (Microman) among others. I've never heard anything about his sand altering the pH. Maybe you should try to ask him what kind of sand he uses, or post a question at the BCA forum?
Edit: I see Ed has posted some advices....

Most of the apisto habitats I have seen have no submerged plants at all (when the water is low). I've seen some plants looking quite similar to java moss. I have different species of Echinodorus in some of my tanks, but in pure blackwater tanks (in which A. bitaeniata thrive the best), with very soft and quite acid water, few plants would thrive.
I use floating plants in all my tanks. In the nature, there are usually lots of vegetation above the water; this give shade and quite dark conditions most of the day.
I, and many fishkeepers in the UK, use dry, brown leaves from oak and beech in the tanks. They give the water a tint of tea-color, and the fish loves them for hiding, egg-laying, food search etc. Very natural behavior will be easy seen.

 

[Ruki]

Sorry TheHolding for off topic.

Yes, the situation has obviously changed for you. Just a few years ago I had emails from Poland, people were considering driving all the way up to me (in Norway) to get some Apistos. Now I see you have lots of beautiful species from Peru, and even species that I never see around here, fish from Colombia and Brazil.....Are the changes all due to small companies like the one of Arek?

We've been moving our site to a new server the last days. Now it should work faster. Then I hope Martin will fix the bug that prevent me from uploading articles :tongue:

When will we see the first Polish apisto-collectors in the Amazon?

Most of my fishes are from Arek and co. :biggrin: Not many people are importing wild dwarfs because of problems in polish market. Sometimes are problems with selling fishes and only few are in this. It isn't profitable- in Poland most of people are interested in colorful, cheap fishes or shrimps.
From Colombia we had few imports, but I'm wainting for next one and maybe some mixed Breitbindens. :biggrin: No import form Brazil yet- most of species are from german imports.

I won't be soon in amazon, but maybe others? :biggrin: Too hot for my health problems. :wink:

 

[TheHolding]

I can't get a pic of the caudal, the fish won't stay still!

I guess I will have to wait and see

Expect another post like this next Sat when the agasizzi flame red arrive from a breeder!

 

[ed seeley]

Forgot to say I have used American Red Oak leaves because they are nice and large and there happens to be a big specimen planted in my school's grounds! English Oak and Beech are perfect to use too. You should be able to collect tonnes in autumn if you find a local park, you may even be able to find some still, just try and collect ones that look very intact still and soak them for a week or so to clean them off. If you're really struggling I do have some of the Red Oak leaves still and can always send you some.

 

[TheHolding]

Tom I managed to get a close up of the fin!

Happy New Year!

 

[Tom C]

Maybe you have a "shemale"

The first picture in post #1 shows a fish with rounded caudal fin.
In the second picture in post #8 the fish shows black anterior parts of the ventral fins.
Both these features should indicate that this is a female.

The last pictures gives the impression that the caudal fin is squared off, and even has some patterns in it. This normally indicates that the fish is a male.

On the other hand; I have seen females with quite squared off caudal fin.
But I've never seen a male with the amount of black in the ventral fins as in the second picture in post #8.

So my guess is still: a female. Time will show.......I've been wrong before :biggrin:

If you have a spare tank, to separate the fish from the obvious male for a while; if it's a male, it would, after a short while, clearly show masculine features, a female would not.

I'm sorry I cannot be more sure.....

Happy New Year to you, too!