Apistogramma cacatuoides

[Cupid]

Hey everyone, I'm new

40L planted tank
6 Neon Tetras
Several prawns
Apistogramma cacatuoides - Pair

Just wondering...I've just bought my pair, they're getting along really well and displaying mating behaviours. I've made a small, yet spacious, shell cave...is that good enough for breeding? If so, can I remove the entire shell once the eggs have been layed and put them in a breeder?

Spanks

 

[Mike Wise]

Well, most people don't use shells (I assume that you mean a mollusc shell and not a coconut shell). This is because they dissolve & harden the water. I don't think this is a big problem with A. cacatuoides since they can handle harder water.

I personally prefer allowing the female to tend her fry. Watching the female tending her fry is one of the joys of keeping apistos. If you feel that it's best to remove the eggs from the mother, you can place the shell in a separate tank with water from the original tank. Just make sure you have air bubbling near the spawn to oxygenate the eggs and maybe some Acriflavin or Methyline Blue to prevent fungus on the eggs, since the female won't be there to tend them.