Apistogramma iniridae breeding pH?

[cini]

Hello everyone!

I have just ordered one couple of these beauties to my aquarium, and as I knew before, their pH requirement was between 5 and 7. But as I found some new information, the optimal pH for their breeding is between 5,5 and 6. The problem is that in my aquarium I have some kind of other fish with a little different pH requirements, I will write them down, with their recommended pH range as I know.

Apistogramma ramirezi 6-7,5
Stiphodon sp. 6,5-7,5
Fundulopanchax lafia gold 5,5-7,0 (6,2)
Tateurndina ocellicauda 6,5-7,5

Is there any way I could keep them? Could you please help me and give me some tips and ideas for the solution? I would love these little fish, but I'm not sure if I can keep them this way... I appreciate any advice! Thank you in advance!

 

[Mike Wise]

They should be fine in water with a pH <6.8 and only moderately soft, so if you can keep the aquarium below this all your fish should be fine. Just don't be surprised if your iniridae don't breed.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Apistogramma ramirezi 6-7,5
Stiphodon sp. 6,5-7,5

They are all fish I like, but I'm not sure they are a compatible mix even without the A. iniridae.

Mikrogeophagus ramirezi and Stiphodon sp. gobies need very different water conditions.

If you have the water warm enough for the Rams, you need to make sure you have very high oxygenation levels for the Gobies, they are highly rheophilic.

cheers Darrel

 

[cini]

Thank you for your answers!!

Actually those I wrote above are doing quite well in the aquarium together fortunately. I will keep the pH below 6,8 then, with moderately soft water, thank you!

But now I'm thinking, because I have kribensis in my aquarium as well, and they were breeding, and they are quite territorial. I mean they have a half coconut in the aquarium, and it belongs to them, the other fish have learnt so far that they can't go close to it. But now I'm worried a little about these new guys. Would be there any fights between them, or the A. iniridae are peaceful, and they will learn that too?
By the way I have one couple from all the fish I have written above, except for lafia gold, I have 4 of them, and now I have more kribensis because of the breeding, but I will sell of them. Oh, and my aquarium is a 125 liters one.

Thank you again!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I will keep the pH below 6,8 then, with moderately soft water, thank you!

It is more the oxygen requirement of the Gobies, warm water holds less dissolved oxygen than cooler water, and it gives you less wriggle room.

But now I'm thinking, because I have kribensis in my aquarium as well, and they were breeding, and they are quite territorial.

Kribensis are a much more aggressive fish than either Apistogramma or Mikrogeophagus, and they aren't really suitable long term tank mates.

cheers Darrel

 

[Mike Wise]

You should have told us that the tank has a breeding pair of Pv. pulcher. Mixing Kribs of any kind with apistos is a very bad (lethal?) mix IMHO.

 

[cini]

Yes, I have found out this information in the meantime, so before they arrived, I separated the Kribs, and I put them to my other smaller aquarium. Thank you!
So by the way these little guys are here, and they seem doing okay, but one of them had a little bump on his head, like a pimple. I put some pictures here.
Do you have any ideas, what can it be? What can I do, should I be worried?

 

[Mike Wise]

The photos are too poor to see anything. Should you be worried? Definitely! This is the reason all fish should be quarantined for a period before being added to an established community. A quarantine tank is cheap insurance compared to spreading a disease in an established tank.