Apistogramma Iniridae F0 Rio Atabapo

[Daniel Almeida]

Hey everyone
4 days ago i bought a couple os Ap. Iniridae, wild, and i'm trying to get them to breed, but as i have read here, i have to get really low ph and water hardness in order to ger a viable spawn. As i cant invest in a RO system, i'm trying it with natural conditioners : T. Cattappa and oak leaves, and peak on the filter, as well as some wood, i just don't know if that is enough. What do you think, and how do you get your water acid enough for wild species to breed? Here are some pics of my apistos. What do wou think about the colors, do they look fine?

 

[Mike Wise]

Peat and leaves soften and acidify best in softer water. Do you know your dGH/dKH?

 

[Daniel Almeida]

I dont have those tests, nor the pH one...

 

[Mike Wise]

Without knowing water values, it is impossible to know the effect of peat/leaves on the water.

 

[Daniel Almeida]

You're right, but the tests are expensive. I normally see if the fish are healthy and the water values are ok by the fish coloration. In this aquarim i also have 14 Paracheirodon Simulans, and so they kinda work like a guide

 

[Daniel Almeida]

A little update

 

[animalmgc]

nice now lets hope for some free swimming fry good luck

 

[Apistomaster]

Sometimes a soft water species such as A. iniridae will surprise us and successfully breed and have viable eggs hatch but many times they don't.
Without knowing what kind of chemistry your water is like you have done about the best you could but this is a not an easy species to please. Your results do suggest that you are blessed with fairly soft water.
Aquarium water chemistry doesn't always have to exactly match a species native waters as long as it is generally closer than not. I don't think you would have the same degree of success if you had very hard and alkaline water even with the simulated black water you worked hard to reproduce.

I have tried and failed to breed these guys myself and came away feeling they were one of those "challenging" species which would require more effort on my part to provide with soft, acid water. I just did not care enough to try at that time. I have RO water on hand but was putting my efforts into other species at the time. Mine would get close; females turned yellowish as if they were near spawning but none ever happened. Best of success to you but I do recommend getting at least a packet of multi-parameter water test strips as rough guides to use in testing your water conditions. They are a quick and dirty testing method that is much better than none at all.
My photos are not nearly as nice as your photos but here is a pair I tried to spawn.

 

[Daniel Almeida]

Hey
Well, the spawn disapeared, as i was expecting. I guess the water wasn't soft and acid enough, i've seen some really hardcore parameters here- pH 3.5 :O
I'm trying not to use anything chemical, im trying to get the water righ naturally. I've added more leafs, it looks like if a tree fell in my aquarium. I've also removed the most of my simulans, left 4 there cause i couldnt get them, i was stressing the apistosmore than i wanted.
Apistomaster, thank you for your words. As i have seen not only here but in the internet, this species is considered one of the most difficult to breed, so i wasnt expecting much. The spawn was very rewarding, though. I'm selling my 4 Uarus, i'll try to buy one of those all-in-one tests, or just the hardness and low pH test. I have one, but its minimum value is 6.0, so not useful. Your male seems a litle small, do you still have them? My female didnt had that yellow, or maybe i couldn't see the colors right because of the water. I dont't have RO, and that may be a problem, but i'll keep trying.
One thing i couln't find is the information about brood caring, if both fish take care of the spawn or only the female.
I'll keep updating, with good news i hope!

 

[Apistomaster]

Hi Daniel,
My pairs(had a couple) were as large as your pair. I just never took any photos when the male was spreading it's fins in full display. I had them about 4 years ago.

Until you set up a rain collection system or get an RO unit you will have similar difficulties with most all the black water Apistos. Especially the wild fish. Most of the A. iniridae in the US market are wild specimens.

I have raised a close relative, from some wild imports, A. pertensis.
I had to use extremely soft water but I was able to get away with a pH of 6.0. I removed the spawn and hatched them artificially so I never got to see them care for their broods. I often do this at first then allow later spawns to be left in the parents care. I like to have some future breeding stock before relaxing and letting nature take it's course.
That is an example of what I described above about how you don't always have to match all the conditions precisely but a great man yfish from extremely soft waters will have problems with getting their eggs to develop and hatch unless the water is extremely soft.
Simulating black water by using leaves is all well and good but the low total dissolved solids is often more important than pH and organic extracts.
A water testing kit costs less than most pairs of Apistogramma so I highly recommend placing getting one higher on your fish keeping priority list.
If you don't have a means to test your water and some source of mineral free water you are severely handicapped. Either invest in these or work with less demanding species or you will become discouraged.