Apistogramma macmasteri red neck

[snowb]

Hello,

I got this apisto as a juvenile pair a year ago , but one of them died. All along i thought this was a female. I got another juvenile pair yesterday and then it hit me. Is this actually the male of the original pair? I hope the picture profile is good enough to tell.

 

[MacZ]

Very unclear picture, but lack of red in the caudal says it's more likely a female.
These domestic A. macmasteri are all bred to more colours than the wild fish, so a female that colourful doesn't surprise me.

 

[snowb]

Thank you, i changed the picture to one with more clarity.

 

[MacZ]

Length in cm?

 

[snowb]

Length in cm?

5 cm in length

 

[MacZ]

And you got it for a year now? Then definitely a female.

 

[snowb]

And you got it for a year now? Then definitely a female.

Ok good , thank you for answering. Hopefully she wont harrass the new additions to much. I rearranged the landscape a little. Kind of hard to do wiithout uprooting the plants.

 

[MacZ]

I rearranged the landscape a little. Kind of hard to do wiithout uprooting the plants.

I'd actually catch that fish out, rearrange everything (plants included if necessary) and put them in together.

Tanksize? (dimensions)

 

[snowb]

I'd actually catch that fish out, rearrange everything (plants included if necessary) and put them in together.

Tanksize? (dimensions)

Its a 29 gallon 109 liter aquarium is 76.2 centimeters long, 30.5 centimeters wide, and 45.7 centimeters high or 30 in x 12 in x 18 tank.

 

[MacZ]

Might be actually a bit small for a trio. Make sure it's well structured. If the sught barriers fail, this might end up quite violent.

 

[snowb]

ok , here is how the tank is currently scaped. any insights?

 

[MacZ]

The open area in the front will be claimed by one fish alone. If you had such sight breaks as you have build on the long axis also crosswise, you'd be good to go.

 

[snowb]

I was able to catch the female and move her to another temp tank. I will work on rescaping as you suggested. Appreciate your help.

 

[Mike Wise]

Contrary to MacZ, the recent photo shows all of the indications that it is a male, the long pointed tips of the soft parts of the dorsal and anal fin in particular.

Next question is why you would put any potential breeding pair in with fry predators like Neon Tetras? Such combinations most often lead to stress in a community tank.

 

[snowb]

Contrary to MacZ, the recent photo shows all of the indications that it is a male, the long pointed tips of the soft parts of the dorsal and anal fin in particular.

Next question is why you would put any potential breeding pair in with fry predators like Neon Tetras? Such combinations most often lead to stress in a community tank.

Thank you Mike , I did not realize that neons would prey on the fry. Out of all the research i have done i had not seen that mentioned.

 

[anewbie]

Ember and perhaps green neon tetra are safe - ember for sure as i've kept them with breeding apisto - if you want a tetra.

 

[snowb]

Ember and perhaps green neon tetra are safe - ember for sure as i've kept them with breeding apisto - if you want a tetra.

I was just wanting something in there for dither fish to make them feel safe from what i had read. I know the age old questions has already been asked. I'll look at some previous posts about suggestions. Appreciate sharing your experience. I've kept different kinds of fish over the years. My first attempt with apistos seems to be pretty challenging so far.

 

[Mike Wise]

Most schooling blackwater fish will become fry predators if given the opportunity. Blackwater by its nature is poor in nutrients to feed microorganisms, which are the primary food source for aquatic invertebrates and insect larvae, which in turn are a food source for small tetras. Because of this small schooling tetras will look for food of suitable size anywhere they can find it. I discovered while in Peru they would even take crushed saltine crackers! (not recommend for aquarium use)

 

[snowb]

Most schooling blackwater fish will become fry predators if given the opportunity. Blackwater by its nature is poor in nutrients to feed microorganisms, which are the primary food source for aquatic invertebrates and insect larvae, which in turn are a food source for small tetras. Because of this small schooling tetras will look for food of suitable size anywhere they can find it. I discovered while in Peru they would even take crushed saltine crackers! (not recommend for aquarium use)

Hahaha ok , the explanation makes sense. No crackers , got it !