Are agassiz relatively passive harem breeders ?

[anewbie]

Are agassiz relative passive or very aggressive? I'm talking about male<->female aggression when the female isn't ready to breed and towards other fishes in general. I realize that all cichlid has some aggression esp when protecting eggs et all but i mean relative to other apistogramma (for example nijjensi are said to be extremely aggressive). I find my honglsoi are relative passive towards other fishes but male->female is modest - as long as the female put down her fins and try to be non-obvious Conversely i've observe almost no aggression between male -> female borelli if female is not ready the male just swims away and look for another.

 

[Mazan]

I can’t answer your main question, as I have never bred them, but the male agassizii I had was very aggressive with other cichlids even some bigger than him. He was not aggressive to tetras, pencilfish or plecos. He was a wild one, I don’t know if that makes a difference.

 

[Mike Wise]

Agassizii-complex species are all highly polygamous. Males continually "urge" a single female to spawn even when not ready. The males can be demanding, but not as bad as, say, A. trifasciata.

 

[anewbie]

Agassizii-complex species are all highly polygamous. Males continually "urge" a single female to spawn even when not ready. The males can be demanding, but not as bad as, say, A. trifasciata.

Mike are there any relatively passive white water species like Borelli ?

 

[Mike Wise]

No, male aggassizii-complex species are much more a aggressive - and depending on the population/species are mostly from clearwater/blackwater or mixed. Few are whitewater species.

 

[anewbie]

No, male aggassizii-complex species are much more a aggressive - and depending on the population/species are mostly from clearwater/blackwater or mixed. Few are whitewater species.

Ok. I guess Borelli are the exception to the rule being somewhat passive. Perhaps the only relatively passive apisto.

 

[Mike Wise]

A. borellii, like most regani-group species are what I call casually (opportunistically) polygamous. Given the opportunity they will breed with any and all willing females that they find. Otherwise they are just (about) as happy with one female. If you want a "passive" (whatever that really is) apisto look for a species like A. wapisana that reverses its courting roles.

 

[anewbie]

A. borellii, like most regani-group species are what I call casually (opportunistically) polygamous. Given the opportunity they will breed with any and all willing females that they find. Otherwise they are just (about) as happy with one female. If you want a "passive" (whatever that really is) apisto look for a species like A. wapisana that reverses its courting roles.

Not a lot on them; you bred them in a 5 sometime prior to 2008; Tom was going to obtain some from France this past year but didn't due to pandemic. Other than that not much - a web page quoted Romer's book entry but nothing really useful. I presume they are pretty much unobtainable and require blackwater.

 

[Mike Wise]

Yes, I consider A. wapisana an "ugly apisto" (some of my favorites). Although behaviorally interesting they are not commercially popular, so not regularly collected. As for breeding they are relatively easy. Mine produced fry in a bare grow-out tank. That is when I realized they were a tiny species. They are a clearwater/mixed clear/blackwater species. Other relatively peaceful species are those in the resticulosa-complex.

 

[anewbie]

Yes, I consider A. wapisana an "ugly apisto" (some of my favorites). Although behaviorally interesting they are not commercially popular, so not regularly collected. As for breeding they are relatively easy. Mine produced fry in a bare grow-out tank. That is when I realized they were a tiny species. They are a clearwater/mixed clear/blackwater species. Other relatively peaceful species are those in the resticulosa-complex.

Ok thanks. Maybe I'll try to find a pair when i have more reasonable amount of space. If they have interesting personality that is enough for myself.