Average life span of Dicrossus filamentosus

[Eddiekay1010]

Just wondering if the average life span of D. filamentosus has been established.

 

[Apistoguy52]

Mine started to age out at the 30-36 month mark @ 82-85*f

 

[Eddiekay1010]

Mine started to age out at the 30-36 month mark @ 82-85*f

Thanks, I've had my group for about that long, and I've lost a couple, water parameters are good, no major changes, they're the only occupants aside from a group of Nannostomus marginatus that have been there almost as long. They just kinda waste away. Strange thing is, I just had a spawn a month and a half ago, then the male started going down hill shortly after.

 

[MacZ]

I've had my group for about that long, and I've lost a couple, water parameters are good

At what temp at parameters?

 

[Eddiekay1010]

At what temp at parameters?

It has varied between 80.1-81.7 since I've had them. The last water test after I lost the male was
pH- 4.9
N03- 5
GH- 2
KH- 1
Conductivity- 87
Temp- 81.7
These have been fairly stable over the years I've kept them, with weekly, RODI/tap mix, water changes. I also keep a lot of botanicals in the tank.

 

[MacZ]

Good readings, nothing striking out of the orderly. You could go down with the temp to 25°C.
Botanicals and leaf litter are just a must with Dicrossus in my experience. The tank looks different every day, keeps the fish occupied and well fed.
Possible the male burned out. Had that often with males of different species of cichlids from all over the place (Rift Lakes, Central Africa, South America). They focus so much on breeding display they forget to eat and whatnot. Sometimes a break in a tank on its own might be a good idea.

 

[Eddiekay1010]

Good readings, nothing striking out of the orderly. You could go down with the temp to 25°C.
Botanicals and leaf litter are just a must with Dicrossus in my experience. The tank looks different every day, keeps the fish occupied and well fed.
Possible the male burned out. Had that oftentimes with males of different species of cichlids from all over the place (Rift Lakes, Central Africa, South America). They focus so much on breeding display they forget to eat and whatnot. Sometimes a break in a tank on its own might be a good idea.

Thanks, one thing that is always on my mind is sometimes when conditioning up these guys and also other Apistos, I'll feed frozen bloodworms, I use Hikari's. I've heard some people say there's no problem with it and others say they can introduce illness in fish, any thoughts on this?

 

[MacZ]

As I started in the hobby with 10 years of keeping Malawis that stuff is a no go for my fish. I tried with my first apistos, result - death and despair. So none of that stuff for my fish. For conditioning black mosquito larvae are gold, though.

People say red mosquito larvae have barbs that injure the stomach and intestines. That's not the case. I see completely different things:
- Many people show allergic reactions to that stuff. Bad sign. And may also factor in for some fish.
- As it's easy-to-produce fish food that can live in the worst conditions you often have contaminated badges, and the cooling chains are often broken. "It's only fish food." people say. Well no. If that's the case I toss it.
- Thirdly the average nutrional details of bloodworms are rather bad. Mainly protein, little fat, barely any vitamins of interest. I'm suspecting fish getting protein poisoning from it, when fed too often and too much of it.

Brands don't mean much to me, I live on the other side of the pond, we have completely different ones and I only care for specs and quality, not for the name on the packaging.

I feed artemia (frozen adults and live nauplii), white mosquito larvae, cyclops, daphnia and low grain/no fishmeal dry foods.
But I also don't breed anymore. Ain't got the space, time or money, so I prefer focusing on biotope tanks.

 

[Eddiekay1010]

As I started in the hobby with 10 years of keeping Malawis that stuff is a no go for my fish. I tried with my first apistos, result - death and despair. So none of that stuff for my fish. For conditioning black mosquito larvae are gold, though.

People say red mosquito larvae have barbs that injure the stomach and intestines. That's not the case. I see completely different things:
- Many people show allergic reactions to that stuff. Bad sign. And may also factor in for some fish.
- As it's easy-to-produce fish food that can live in the worst conditions you often have contaminated badges, and the cooling chains are often broken. "It's only fish food." people say. Well no. If that's the case I toss it.
- Thirdly the average nutrional details of bloodworms are rather bad. Mainly protein, little fat, barely any vitamins of interest. I'm suspecting fish gettingprotein poisoning from it, when fed too often and too much of it.

Brands don't mean much to me, I live on the other side of the pond, we have completely different ones and I only care for specs and quality, not for the name on the packaging.

I feed artemia (frozen adults and live nauplii), white mosquito larvae, cyclops, daphnia and low grain/no fishmeal dry foods.
But I also don't breed anymore. Ain't got the space, time or money, so I prefer focusing on biotope tanks.

Thanks so much for the info, well that does it, I don't think I'll be using them anymore, I've heard too many bad things, and I personally know people who experienced the allergic reactions. White mosquito larvae, would you happen to know, are they also known as glass worms, that might be what we call them here in the US. I can't say the bloodworms were the cause of my deaths, but it's the one variable I changed shortly before, feeding them up on them. I rarely feed the same things twice in a row, I keep foods I won't be using up in a month, in the deep freezer, but I did feed them and a couple other tanks of Apistos just on bloodworms for about 4-5 days, it did work, l got spawns from all of them in about a week after, but not worth it if I'm going lose fish afterwards.
Thanks again

 

[MacZ]

White mosquito larvae, would you happen to know, are they also known as glass worms, that might be what we call them here in the US.

Yep, that's them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaoboridae

I feed as much variety as possible but lately (weeeell... since summer) prices have gone up so much, I mostly feed live artemia nauplii at the moment. Cheapest live food I can get, as I can go with a bottle of eggs for months. For the display tank it's 3 days live, fast day, 3 days frozen, fast day, 3 days live and so on. Dry food only on busy days with little time. So sometimes 4 feedings (they get two small ones a day) maybe in a really busy week.
Looking forward to spring, then I can gather from a nearby pond.

 

[Eddiekay1010]

Yep, that's them: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chaoboridae

I feed as much variety as possible but lately (weeeell... since summer) prices have gone up so much, I mostly feed live artemia nauplii at the moment. Cheapest live food I can get, as I can go with a bottle of eggs for months. For the display tank it's 3 days live, fast day, 3 days frozen, fast day, 3 days live and so on. Dry food only on busy days with little time. So sometimes 4 feedings (they get two small ones a day) maybe in a really busy week.
Looking forward to spring, then I can gather from a nearby pond.

Thanks, great to know!