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Best temperature for Apistogramma borellii “Opal”?

FishMonkey

Member
Messages
50
I'm currently keeping them at 24c and was wondering if they would prefer a little cooler or if there's a recommended temperature to get a good ration of male & female offspring?
 

Mike Wise

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,201
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
You need to find a copy of the following publication:

Römer & Beißenherz, 1996, Environmental determination of sex in Apistogrammai (Cichlidae) and two other freshwater fishes (Teleostei), J. Fish Biol. 48(4): 714-725.

or do a search on sex determination at this site.
 

FishMonkey

Member
Messages
50
Thanks @Mike Wise

I found 3 battered liquorice gourami in the corner of a LFS who are now sharing the aquarium with the borellii. It's bit of an unusual combo but spotting these was a dream come true and it only cost me £11 for 3, in my gourami days I was looking at £30-50 a pair. I'm guessing there now becoming more available or they ordered some and struggled to keep them alive and decided to put them in the corner cheap.

Now the aquarium will have to stay at 24c and will be going semi-blackwater. Hoping the borellii will be happy with this.
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
For licorice gourami I would go full blackwater and even lower pH than almost anything from South America would require. A. borellii are not a blackwater species though, so this could go wrong for them.
 

FishMonkey

Member
Messages
50
Thank you @MacZ

My tapwater is so soft 5gh/<1 kh, and < 7ph, pretty far of their natural habitat but not hard as rock, I'm definitely keeping an eye on them for the minute but I'm thinking they should do ok. They are definitely looking much healthier already and quickly loose their shy reputation in a large tanks full of inverts and 3 other fish. I just have to fatten them up really, very slow eaters like the borellii, I can't remember what they were with in the LFS but they probably struggled to eat.

I know borellii are clear water but figured they wouldn't mind a little tannins. I always have a little anyway because I'm to lazy to boil wood forever and shrimp like leaves and bits that release them too.
 

Samala

Active Member
Messages
99
Location
Oviedo, FL
24C not a problem at all. That's close to the average of what mine are kept at through the year.

Tannins from leaves and such shouldn't be an issue, I use lots of leaves and water is always a little tinted at water change. I've never gone lower than 40ppm TDS. Even that was an excursion. Not sure I would keep them at that level long term.
 

FishMonkey

Member
Messages
50
@Samala Thanks for the input, I did see your amazing borellii set up in your thread so it means a lot, I'd hate to harm these little fish.

Unfortunately I think I'm going to have to convince the misses to set up another aquarium or re-home these great little fishes.
 

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