Breaking the Nijsseni code

[chris1932]

I came home today and found something in the Nijsseni tank that made me smile. After being in the tank for three months and nothing happening they finally spawned. I was supprised that the eggs are reddish pink colored.

I got some decent pictures, not as good as I had hoped too get.

 

[Graham]

Congrats!

I've been working on mine for 6 months with still no babies.

I've got the pH below 6, tried temps from 76-82, fed all kinds of live foods, changed water often, changed water rarely, used ultra-low (10ppm) TDS water, treated with peat, almond leaves - nothing.

I know I've had eggs, but the dominant female hasn't been a very good mother. The male actually has to repeatedly chase her back to the spawning cave - as if she forgot she was supposed to be tending eggs...

I have a male with 2 females in a 20 long and I think this may be the problem. I've been thinking of removing the dominant female to see if the little gal is any better.

 

[chris1932]

Graham
I forgot to turn the lights back to automatic timer opperation. There were two days with very dim light. It may or may not have had somethig to do with it.

 

[ste12000]

Well done, The dim light could well of been the trigger they needed, At the start of the Amazon wet season the temp drops slightly and huge black tropical rain clouds blot out most of the bright light. Apistos are tuned into these natural triggers even after generations of being raised in tanks.
All of my dwarfs seem to react to these triggers, a simulated dry and then wet season is the way to go with some of the harder species. Keep us posted on how the Nijsseni get on.....

 

[Apistomaster]

Hi Chris,
I don't know what say except, "I told you so."
You were having too much success to be stymied by A. niissenji.
Congratulations my friend.
I hope you get to raise the fry.
I seem to be losing my touch as I will describe in a post under Husbandry.