Breeding A. sp. Maulbruter

[blueblue]

Dear All, So far, i have successfully bred over 20 species of Apisto., including some relatively "technical" species such as A. Diplotaenia
and A. Elizabethae. However, i have never succeeded in breeding
A. sp. "Maulbruter"... I have a very good looking pair of wild A. sp. "Maulbruter" (imported from Peru), and I have kept it for over a
year now. May some friends please give me some tips and advice on
how to breed it? Thanks

 

[Mike Wise]

Rich Grenfell wrote an excellent article on breeding the Mouthbrooder. See:

http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/breeding/Grenfell_A_maulbruter.html

He believes that a fine grained sand is important in breeding this fish.

 

[blueblue]

Thanks Mike. Here in Hong Kong, the trend is to use ADA Soil instead of sand or rock because ADA soil can keep water acidic and soft. Let me try to see if fine white sand can help in breeding this species... ^_^

 

[Xanathos]

He believes that a fine grained sand is important in breeding this fish.

I spawned mine several time over coarse gravel, so IME it's not a requierement. But I guess you can witness the natural behavior more efficiently with such substrat.

My 2 cents are that breeding is contingent on soft water and good food. Dont feed for a week or 2, then give them good food, like blood worms and fresly hatched artemias ( this trick worked for me countless times with difficult species ) and make water changes with softer, more acid water.

Every time I did that, I saw my female protecting eggs

Phil

 

[blueblue]

Thanks Phil. I did change the bottom from ADA soil to fine white sand after reading the article.
I will try to take your advice. Essentially, here in Hong Kong, breeders used
to take the "pH shock" to have sudden change of soft and acidic water after a period of time without any water change to stimulate the fish...

 

[scott]

i am no expert but one of the things that has worked for me with some stubborn species is not only to do a water change with " softer and cooler water" but i sometimes move the fish to another tank. it has worked for a. eremenopyge f0's after being in a tank for almost 8 months with no spawnings i moved them to another tank and did a 50% change with straight r/o and they spawned that very day. this has also worked with a. baenschi, panduro and also a pair of cacs that just stopped spawning. i know that none of these fish are considered "difficult species" but it did work. i got the idea because i have had many fish spawn immediately after bringing them home. like i said i am no expert and have alot to learn but i figure sharing my experiences might give others some ideas. GOOD LUCK!!!

phil,
i have tried your method of withholding food for a period of time but not as long as 1-2 weeks. this doesn't cause your fish any ill effects does it? i am a little bit apprehensive about not feeding for that long with small species but am very willing to try it if it has worked for others.

 

[mooman]

Great thread guys, I'm currently trying to breed some panduros, and can relate to the frustration when the fish won't cooperate. Although my panduros havn't spawned yet I have seen a drastic increase in "fish slaps", "shimmies", and "house hunting" since I started giving live bbs daily. I had been putting it off because of the trouble of maintaining a constant supply, but the results are fantastic. With mosquito season upon us I was wondering about the pros and cons (if any) of feeding mosquito larva.

ps I know the live bbs advice is common knowledge to most, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

 

[Microman]

Blueblue,
Ive often wondered what the substrate is when I see your pics on this site.
I have noticed that alot of Asian Apisto keepers seem to use the same thing.
What exactly is ADA Soil?
Does it help with the water parameters required for successful Apisto breeding
and maintenance?
Is there an alternative that may be available in the UK?
Sorry to go off track a little from the Maulbruter post but I am interested as it
seems to be a help to you looking at the quality of your fish.
Mark.

 

[blueblue]

Hi Mark, Please take a look at the following URL for ADA's substrate:
http://www.adaeuro.com/articoli.asp?id_f=SUBSY
ADA is a japanese brand for aqua products, especially for aqua-planting.
I use the one called "Aqua Soil - Amazonia" as the major substrate in
most of my tanks. It keeps water soft and acidic (pH ~ 6). People used to
put ADA soil in planted tanks... For "double-band", i put blackish water, SERA's pH down, together to ADA Aqua Soil - Africana (the brown one) into the tank to make the water very acidic for breeding. My approach is very popular in Hong Kong...

Blueblue,
Ive often wondered what the substrate is when I see your pics on this site.
I have noticed that alot of Asian Apisto keepers seem to use the same thing.
What exactly is ADA Soil?
Does it help with the water parameters required for successful Apisto breeding
and maintenance?
Is there an alternative that may be available in the UK?
Sorry to go off track a little from the Maulbruter post but I am interested as it
seems to be a help to you looking at the quality of your fish.
Mark.