Breeding Apistogramma cacatuoides

[asimkhatri]

Hello here r some vdos of apisto..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIJiW6q9PCI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxXTZtIPwvA

They r housed in 11 gallon bare bottom tank with many hiding Places
for Lowering Ph I used dry almond Leaves and a Piece Of driftwood..
I want to know are they male female or not they Both swim together shaking puffing and Moving frm One cave to another they behave Like Kribensis pair Which I have..
Give Me some suggestion How Much It takes time to breed or any other info
thanx
asim

waiting for replies.......

 

[bigbird]

Morning,
Is there any chance of you posting still photos. I ca ndefinately see one male, however the second one I am unsure of, it might be another subdominant male, need better photos. Sorry.
For breeding there is not set time, it just happens. You have a good set-up with the hidding places and sand etc. Cheers jk :biggrin:

 

[asimkhatri]

I dont think so both r males :S

 

[asimkhatri]

here r few more pics

 

[asimkhatri]

few more

 

[georgedv]

how critical is ph for cacs to spawn? what would be important for a succesful spawn....like water parameters, diet, size/age of pair...etc

thanks

g

 

[Zack Wilson]

pH is generally the least of your concerns with cacatuoides. I've spawned them in pH's of 6 to 8.4. The main parameters to control would be providing clean water with low DOC's (dissolved organic compounds--ei nitrate, etc) of the proper temperature. 76-80F is fine. Assuming they have water, plenty of appropriate food, and both sexes, babies are usually iminent. Cacatuoides aren't usually too fussy. Feeding several small meals over the day, as opposed to one big feeding, seems to keep the female plumper and bring on egg production more quickly. Unless your goal is to produce babies as quickly as possible, I'd sit back and enjoy your fish and let the rest take care of itself. They'll do what comes naturally when they're ready.

It does appear to me that you have a pair.

http://www.thedigitalfishroom.com/articles/parrots.shtml

 

[Apistomaster]

I agree with Zack's good advice but I have had more trouble spawning Apistogramma cacatuoides in recent years than I ever did in the past.
It may be just a coincidence but I used to set up 3 or 4 pairs of cacatuoides in separate tanks at one time and have them all spawn within a few days of each other. Nowadays, they have been much harder for me to spawn. When they do spawn I get good numbers. Last batch I bred, resulted in over 170 fry, far more than the ~80 I normally expect.
Anyone else notice this? I don't like recommending them as a beginners' Apisto sp anymore. A. borelli and A. trifasciatus seem to be more predictable and good beginners' spp.

 

[Mike Wise]

I find the wild form (wild or domestic fish) of A. cacatuoides easier to breed than the line bred forms. I don't know why. Could they be genetically weak? Do colorful females confuse the male? - nah!

 

[Apistomaster]

Back when I considered A. cacatuoides about as easy to breed as an Apisto could be, the strain had more in common with wild types than the more recently developed, more colorful forms. That was about 16 years ago.
I now find it more difficult to get them to spawn and they frequently only spawn once or twice successfully then begin to decline into what seems to me, early senility.

I have always had better success with wild Apistogramma than the more extensively developed strains in general although I find many of the wild fish are more demanding of soft acid water than the more domesticated strains. I have to qualify my statement because examples of the species I'm thinking of are A. gibbiceps, A. pertensis, A. agassizi, A. panduro and A. nissenji which are not necessarily very easy as compared to A. cacatuoides.