Breeding.

[Henrique]

Hello,
I read in a latin america website the apistogrammas in acid water breeding more males and in alcaline water breding more females.I think this is false.Anyone know the anwer?
I think the apistos just breeding in good water.acid, not hard and good temperature.
Thanks

 

[Neil]

Hernrique,
I moved this to Breeding/Husbandry, just to keep things organized!

There are questions as to whether it is pH, hardness, or temp. that are at play in determining the gender ratio of fry in Apistogramma. I wouldn't be surprised if it were a combination of all of them. I have had varied results manipulating only one. This would make it a lot more difficult to figure out how to get more males or female out of a spawn. As a general rule, many agree that very acidic water and very high temps produce more males. I think the key is to find a fairly low pH that can be maintained (because most will be happier) and then play with the temp to see how low you can still get them to breed. For most apistos, if you work at around 6.0pH with little hardness and try to spawn them in about 76 - 78 degrees, you should get more females. But there are a ton of exceptions to this rule, because the type of species is so important in determining the water values to get them to spawn in the first place. I also think that wild are a little different than captive-raised and that the first spawn of a pair is a little different than following spawns.
I am getting a little better at it, but I still haven't figured it out! Neil

 

[Henrique]

Sorry about the wrong place...
Tell me if females are more valious than male in your country.Here in Brazil is difficult to find some apistos females.Is easier buy male.Female some people don t sell.Here we have many borelli,wild agassizi,ramirezis...the price is very good!
Here 1 REAL is the same 2.5 DOLLARS, one wild agassizi I pay 1.5 REAL.Cheap ?One ramirezi I pay 2.0 REAL.One Borelli I pay 4.0 REAL.
All males !!!!!!And sure they don t have a beautiful color.
I looking for a way to breeding more females.

Last week I bouth agassizi reg/gold,one female and one male.it was very expensive,I paid 56.0 REAL both.It was imported.Rigth know they are sick and I know they will die.A big friend said me to put then in a very acid water and hight temperature.He says they are sick because some bacteria.In a second moment(today after my job)I should put a medication and temperature in 36 celsius !!!I know is very dangerous but they are very sick.I shoud try food then with vitamin C .

Ate logo(brasilian word!!mean see you soon)

 

[Neil]

Henrique,
Bummer! Sorry I didn't get to this post sooner. How are they doing now? It would help if we had more info on the symptoms! Usually, you don't want to make a lot of dramatic changes in the temp, or other water values with sick fish, because it will stress their immune system more. If you do anything do it slowly. Let us know. Neil

 

[Henrique]

I am in the wrong place,again?

Hello Neil,
I bougth agassizi red/gold,two male and two female.At moment one male and two female die.Here is very difficult to find apistos and I loose three!!!Very bad...
Actually I have one male agassizi red/god,one agassizi red male and one agassizi red female with medication...

Temperature 29 celsius,soft water,RO water,Ph 6.3 and I add medication called "CLOUT".This medication saved my agassizi red/gold male.Than I am using it.

I hope can save this three apistos.

Ate logo.

 

[aspen]

henrique, it is my understanding that most (all) wild fish come with native fauna attached (parasites). i would expect that a lot of the apistos you get are wilds, since all you have to do is go net them and sell them, where you are. it is a good idea to take care of these things when you purchase fish, no matter where you get them from. i do.

here is an article about recieving wild discus. basically wild apistos are probably carrying most of the same things.

http://pub5.ezboard.com/fhobbyfrm14.showMessage?topicID=8.topic

i de-fluke and de-worm any fish that comes into my house in a quarentine tank upon arrival. by de-fluking i also take care of any other external parasites which may or may not be 'showing'. i use a variety of different meds, including panacur, metronodiazinol, potassium permanganate, formaldehyde- 37%, 'paraguard' and 'quick cure'. i know lots of people are going to get on my case about using meds when not faced with a diseased fish. but i can only say what i do, not what others should or shouldn't do. i try and maintain all of my fish in a healthy condition, and bringing new fish in is a great way to get all of our fish sick. if we do this time after time, then your older fish will have been sick time after time. not good, imo. also imo, meds used on a fish when in good health will have no problem, but a sick fish is most likely to die from a combination of the attack and the med.

hth, rick

 

[Henrique]

Hello Rick,
Last week I bouth four apistos red/gold and was imported(maybe from Germany).I talk to a friend and he said me something about the water...
Before the company export the fishes to Brazil they change the water to alcaline.This is for lower level of amonia,nitrite...When the water becomes alcaline the fish get sick.And they arrive in Brazil not health.He said me this is a true!
Maybe my fish is sick because this problem.
Today i have a agassizii red female almost dead ,one agassizii red/gold male in medication and another one agassizi red male in medication.
I am waiting...
Thanks for your recomendation.
"Até logo."