Substrate
The substrate you are using could be a problem. Sorry I sounded demanding last post, of course it was not in any way intended to make you upset. The substrate materials you are using for appistos my be a problem. First the rocks and sand you are using may not be inert. If you can ,use only silicate sand for apistos. There are two reasons for this , one is hardness, the other is that they drag fins over gravel and it wears them down. I have a thin layer of dark sand in most tanks, with a layer of oak leaf above that. Also pure peat/oak leaf dried after boiling will give you a stable Ph, and lowered TDS over time. Potting soil is not something I would use in any tank, as the possible negative variables are infinite.
The main thing with apistos is to change water frequently, they are very sensitive to nitrate and nitrite levels, rams are the same way. In their natural environment they live in water that is almost devoid of these substances, and they often live at much higher temps than most aqaurium fish. I have collected rams in their native habitat at water temps as high as 87 degrees. I keep my tanks in the lower 80s, and keep rams above 84 at all times. Changing water frequently is the most economical way to keep nitrates and nitrites at a minimum. As far as expenses go, I found that rather than buying substances to artificially stabilize/treat the water, I spent the money for an RO filter and now I never have to buy anything off of the shelf to add to my water for any of my tanks, and it allows me to frequently change large amounts of water for pennies. So that is one reason I recommended it to you. My Ro system has saved me more money than any other single piece of equipment. A friend who manages a large public aquarium told me that the one real trick to seeing fish in their most magnificant colors and to observe natural behavior is that you must do water chages frequently, mechanical/biological filtration is not a substitute for clean water. Most fish live in water that is constantly refreshed and exchanged. The final product of an RO system is devoid of all harmful chemicals, salts and phosphates.......I drink it to!!!!!!
No more bottled water
Finally what I tried to express about apistos last time was that they can in the right conditions provide a hobbyist with more real enjoyment than any other fish, because of their interesting interactions, reproduction and coloration. I know this "hobby" is expensive and sometimes much of this comes from gimmicks and "additives". If you start with the right water it all comes easy.
The substrate you are using could be a problem. Sorry I sounded demanding last post, of course it was not in any way intended to make you upset. The substrate materials you are using for appistos my be a problem. First the rocks and sand you are using may not be inert. If you can ,use only silicate sand for apistos. There are two reasons for this , one is hardness, the other is that they drag fins over gravel and it wears them down. I have a thin layer of dark sand in most tanks, with a layer of oak leaf above that. Also pure peat/oak leaf dried after boiling will give you a stable Ph, and lowered TDS over time. Potting soil is not something I would use in any tank, as the possible negative variables are infinite.
The main thing with apistos is to change water frequently, they are very sensitive to nitrate and nitrite levels, rams are the same way. In their natural environment they live in water that is almost devoid of these substances, and they often live at much higher temps than most aqaurium fish. I have collected rams in their native habitat at water temps as high as 87 degrees. I keep my tanks in the lower 80s, and keep rams above 84 at all times. Changing water frequently is the most economical way to keep nitrates and nitrites at a minimum. As far as expenses go, I found that rather than buying substances to artificially stabilize/treat the water, I spent the money for an RO filter and now I never have to buy anything off of the shelf to add to my water for any of my tanks, and it allows me to frequently change large amounts of water for pennies. So that is one reason I recommended it to you. My Ro system has saved me more money than any other single piece of equipment. A friend who manages a large public aquarium told me that the one real trick to seeing fish in their most magnificant colors and to observe natural behavior is that you must do water chages frequently, mechanical/biological filtration is not a substitute for clean water. Most fish live in water that is constantly refreshed and exchanged. The final product of an RO system is devoid of all harmful chemicals, salts and phosphates.......I drink it to!!!!!!
No more bottled water Finally what I tried to express about apistos last time was that they can in the right conditions provide a hobbyist with more real enjoyment than any other fish, because of their interesting interactions, reproduction and coloration. I know this "hobby" is expensive and sometimes much of this comes from gimmicks and "additives". If you start with the right water it all comes easy.
