Double Red Agassizii Harem?

[ManFromGalilee]

Seeking help.

I have a young pair of A. agassizii "Double Red" in a 30 gallon moderately planted aquarium. The plants are mostly Crypts, Anubias nana, and Java Ferns, and tank mates include Japonica shrimp, and a couple Otocinclus, a pair of Endlers Livervbearers, and two Malayan Halfbeaks.

The two apistos I have had for about 10 days or so; the male is very aggressive, always chasing the female around, always. She seems to be ok, but I am wondering if I should pick up a second female to have a harem? Is that a good idea? Will his aggression towards her diminish without a second female?

Food issue: They both try to eat flake food, but every flake she eats gets broken up and passed through her gills. Has anyone seen this and what can I do?

Also looking for more information on keeping and breeding apistos.

Thanks for you help

 

[Mike Wise]

Welcome to the forum!

An extra female is a good idea. It spreads the male's "ardor" between 2 females. Please make sure that there are enough hiding places for the new female. It is a good idea to remove all of them for a short period, move some of the decorations around a bit, and then introduce them all at one time. This allows all of them to find a new territory at the same time. Otherwise the new female might get picked on by both of your older fish.

As for the flake food, what you have seen is fairly common. Apistos need to be trained to eat flakes, & then most eat it only grudgingly. Try frozen foods mixed with the flakes for a few days. They eventually get the idea. I personally use live & frozen food almost exclusively.

 

[ManFromGalilee]

Thank you!