Female conditioning

[Apistoman]

Hi all, Ive had a pair of apisto papagei for a few months now, ive got the water down to a pH of 6.5 as the water is hard and alkaline in my area and the female occasionally turns yellow for a short period of time. They are fed pellets, frozen tubiflex, daphina and very very occasionally blood worm. Is there anything else i can do to be inducing breeding? they have a cave etc... Opinions will be much appreciated!

 

[bseitz234]

I might suggest trying to get the pH a little lower- peat filtration of RO or rainwater would help- since TomC's account of collecting papagei lists the conditions he found them in as having a pH of 5.10...
http://apisto.sites.no/page.aspx?PageId=52

 

[Apistoman]

Thanks, any other easier methods though. Ive got 3 large indian almond leaves in a 15 gallon tank would it be worth putting any more in?

 

[Mike Wise]

Live foods really help, especially high protein and higher fat foods like white/grindal/chopped earthworms. These aren't absolutely needed, but get the female filled with eggs faster. I definitely prefer a mostly live food diet. As beseitz recommended more acidic water will usually result in more live eggs and hatched fry. Instead of Indian Almond leaves (rather expensive for water treatment), I suggest circulating water through sphagnum peat. Depending on how hard your water actually is, it should drop the pH below 6; a better breeding value for A. sp. Papagei.

 

[Apistoman]

Thanks for the advice, but is it possible to breed them in conditions above pH6?

 

[bseitz234]

They might try, but I doubt you'll hatch (m)any eggs...