First Timer with Apistogramma!

[Crazygar]

Firstly, this will my first time owning anything related to the Cichlid family! Not even an Angel Fish! ( )

I am currently undertaking my most massive project in which I am creating a Colombian Biotope tank. It will be planted and stocked with Colombian fish. But I am having a hard time with Apistogramma (cacutoides) biotopes.

Does anyone know of (or have) pictures of ACTUAL habitats in which Apistogramma cacutoides live in? This would help me greatly!

Gary

 

[Seb]

heres some stuff i found when looking up a few weeks earlier:

they live in 'Peru and a bit into Brazil', so I'm sure about them being colombian, but this site says a bit about them and has a picture that I think might look like where they come from:

http://www.characin.com/carey/species/cichlid/apistos/a_cacatuoides.html

also: ' A. cacatuoides inhabits small streams, lagoons and lakes in the rain forest. This species typically prefers shallow zones where thick layers of leaf litter and pieces of wood provide shelter'

hope it helps

 

[Crazygar]

Yeah, its a good start. I've compiled a great deal of information on these little guys (still wonder why I have never owned these previously!?!) I am looking for pictures of their natural habitat. I know folks go collecting, but never take pictures of the area (and underwater) scenery.

I prefer the Wild caught ones over the "Double/Triple/Flashes" as I want my tank to look as natural as one can get.

Gary

 

[Mike Wise]

I want my tank to look as natural as one can get.

The natural biotope of A. cacatuoides would not make a pretty tank. The substrate is mud & clay covered by a layer of dead & decaying leaves of varying depth, as well as (sometimes algae covered) brush & bog wood. Very few live plants occur, and those that do are semi-aquatic bog plants (Spathophyllum & Echinodoras). The leaves are almost always above water.

As previously stated, A. cacatuoides is primarily a Peruvian Amazon fish with some forms distributed along the upper part of the Brazilian Amazon (Rio Solimões) as far east as the Rio Manacapuru, just west of Manaus. There is a form from the Rio Putumayo, the border between northeastern Peru & southeastern Colombia, but this slender bodied form is not commercially collected.

 

[Crazygar]

Yeah, I figured the Mud covered bottom would be an issue. I plan to use a densely planted tank (all Colombian Aquatic plants which are mainly Pan-Tropical), driftwood and stones.

For dithers I have Emperor Tetra. I know at least a fine sandy substrate is welcome by most of the inhabitants (Corydoras metae).

But I still make some "alterations" to suit these fine fish. The wild ones look nicer than the "morphs".

Gary

 

[wass29]

Hey, Crazygar
Did you get the tank put together yet. How does it look? Can you post some pic's here do we can all see.

Later.
Wass

 

[Crazygar]

Nope, still working on the layout. Making sure everything is;

a) Arranged properally
b) Equipment in 100% working order
c) Everything is still accessable (working on moving the tank location by 1ft)
d) Everything is assembled and "ready" to go

Then I will start with laying down the substrate and then the final planting. I plan to fishless cycle for about 2 months before moving in my first batch of fish (Otocinclus of course). Secondly will be the Apistogramma and then the Corydoras Catfish. After all has been settled, the Emperor Tetra. This way, the Apisto's can stake out their boundries.

Gary

 

[Cichlid Junkie]

The anticipation is almost as bad as when I'm setting up one of my own tanks!

 

[Crazygar]

I want to start it right now, but I know I'd have to tear it down again. I've done this with a 55GAL and it was a long long endeavour. I wish to do this right the first time around. Who knows, I have a feeling I will get hooked on Apistogramma (already like them) and get some A.borelli and others in time.

Gary

 

[wass29]

I agree, I have the same problem with setting up the tank. I don't mind waiting to cycle the tank cause atleast then I have the water and plants and stuff to look at. But just waiting to set it up and thinking about what fish to put in it and what they will look like and who they will get along with and all of that other $*!t like that. That is what kills me. I just set up a 10 gallon in my office cause I got some Apisto's the other day and now I want to try to breed them and well wouldn't ya know it they need a new home if I want to do that. I tell my wife I don't spend money on drugs it just costs the same sometimes...

Later
Wass

 

[gophersnake13]

WOW!!! I am going to be making a Bio-Tope Tank too.

It is going be a Yavari River Tributary Bio-tope.

Now this is a habitat that Cacatuoides lives in that is slightly more forgiving environment than more commonly seen in. I have yet to do much research but this environment would be natural, and accurate even though you won't use mud and other things.

Good Luck, I know I will need it.

 

[Mike Wise]

The Rio Yavarí is actually only a white water river close to its mouth. Its water level in influenced by the height of the Rio Ucayali into which it flows. Kullander (1986) writes, "The Yavarí is a narrow (c. 80 m) white-water river, with long sand playas and lined by many lakes that dry up during the vaciante (low water season)." He reports that the water is turbid, so I imagine that most of the plants are either bog plants whose leaves are growing above the water or floating plants. Above the mouth most of the tributaries actually carry clear- & blackwater - the homes of A. nijsseni & A. panduro.

 

[gophersnake13]

Thanks now I don't have to do an hour of research to find that out.
I was wondering is there a specific area that A. cacatuoides resides?
Like a specific river or lake or somthing?

 

[Mike Wise]

A. cacatuoides is found in clear- & whitewater streams from Pucallpa (Rio Ucayali) to Tabatinga on the Peruvian Amazon. It (or something very similar) is also found in the Rio Algodon (Putumayo system) in northern Peru, and rare specimens were found in clear- to blackwater biotopes near Manaus, Brazil. Usually it is the only apisto where it it found, but sometimes occurs with A. agassizii & some forms of the eunotus-complex.

 

[Crazygar]

Sorry for the long absence folks, but if you click this "link" you'll see the Colombiatope tank "work in progress". Extremely picture intensive (along with my ever rambling) thread!

http://forum.apistogramma.com/showthread.php?p=17531#post17531

gophersnake13; It took me many months to find ANY kind of information on A.cacutoides amongst other articles on Bolivan Rams, other Apisto sites and contacting numerous people on the web. I have left some good information with Rhett on Mongabay about "Colombian" plants if you are interested. Or you can PM me and I'll send you a list. Mongabay also has a good amount of info on geographic specific fishes endemic to the areas.

Gary