Getting Laetacaras into breeding form

[mm12463]

Hi all,

A while back I bought 4 Laetacara dorsigeras. Right now I have 2 in a 10 gallon planted tank I setup just after the new year with 4 rasporas and 3 ottos. (You can see the photo of them here. Second to last post on that page.)

Tank specs:
pH: 6.8
Temp: 78 F
dGH: 161.1 ppm or 9 degrees
dKH: 71.6 ppm or 4 degrees
NH3/NH4+: 0 ppm
NO2-: 0 ppm
NO3: 2.5 ppm
PO4: 0 ppm

I've been feeding them frozen blood worms and brine shrimp, pellets, flake and dried daphnia. I fed them some live adult brine last week when I bought some from my LFS. I don't have access to other live food like black worms.

I have been doing water changes every 3 days right now since the tank has been up for only 3 weeks. Making sure the algae stays in check.

Anyway is there anything else I can do to get them into breeding conditions? BBS is about all I can give them for live food and I know those are not really nutritious.

Anyone have some experience with these guys that can help that would be great. Maybe a water change with a little RO or distilled water to soften it up?

Thanks in advance.

Mike
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[Randall]

Breeding Laetacara dorsigera

Dear Mike,

Assuming your pair are of breeding age, it sounds to me like you're doing an excellent job of getting them into top breeding shape. Looking at your water parameters, I'd do exactly what you say: perform a partial water change with R/O water to soften the moderately hard water in the tank. This should surely help.

Please be patient with them. You write that they've only been in their current set up for three weeks.

Good luck!

Randall Kohn

 

[mikewang]

BBS is very nutritional, one of the best foods for conditioning any fish. adult brine dead or alive, isnt as nutritional. its the yolk sack they have that contain all the goods.

through my research on conditioning apistos and fish in general, frozen blood worms and BBS were number one recommended. though i have no personal experience, i am currently in the same boat as you trying to condition my fish. g luck

 

[mm12463]

I guess I got confused about brine shrimp and nutrition. I must have read it and not realized it was about adult brine and not the BBS. Well guess I'll have to drink a 2 liter of pop tonight and get some hatching.


Thanks for clarifying for me.