Hello in Aurora, CO

[Kevin Fehringer]

Hi! everyone! I'm Kewvin Fehringer, and relatively new to dwarf cichlids. I am fascinated by them, and would learn to keep and breed them. I'm an experienced aquarists of about 40 years off and on. Currently, I mostly breed Africans, but I do have a planted South American tank with angels, cardinals, loaches and Ancistrus. I've tried my hand at Apistos before, but have never been able to keep them for more than six months. I suspect my water is not soft enough and not quite religious enough about the water changes. My goal would be to acquire and breed some A. erythrura"Rio Mamore", but probably need to cut my teeth on something like rams. Whatever advice anyone can give would be greatly appreciated.

On a side note, the Rocky Mountain Cichlid Association will be hosting the 2013 American Cichlid Association conventino in Denver, CO. Look for us on Facebook (Denver ACA 2013). Start making your plans to come as it promises to be a great time!

Kevin

 

[slimbolen99]

Welcome!

Our local club Heart of America Aquarium Society of Kansas City is thinking of renting a bus to the ACA in Denver. If they don't, I'll drive out. Really looking forward to that being my first convention.

So, is your water pretty soft out there? I've spoke to folks out that way that indicate so, but they are scattered around the Denver area. If so, it would be perfect for any apisto or dwarf from South America.

As far as cutting your teeth on something; you know what? If your water is in good shape, and you're willing to do good water changes (probably nothing different than what you do now!), I think you should dive right in. A pet store special of A. agassizi would not be too difficult. Honestly, when I got into apistos, I dove right in with wild fish, and have never had a problem.

Good luck!

 

[Mike Wise]

Welcome Kevin. I've been successfully breeding apistos for over 30 years here in Denver. Your problem is Aurora's water comes from a different source than mine. Yours is mostly from wells and hard and basic. Denver's is from mountain reservoirs and is moderately soft and neutral. Yours is great for rift lake ciclids; mine for softwater cichlids. Sadly, A. erythrura isn't commonly available in North America anymore. I know I'd like to try them again. Anyone going to Bolivia? Bob Grauer and I talked about me being a speaker at the ACA convention next year. It looks like I'll be speaking - if I survive my 4 weeks in the Amazon later in the year.

 

[Kevin Fehringer]

Mike, I had no idea you were a moderator here! I was excited when Bob talked to me about the possibility of you speaking at ACA. I haven't had the pleasure of listening to you speak before, but listening to your occassional comment at the meetings has convinced me that you have a thing or two to share.

Bolivia?! When are you going there? That sounds like a lot of fun. I'd like to go to South America sometime, but that is quite a few years away. I'd probably want to go to Peru though if I had my druthers.

I don't find many dwarves around here. I usually go to Todd's or Sherman. If there somewhere else here in town that regularly has some. If not, who would I go to on-line that has a good selection and that I can trust?

Anyway, yeah, you're suspicion is correct. My tap water is relatively neutral, but a GH of 120 ppm and KH of 180 ppm. I am leery of jumping into anything expensive right now until I gain the confidence that I've got it down. I've had horrible luck with various Apistogramma and Pelvicachromis. They'll start out fine, but in about a month, I'll lose one. Then a few weeks later another. This keeps up until they are all gone in a matter of about six months. I know they won't last forever, but I thought I should be able to get a few years out of them anyway. The way they dwindled away has me convinced that the water quality wasn't what was needed. I sometimes get a little lackidaisical about my water changes, but it is generally about 30% every week. I filter the tank with peat and/or almond leaves. Suggestions?

 

[Mike Wise]

Right now I'm only thinking of my upcoming trip to Peru. Bolivia is in the distant future, if ever. I never find any unusual apistos in Denver anymore. Like most other places in the US, it's a desert out there. I usually go to the ACA convention and buy there, trade with other apisto breeders - or go collect my own. Your carbonate hardness is really high; great for rifters, bun not for most apistos. In the 'old day' we would remove some of the KH by boiling water, let it cool to room temperature and then siphon off the top 2/3 of the water. I think about the only thing you can do with your water is mix it 50/50 with distilled/RO/DI water and treat the result in a separate vat using a LOT of peat. Other than that, all I can suggest is keeping whitewater species until you can find a way to get softer water (maybe move to Denver proper?)