Help ID Please

[Damonc]

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

I bought these from a breeder that said they were Apistogramma Veijita II

This is the photo on the website of what they were supposed to look like.

And this is what I have in my tank.

 

[Damonc]

Let me know if you need better pictures.

 

[Mike Wise]

Well, the top photo is a typical specimen of the domestic color form of A. macmasteri that in the trade is called "A. viejita II". The bottom photos are probably the same color form of A. macmasteri that need more color enhancing foods.

 

[Damonc]

Well, the top photo is a typical specimen of the domestic color form of A. macmasteri that in the trade is called "A. viejita II". The bottom photos are probably the same color form of A. macmasteri that need more color enhancing foods.

I feed color enhancing flake, veggie flake and fozen blood worms.

Would you recomend something else?

 

[Erik82]

If you are able to get a lot living food like White/ black mosquito larvae or cyclobs, I would recommend that. Besides that, frozen food like, white/ black mosquito larvae, cyclobs and artemia are also good food. I would limit the number of feeding bloodworms. Once in one or two weeks is in my opinion aceptable. To much bloodworm's is not that good for your fish (they grow on 'polluted' mud)

 

[Mike Wise]

... frozen food like, white/ black mosquito larvae

Erik, I really envy you Europeans who can buy frozen black mosquito larvae. In the US we only get red (bloodworms) and white (glassworms). I know that I can produce my own by culturing live mosquitos, but I don't think the neighbors (or the city) would appreciate it because our mosquitoes can carry West Nile Virus. Does anyone in the US know of a commercial source for frozen black mosquito larvae?

 

[Ruki]

The best living food for enchanting colors is Artemia and Copepods(for example Cyclop). It's because of Astaxantine in their bodies(thanks to this Salmons in shops are pink :biggrin
I'm never feeding my fishes bloodworms or Tubifex, nor live nor frozen. For me they are to dangerous because of toxins and other bad things in their bodies. I won;t risk life of my fishes.

P.S.

Erik, I really envy you Europeans who can buy frozen black mosquito larvae. In the US we only get red (bloodworms) and white (glassworms).

Wow! In one thing Poland has better! :biggrin:
And we can hatch mosquitos without a fear of West Nile Virus. :wink:

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
We don't have WN disease in the UK either. I culture my own mosquito larvae in the summer. I use a black 5 Gallon "builders bucket" filled with rainwater with a handful of dry leaves and a handful of glass clippings added. I put it somewhere shady and float a cork in it (the mosquito female needs somewhere to perch why she lays her eggs). If you want to contain the grass clippings, you can tie them up in a stocking. If the water begins to clear and mosquito larvae production drops off, add some more grass clippings.

Works really well, and you get bloodworms from the leaf litter as a bonus all through the summer and well into the winter. I've never had any problems with home grown bloodworms, but I've never fed frozen or collected them from anywhere else.

I use the same basic set up for Daphnia/Ostracods as well, but put the bucket where it gets 1/2 sun 1/2 shade, and you obviously have to add a starter culture. Ostracods (sometimes called "seed shrimps") are a real favourite with the fish, although a lot of the literature says fish don't like them, mine obviously can't read.

The real advantage of Ostracods is that they are naturally animals of ephemeral pools and can encyst. This means that you can dry the bucket out and store the leaf litter. When you add water (even years afterwards) within 2 weeks you have loads of Ostracods, it's like magic (or BBS).

cheers Darrel