How common is infertility?

[Happyfins]

My trifasciata pair have never hatched their eggs. At first I thought they are being eaten but then I realised that they probably should be red in colour rather than transparent in apistogramma.
I guess the question is whether one of my fish is infertile or whether the female lays eggs without the male being in any way involved in the family planning.

 

[gerald]

Maybe it's related to nutrition. Try feeding a more varied diet?

 

[Mike Wise]

Infertility is always a possibility but it is actually rather rare, particularly if the specimens are wildcaugt or a few generations from the wild. It is more likely that the problem is envionmental or, as gerald wrote, nutritional. Fertile apisto eggs can vary in color depending on what they are fed. I've seen clear (more grey-white), white, green and red eggs hatch.

 

[Happyfins]

Just a follow-up to this thread. I now have fry. Only change is that the threadfin rainbows died off and I put some Endler guppies in instead. So I guess patience pays off. Reading the literature I always thought that male trifasciata are quite dominant and aggressive toward the female. Not the case here. Mine stands close by, tolerated by the female and helps chase other fish away half heartedly in a 2 foot tank. I am starting to believe that every fish is individual and all the information about species behaviour is a very rough guide only. Likewise there is no possibility to predict which species and sexes you can successfully mix. It's a matter of trial and error. For me the most important points with keeping apistos are these: you need several tanks to be able to rearrange things if needed, frequent water changes and a varied diet. Then there should be no issues keeping and breeding the common apistos.

 

[Mike Wise]

There are exceptions to every general rule.