How to grow long fins in trifasciata

[Rocket]

Hi guys,

This question bugged me enough to come out of the lurking and actually register to ask this.

I am new to Apistos and am playing with some A.Trifasciatas and I've been seeing specimens with different colours. Along with this variation, there seem to be some differences in fins too, especially the ventrals.

I've been trying to find one with long ventral fins like the google images, but the ones in my fish store have all have blunt stubby fins.

Do they grow back out? Is it an age thing? How do I get one with long fins?

 

[Mike Wise]

Interesting question. I don't think that there is a definitive answer, but I'll give you some things to think about. First, A. trifasciata is a very widespread species and there are many different populations. Some populations appear to naturally have longer fins than others. Second, there are claims - all anecdotal, not scientifically studied - that specimens of A. trifasciata raised in soft water grow longer fins. Now, if your fish have fins that were damaged by shipping or disease there is a good chance they will grow back, but usually not to their full potential. Hope this helps.

 

[Rocket]

Interesting question. I don't think that there is a definitive answer, but I'll give you some things to think about. First, A. trifasciata is a very widespread species and there are many different populations. Some populations appear to naturally have longer fins than others. Second, there are claims - all anecdotal, not scientifically studied - that specimens of A. trifasciata raised in soft water grow longer fins. Now, if your fish have fins that were damaged by shipping or disease there is a good chance they will grow back, but usually not to their full potential. Hope this helps.

Great answer, so pretty much look for the specimen with the most potential, then keep in soft water and treat for disease to bring out the most out of a fish's finnage.

Btw, I took a look around this forum, is there any beginner friendly apistos, with some being more hardy and more readily to breed? For example, I've read trifasciatas are very fierce to the females and thus a pair is usually not a good idea and harem is better, where as Cockatoides are ok as a pair.

Or if not a species then beginner articles etc.

 

[Mike Wise]

Best beginners apistos IMHO are A. borellii, A. sp. Wangenflecken, A. cacatuoides, and A. cf. alacrina Rotpunkt. All adapt and breed in most water conditions and the females are excellent mothers.

 

[Karin]

I have also read somewhere I can´t recall about longer ventral fins in Baenschi fish raised in the softest water… not a scientific paper or so.