Infertility question

[Woody]

My fish have been giving plenty of spawns lately, just newly established pairs, young fish, species include, Cacs orange flash, borelli, hongsloi, dolly Pebas, laetacara curiviceps, baetinaita (sp). If had two spawns of each, and right now am sitting on spawns of three of them.
Water works at the city says the pH is 7.4, hardness, 67 PPM. I feed the breeders twice a day, high quality flake in the morning, bloodworms, brine shrimp, white worms or earthworms in the evening. I rotate these feeds. I should add here I do a 20% water change almost daily. Depending on my schedule.
The question I have is that all spawns the eggs are infertile. How many spawning attempts until the males get it right.
I have a borelli spawn that the eggs are still red after two days. I'm hoping. Just wondering what I can do to help the breeders along. Lower the hardness with some RO water, or just give them some more time to get it right.

Need some of your peoples experience here, I want to invest in some Viejita, Macmasteri, and a few other unnamed species.

ANy suggestions. Thanks

 

[a.d.wood]

Hi there,

From my own experience, I would say the pH and hardness need to come down to get fertile eggs. Reasoning behind this is my recent success with Apisto panduro and Apisto eremnopyge.

I've had numerous spawns from these fish but never any fry. Originally they were in filtered tap water (pH 7.3, GH 8 degrees and KH 3 degrees), I've now switched to 100% RO (filtered through peat, pH 6, GH 1, KH 0) and I'm now sitting with fry from 1 pair of Apisto eremnopyge and 3 pairs of Apisto panduro.

From discussions with Peter (Lovett) the reasoning is that with the elevated hardness, Calcium deposits on the egg prevent the sperm from fertilising the egg (probably just 1 factor, but a pretty major 1!!).

Regards

Andrew

 

[Peter Lovett1]

Well IMHO I think that if you drop drop your PH to about 6 to 6.5. You should have more luck. Peat does this very well. The water in my fish house seem to get most fish to spawn successfully and the includes fish from Brazil Columbia and Peru and not just apistos but other dwarf as well.

 

[Woody]

Thanks for the information. I will try some peat, but the good news is that my last batch of borelli have hatched, have about fifty little babies.
I have a large water container about forty five gallons that I cure water for changes. I plan on adding peat to it and use that water for water changes that way I can slowly lower the pH and hardness.
I set it up today.

Thanks for the advice

Woody

 

[Calow]

Viejita

I have a pair of Apistogramma Viejita in a community tank. I have had two successful spawns from these.
My tank is heavily planted with java fern and I have small clay plots upturned amongst the fern.
The first lot of fry I removed to a smaller tank after a few days and the lastest have just hatched.
Mother takes great care of the fry and keeps the other fish in the tank a bay.
Now I am hoping to get an even match of sexes.