ivanacara bimaculata

[rasmusW]

hi all!

i thought it was about time to show my i. bimaculata..
i'm doing it in this thread so i don't hijack feetPixels thread more than necessary.
tomorrow i'll pick up two more, which i very much hope is both females. i don't want five males...

they are absolutely beautiful fish. still a bit skitish, when i approach the tank. but it's getting better.
it's not the best pictures, but what i can manage at the moment.

i'm also working on setting up my next 155 liter, but theres still some work to be done before i can show any of that.

-r

 

[ButtNekkid]

That tank is absolutely perfect!

 

[rasmusW]

Thank you. Much appreciated.
I’m quite pleassed with it aswell.

-r

 

[Fayej]

hi all!

i thought it was about time to show my i. bimaculata..
i'm doing it in this thread so i don't hijack feetPixels thread more than necessary.
tomorrow i'll pick up two more, which i very much hope is both females. i don't want five males...

they are absolutely beautiful fish. still a bit skitish, when i approach the tank. but it's getting better.
it's not the best pictures, but what i can manage at the moment.

i'm also working on setting up my next 155 liter, but theres still some work to be done before i can show any of that.
View attachment 13180View attachment 13181View attachment 13182View attachment 13183

-r

Where are you purchasing your fish? I am looking for this same fish...

 

[rasmusW]

They are in sale from a swedish wholesale.

-r

 

[rasmusW]

Hi all!

I think (with big emphasis on think) that the last two fish i got is a male and a female. They are a bit smaller than the others, so i imagine they are from a later batch or just smaller…
They are in a seperate tank untill i get the other 155 liter up and running.
Question is, if i infact do have a female, should i then try to pair her with the alpha male of the established tank or keep the two as is?
And then figure out what to do with three males. I would be more than happy to have two tanks with these beauties, but at the other hand it also feels a bit waste of space with the three males.
I haven’t decided on anything and will not untill i am more sure of my assumptions.

Any thoughts are more than welcome.

-r

 

[Apistoguy52]

Where are you purchasing your fish? I am looking for this same fish...

Find shoreline aquatics in Washington. IIRC, I seem to recall Thomas posting some on aquabid recently.

 

[rasmusW]

Hi all!

Today, i carried in my new tank (wife helped me do the lifting). The stand is done. Now the wood needs to get waterlogged and i need some Dark Brown or black cardboard for the backwall, then i can start to really “move in”..
-but i couldn’t help playing a bit with decor.
So here is my plan so far.
pump and heater is going to be placed in the right back side.
As for plants, I think i’ll add my cyperus helferi and nymphea lotus. Though not biotope correct. Most of the helferi’s will cover the hardware..

-r

 

[rasmusW]

Hi all!

Does anyone know if females show the black spot at the center of middle band more often than males, or is that more of a mood thing?

-r

 

[Mike Wise]

Sexually mature female are easy to distinguish from males. Females show a white patch around the anus, males do not.

 

[anewbie]

Oh my - i'm not sure the lady will like us looking at her ass. At least we now have a good excuse.

 

[rasmusW]

Sexually mature female are easy to distinguish from males. Females show a white patch around the anus, males do not.

Thanks Mike! That one i knew aswell.

-r

 

[rasmusW]

Hi all!

Here is a picture of the fish i really really hope is a female, though i am starting to doubt it.
edit: it's around 4,5-5 cm tl.
it doesn't show the white patch around the anus, atleast none that i can see, but maybe i need to "learn what to look for"...

it's certainly not the best pictures ( a bit blurry).
i put it in a small breeding box to take the pictures and wanted to be quick about it so i hopefully didn't stress it too much.
what is your verdict? male or female.

-r

 

[Mike Wise]

Hopefully it is not fully mature. At 5cm/2" TL it probably is still not sexually mature. Here is what the white patch should look like:

 

[rasmusW]

Yeah! Really crossing fins and fingers aswell.
Thanks again for helping out.

-r

 

[Fayej]

Hi all!

I think (with big emphasis on think) that the last two fish i got is a male and a female. They are a bit smaller than the others, so i imagine they are from a later batch or just smaller…
They are in a seperate tank untill i get the other 155 liter up and running.
Question is, if i infact do have a female, should i then try to pair her with the alpha male of the established tank or keep the two as is?
And then figure out what to do with three males. I would be more than happy to have two tanks with these beauties, but at the other hand it also feels a bit waste of space with the three males.
I haven’t decided on anything and will not untill i am more sure of my assumptions.

Any thoughts are more than welcome.

-r

Let her select...jmo

 

[rasmusW]

Let her select...jmo

It was a male too…

Yesterday, i spotted what seems to be the alpha male with some kind of white spot in one corner of his mouth. I think and hope its a wound and it will heal again. To be on the safe side i netted him out and gave him a small tub for himself. I don’t want to risk any disease spreading.
He eats as normal, nothing odd in his swimming pattern or general behavior. -so no alerts come to mind there.
Water is 25c. Sorry, i haven’t got any other readings.

Here is a few pictures of him. Its the lump on fishmouth left side (-sorry, for the phone quality).

Any thoughts are welcome.

-r

 

[rasmusW]

Hey again!

I’m starting to get a bit worried if this is “Hole in the head” disease.
The two biggest males has this. First i thought it was just because the two of them where fighting and chasing each other, but now i fearing the worst.
I will do daily waterchanges and up the temperature a bit.
Here is a couple of pictures of the two.
Sorry for the phone quality.

Any thoughts?

-r

 

[Fayej]

Maybe add some salt to the water? That was an old school remedy for some wounds you weren't sure of...

 

[MacZ]

I’m starting to get a bit worried if this is “Hole in the head” disease.

Doubt it.
Do you see any of these symptoms?
White stringy feces? Bloated? Loss of appetite?

I will do daily waterchanges and up the temperature a bit.

Waterchanges: Good!
Temperature: You're trying to prevent a bacterial infection from spreading if it is one, so LOWER the temp!
(In case it's Hexamita/Spironucleus the same applies. Monocellular parasites love warm temperatures. Exception is Ichthyophthirius multifillis.)

If you want to be sure get a med against Hexamita and similar parasites to have at hand and keep an eye on it.

I personally think it's a fleshwound on both males.

Salt can be helpful but only in a hospital tank or as a bath.