Need to no 100% whether male or female...

[Darkstorm1976]

Normally it's obvious, but this one is a puzzle..
MacMasteri Red neck, quite large (if female) and colouring has changed since I got 'him'.. Both the male I got him with has rejected him, and so has my 'other female'.. He's been moved to his own tank and coloured up, but he confuses not just me, but the place I bought him from.
He's very colourful for a female if he turns out to be one, I have other female, and this one is different.. Markings do not ring true with the usual colourings, apart from a lot of yellow near his head and his vent fins. He was sold as a female, but I have my doubts.....

 

[gerald]

Looks female to me, except for red edging on tail. Big old females can sometimes get male-like colors and fin extensions. I'm not sure your fish is 100% certain of its own sex!

 

[Darkstorm1976]

I've got a couple of other females, and have had them in the past, and never had one quite like this one. Bigger than the average female, my male doesn't like her, the females don't like her, and she doesn't like either sex :/

 

[gerald]

In that case I stand by my previous claim: " I'm not sure your fish is 100% certain of its own sex!" They can sometimes change sex (F to M), and who knows what effects all those plastics we use in their tanks, air fresheners, hand lotions, and other household chemicals might do to their hormone balance.

 

[GPistos]

I would say it is female. and takes on breeding color occasionally. If you want to experiment then prepare a 30x30 tank and pair her every three weeks with one gender. put only one hiding cave. and do 50% every 4th day of week, and you will know for certain

 

[Darkstorm1976]

You can see the size differences here: First photo is another, smaller female

 

[Darkstorm1976]

This picture is my other macmasteri male - tank he came from at lfs had some undesirable tank mates hence the unfortunate loss of his dorsal tips. He's already bred twice with the resident female and has 7 week old fry in the tank (photo below)..

 

[Darkstorm1976]

7 week old fry

 

[GPistos]

View attachment 7400 View attachment 7403 View attachment 7404

You can see the size differences here: First photo is another, smaller female

You are a lucky guy! you have beautiful female. You will be so happy when you have offspring from this female.
It is a female, by just look at that male showing off to her

Get her to breed and let me know if you will give me their fry

 

[Darkstorm1976]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1760677087325878

 

[Darkstorm1976]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1760676053992648

 

[Darkstorm1976]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1753672544692999

 

[Ade205]

Hi Darkstorm.

Notice by telly in background your in UK!! Just wondered were abouts and if you know any good aquatic shops that sell apistos?
I'm in the Midlands and there's not much near me... can find Cacs locally and that's pretty much it!

Anyways, nice to see other UK Apisto fans around! And you Steri's look great!

Ade.

 

[Darkstorm1976]

Hi Darkstorm.

Notice by telly in background your in UK!! Just wondered were abouts and if you know any good aquatic shops that sell apistos?
I'm in the Midlands and there's not much near me... can find Cacs locally and that's pretty much it!

Anyways, nice to see other UK Apisto fans around! And you Steri's look great!

Ade.

Thanks I'm from 'Sunny Manchester' well, Glossop to be exact. I tend to go to the Abyss in Stockport, they get some nice specimens in from time to time

 

[Darkstorm1976]

 

[Tom C]

I'm sorry to say so, but your substrate is not the best for Apistogramma.
So I repeat what I've posted earlier:

Apistogramma belong to the tribe Geophagini, which means that they "eat earth". This is a very frequent and natural behavior, they will normally sift the substrate almost all day long.

I strongly believe that most Apistogramma species won't thrive in the long term without fine sand on the bottom.

Frank Schäfer (Aquarium Glaser, Germany), wrote not long ago:
"Especially the sand is important and the meaning of it often underestimated.
In fact the sand is more important than the water chemistry (hardness, pH).
In the wild, these fish feed mainly on particles they find in the sand.
To find them the fish takes a mouth full of sand, chews the sand and releases the sand through the gill openings.
Food particles attach on special anatomical structures on the gill arches and can be swallowed subsequently.
In case an Apistogramma can find no sand it comes in a situation comparably to humans that get no opportunity to clean their teeth.
This may work for a while, but in most cases sooner or later one becomes sick of it."

This is one of the habitats where I have collected Apistogramma:

Sand almost as fine as flour, and leaf litter.

And this is how Apistos look like most of the time, when they have the right substrate, when they let the fine sand out again:

 

[GPistos]

I'm sorry to say so, but your substrate is not the best for Apistogramma.
So I repeat what I've posted earlier:

Apistogramma belong to the tribe Geophagini, which means that they "eat earth". This is a very frequent and natural behavior, they will normally sift the substrate almost all day long.

I strongly believe that most Apistogramma species won't thrive in the long term without fine sand on the bottom.

Maybe you are right but I never used sand for apistos. I use bare bottom all black and it seems to be good for them, easy to maintain and stuff like that.
And also, for the record, I do species tank only.

But I agree, the substrate as big than 0.4mm may not be the best for apistos, as they will dig, but I don't see any sharp edge on substrate so as of now I think if Darkstrom introduces some dry leaves like Almond leaves etc, it should work in their favor.

Cheers!

 

[Darkstorm1976]

It's not a gravel substrate but a plant substrate, so won't cause them any harm if they dig into it, all the grains are round, and no more than 0.2mm, and it's clay based so crushes easily in between my fingers. I also have a manado type media just underneath which is finer (less than 0.1), also a plant substrate.. Sand is not one of my favourite medias, for various reasons, I have a planted tank and some plants don't like sand. I had a male live nearly 4 years in my tank, and he was huge .

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Maybe you are right but I never used sand for apistos. I use bare bottom all black and it seems to be good for them, easy to maintain and stuff like that.

It is like @Tom C says they are geophagine ciclids, so sifting through the substrate, (sand, mud, leaf fragments etc.) is part of their natural behaviour.

I've kept Apistogramma spp. with a finer moler clay based media, and they were fine, and did sift through it, but my preference would always be for sand.

A major reason for me for having a substrate (and plants) is that makes makes the maintenance of water quality easier, because you have a much larger area where nitrification (and denitrification) can take place. I'm not always able to maintain the tanks, and I'm often away with work for extended time periods.

Sand is not one of my favourite medias, for various reasons, I have a planted tank and some plants don't like sand.

I mix a small amount of leaf mold and clay in the lower layer of the substrate when I start the tank, it gives a small amount of CEC and some slow release carbon. If you leave your substrate relatively undisturbed it should be fine for Echinodorus, Cryptocoryne spp. etc. which are described as "heavy root feeders".

cheers Darrel

 

[Darkstorm1976]

Interesting interactions between parents and 10 week old fry, she tilts her side at her mum, and neither parents seem to be bothered at this stage about her still loitering