New home for trifasciata

[Erol]

Hi everybody,
I'm new to this forum and sorry for my english.
I prepared a planted aquarium for apistogramma trifasciata that's dimension 60x40x40high. There's 3 otocinclus, 6 nannostomus beckfordi, few amano and cherry shrimps with nerite snails in it. I need some advices about male/female numbers for this tank. Can i have a trifasciata harem like 1m/2-3f or is it better to keep going with a pair for this tank?
Thanks for your answers.

 

[Mike Wise]

Go with a trio in this tank. Although a smaller apisto, males of A. trifasciata are highly aggressive toward females not ready to breed. I also suggest that you put a pieces of floating pipe in the aquarium. It is a good place for fish that cannot establish a territory to hide off of the bottom.

 

[Erol]

Thank u for your advices Mike, i have a few coconut caves behind the rocks that's not seen at photo. Trio is also what i want; i am just afraid about the status of the female left alone if i have a breeding pair, especially the agression of the breeding female makes me thinking...

 

[Mike Wise]

A. trifasciata is a polygamous species. Don't be surprised if both females have spawns at the same time. Caves are not territorial boundaries. Try it the way it is. Just don't be surprised if only 2 of the trio split the tank into 2 territories.

 

[Erol]

Thank you Mike,
I understand what u mean. I try to split the tank more than 2 territories with another material other than caves. If both females have spawns at the same time, what happens to male, which territories does it prefer to live?
Sorry for my questions, i had agassizii and cacatuoides pairs before but never have a trio or harem. I don't have enough knowledge about behaviours of apistos if there is more than 2.

 

[Mike Wise]

The male will not be welcome in either females' brood territory. If they are super-protective of their fry - and the male has no 'neutral area' in which to live - the females could kill the male. That is why I recommend the tank be organized so that each fish has a territory of its own and to add a floating pipe at the top as a refuge for any loser.

 

[Erol]

Thank you for advices. Yesterday I bought 1 male and 1 female trifasciatas. There were lots of male, but only one female at the lfs. So I had to bought a pair. Still searching for the second female... I found that trifasciata is very shy. Always hiding in caves, between rocks and plants. There were pencil fishes but I also introduced amano and cherry shrimps in to the tank. But their shyness still continue.

 

[chris1805]

adding a new female later on will bring lot's of trouble, i would not suggest doing that. If you add a female later the other 2 have already devided the tank in 2 territories. If you add a third, it will definetly be in trouble. Adding one later only works in big tanks, even thought that is questionable i think.

 

[Erol]

Thanks for every answer, Mike and Chris.

 

[Erol]

...and these are my new friends.

 

[chris1805]

I don't want to stress you out, but that female does not really look like a female if you ask me. I am not an expert at the trifasciata though maybe mikes knows it

 

[Erol]

Why do you think that it doesn't look like a female, Chris? It has a small yellow body and black paintings on its ventral fins like other apistogramma females.

 

[Erol]

Ok, new video new question; is it female or male??

 

[Mike Wise]

The worrisome feature for me are the slightly extended anterior dorsal spines and the pattern on the caudal fin. Neither of these are typical for females. Could this be a 'sneeker male'?? I can't really say.

 

[chris1805]

For me it's also the red in the top fin which most females should lack right? Also the shining blue features in the head, i know tank bred ones can show this but still questionable. Also the extended dorsal find is a thing.

 

[Erol]

I put a mirror in the tank and take some videos, than show a friend here that has hundreds of trifasciata in his tanks. He can't say anything about the gender of the fish.
Take a look... All of them are the same fish, with and without the certain male.

 

[MickeM]

I guess it is a sneaker-male...
Here are some of my old female pics to compare with..

 

[Erol]

Thanks for help, i decided that it's a sneaker male and need to change with a true female.

 

[Erol]

Hello again, I found a female at last. (I hope it's a female) It has a more yellowish body, shorter dorsal fins, less blue shinning blue features. Still has red in the top fin, but it looks like more female than the other ones. Its first day at tank, tries to swim around but the larger male is a little bit aggressive to her. I hope that she quickly get used to her new home.

 

[Erol]

At last she found a cave and started to protect her area.