Nijsenni and Panduro

[Levin Tilghman]

They are strikingly similar. How are they distinguished?

 

[Mike Wise]

Males: shape of dorsal spines - serrated front on panduro, low, more even on nijsseni; shape of caudal spot: horizontally extended into caudal fin on panduro, rounded on nijsseni.

Females: facial pattern - cheek stripe on panduro, gill cover and face to lips mostly black on nijssen; lateral spot - broad vertical band or large blotch on ventral half of flanks on panduro, large blotch that covers most of flanks (not just the lower half) on nijsseni; caudal spot - horizontal oval shape that extend well into the caudal fin on panduro, smaller round spot mostly on caudal peduncle on nijsseni.

Both are wonderful fish to keep. I personally prefer (and keep) A. nijsseni. For me, although harder to breed, nijsseni is more colorful.

 

[chris1805]

Oh that is quite funny mike, i always think the Panduro's are more colourfull hehe. I also found that indeed the nijsseni are harder to breed. Panduros seem to breed like rabbits if they have bonded and you provide them with soft water.

 

[Mike Wise]

To each their own; beauty is in the eye of the beholder. A. nijsseni is deeper blue than A. panduro and the females ... no contest. I agree A. nijsseni is harder to get to breed, but even a lazy apisto breeder likes a challenge once in a while.

 

[chris1805]

Certainly no contest and true everyone likes a challenge every once in a while. Unless that challenge provides you a blue algae farm...

 

[Ttw]

Ah, blue algae (actually blue-green). I think that may be a key to the dark blue fish we catch in the wild. The sp. Pebas and urteagi are examples of two that were both caught in cow pastures that were rich in blue green algae. Once in our aquariums they tend to fade. Strangely at least to me spirolina does not help the coloration.

 

[Bart Hazes]

Ah, blue algae (actually blue-green). I think that may be a key to the dark blue fish we catch in the wild. The sp. Pebas and urteagi are examples of two that were both caught in cow pastures that were rich in blue green algae. Once in our aquariums they tend to fade. Strangely at least to me spirolina does not help the coloration.

You made my day. I have two tanks with serious blue-green algae but I've been hesitant to give them a thorough overhaul as there are breeding apistos in them. Some of the biotope footage also shows plants heavily coated in detritus and algae with happy fish swimming all around. I bet the algae mats are a smorgasbord of food for small fish and fry.

 

[chris1805]

You made my day. I have two tanks with serious blue-green algae but I've been hesitant to give them a thorough overhaul as there are breeding apistos in them. Some of the biotope footage also shows plants heavily coated in detritus and algae with happy fish swimming all around. I bet the algae mats are a smorgasbord of food for small fish and fry.

You are correct. We are the only ones caring about algae.. our fish definetly don't unless ofcourse there is to much blue algae in your tank, or your fish thrive on the oxygen your plants provide and all of your plants die due to the algae.

 

[Bart Hazes]

Here is a pic of some sword plant leafs covered in algae with some of the Apistogramma ortegai fry that got their first outing yesterday.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Here is a pic of some sword plant leafs covered in algae with some of the Apistogramma ortegai fry that got their first outing yesterday.

I'm a bit of of a <"periphyton, biofilm or aufwuchs"> fan as well for fry.

I also like an <"exposed sponge"> and a <"big wodge of moss"> the same reason, it provides a lot of fry browsing surfaces.

cheers Darrel

 

[gerald]

There's a LOT of different blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)! The slimy dark mat-forming ones that are common in aquaria (Oscillatoria, Phormidium, etc) are not bad about releasing toxins (although i've never found any fish or invert that eats them). Some other cyano's are far more toxic, but don't often bloom in aquaria.

 

[Bart Hazes]

There's a LOT of different blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)! The slimy dark mat-forming ones that are common in aquaria (Oscillatoria, Phormidium, etc) are not bad about releasing toxins (although i've never found any fish or invert that eats them). Some other cyano's are far more toxic, but don't often bloom in aquaria.

The blue neon goby, Stiphodon atropurpureus, is one that is said to eat, or even prefer, blue green algae. One of our fish stores had them a while ago and I was severely tempted as they are beautiful and with interesting substrate-perching and burying behaviour. Their life history with migration to sea for larvae and return back up the river for subadults (like Amano shrimp) is also crazy. But I skipped because they are Asian, no breeding, and bottom-associated so likely to get into a spat with breeding apistos. If they were selling them now I would get a couple just to test the veracity of them eating blue-green algae.

 

[Linus_Cello]

The blue neon goby, Stiphodon atropurpureus, is one that is said to eat, or even prefer, blue green algae. One of our fish stores had them a while ago and I was severely tempted as they are beautiful and with interesting substrate-perching and burying behaviour. Their life history with migration to sea for larvae and return back up the river for subadults (like Amano shrimp) is also crazy. But I skipped because they are Asian, no breeding, and bottom-associated so likely to get into a spat with breeding apistos. If they were selling them now I would get a couple just to test the veracity of them eating blue-green algae.

Really? I have stiphodons in my invert/nano tank, and BGA seems scarce near the bottom; I'll try moving a BGA infested anubias from my discus tank to the stiphodons to test this.

 

[Bart Hazes]

Great. Let me know how that works out. If you google for - stiphodon blue green algae - you'll find a bunch of sites commenting on it eating of blue-green algae. But it would be nice to see for yourself.