Pair or Trio Apisto Borelli

[heelllooo]

Hello everyone,

Right now, I have a batch of juvenile Apistogramma Borelli in my 60L tank which i'm gonna sell this week to my LFS.

I was planning on keeping a pair but i've been fantasazing about keeping a trio (1M2F).

I know only a pair is recommended for this volume. But knowing that my tank is very heavily planted, that they would have been born together in this exact tank and that I don't plan on breeding them : do you think I could try the experience ?

 

[MacZ]

Just don't. If it was a 80cm tank, no problem, but in this case...

 

[Mike Wise]

I don't plan on breeding them : do you think I could try the experience ?

Only if the fish are all males - and the tank is divided into 3 areas that are not visible from each other. Then hope for the best and expect that you will need to remove 1 or more.

 

[heelllooo]

Ok thanks, I will go for a pair MF as I tough !

 

[MacZ]

Dou you want to keep breeding? If not... only keep a male.

 

[heelllooo]

I though that if I don't feed the occasional spawn with adequate food they will not survive ? So I could keep a pair but not breed them.

 

[MacZ]

Life... um... finds a way.

 

[martin_c]

I though that if I don't feed the occasional spawn with adequate food they will not survive ? So I could keep a pair but not breed them.

You'll probably end up with stunted fish that you won't get rid of.

 

[heelllooo]

You'll probably end up with stunted fish that you won't get rid of.

Can you explain more please ? you mean young fry ?

Of course if some fry survive by finding enough microorganism in the tank, i would feed them accordingly before giving them away.

I don't understand what you mean ?

 

[martin_c]

I don't understand what you mean ?

Just saying, deficits in growth at a young age can't be compensated later.
So if your plan is to get rid of them by starvation at young age, the ones that make it might turn out
having bad eye size to body ratio for example.
And since it's not a rare species, why would anyone want to take those fish then.

I'd rather remove the eggs instead.

 

[MacZ]

The common term in English is "runt". Yes, it might happen, it might also happen that only one or two make it and those are badass hardy.

Anyhow, life finds a way. On the other hand, be glad it's not Pelvicachromis pulcher or the like, which can bring through significant numbers of healthy offspring even with specialized fish eaters int the tank. One of our customers had them (for whatever reason) in a 600 liter Malawi tank with Nimbochromis and other Haps big enough to eat the parents. They managed to become the most numerous species in the tank still.