Pelv. Rubrolaliale

[Xanathos]

Any info on these ? I'm planning to get about 3 paires this weekend.

Agressive ? Water conditions ?

Wasnt able to find any documentation on them yet ( My lamboj's book is supposed to arrive this friday ^_^ )

Thanks
Phil

 

[tjudy]

P. rubrolabiatus is a beautiful fish. They need space though. They can be very aggressive with each other.

Soft, acid water... frequent water changes. Food that is rich in vegetable matter is better than high protein foods. They like to sift sand for detritus like most Pel. humilis types. I use a lot of planted driftwood to alleviate some of the aggression. I am down to a pair in a 110 (from six fish that i started with), however. Thew female dances a lot, but I stil have not seen eggs. Occasionally the male beats the female adn she hides out for a few days.

Good luck..

 

[Xanathos]

Ouch... DId you housed them in a 110 from the beginning ?

Thanks for the information....

Phil

 

[Randall]

Pelvicachromis rubrolabiatus

Hello Phil,

Please have a look at the following:

http://www.apistogramma.com/cms/Pel...s_rubrolabiatus/Pelvicachromis_rubrolabiatus/

Good luck with your new arrivals.

All the best,

Randall Kohn

 

[tjudy]

Yes... they have been in the 110 all along. Funny thing... I have three P. humilis types adn P. signatus. Most of the literature I have seen lists P. rubrolabiatus as teh least aggressive, but that has not been my experience at all. In fact, I have a breeding pair of P. signatus in a 33 long adn a LARGE pair of P. humils 'dinkaya' in a 20!!! They act like love birds... Thsi just goes to show that fish are not entirely predictable. Maybe I just have the psyhcopathic rubrolabiatus male...

 

[Xanathos]

Yeah, I just hope you werent lucky with your male..

Well, I once had apistos Nijsseni that killed the entire tank before spawning. Everywhere I could find a reference, it told me that they were peacefull and gentle, only being agressive when spawning, like all apistos...

Well, it took 2 days to realise what was killing all the fish and before I finished removing the other, the pair nearly killed half of the population...

It must be related to childhoold trauma or something like that, I guess

Phil

 

[Neil]

It must be related to childhoold trauma or something like that, I guess

At the very least, we can assume that individual differences occur in individuals of all species. I have a female rubrolabiatus that is far more aggressive than any of my males have been. Maybe we should get our 2 fish together, Ted!

Neil

 

[Xanathos]

It must be related to childhoold trauma or something like that, I guess

At the very least, we can assume that individual differences occur in individuals of all species.
Neil

Indeed. I've witnessed it many times, even with gouramis and tetras

Phil

 

[tjudy]

Is that teh HUGE female I brought you at the ACA? She has a history... the guy I got her from said she killed her mate when he had her.

You might have a good idea... think that shipping to Creede right now is worth the risk?

 

[Xanathos]

What would be the minimum tank size for say, 2 pairs , by the way ?

Phil

 

[tjudy]

Well... if they are PAIRS, then two will not likely survive together at all. If you are starting with four fish I would start with a 40 gallon and be ready to move the losers when the other pair becomes territorial. I would also set up two distinct structureal zones with spawning caves. Hopefully the first pair will pick an end of the tank and not the whole tank.

My system for Pelvicachromis has evolved over eth years... here is what I like to do if I am buying pairs. I buy three pairs, then separate them into trios.. a true trio and a reverse trio. I split up the smallest two fish. These 'third wheels' become the 'glue that binds' in a pair. The pair has a common enemy to unite against. I will lwet the odd-fish out stay until the pair has fry. This will often result in the death of that third fish, but teh pair bond that is created lasts!

This system has worked very well for me with P. taeniatus, P. subocellatus, P. signatus, P. humilis (of various types), P. pulcher and P. scrimontis... but not rubrolabiatus... yet. The system has also worked for lots of other genera, both new and old world.

Another variation to the system is to buy six juviniles and grow them up. When the first pair is created I remove three of the others and leave a 'beater' in the tank. My latest success with this method has been Cryptoheros nanoluteus.

 

[jonah]

Is that teh HUGE female I brought you at the ACA? She has a history... the guy I got her from said she killed her mate when he had her.

You might have a good idea... think that shipping to Creede right now is worth the risk?

If you're talking about the one I brought up last summer then she didn't kill her mate. He was killed by a loach, that then took after her. She was a bit of a bully with smaller fish though.

 

[Xanathos]

I finaly got the fish ( 2 males and 2 females ) .

They are temporarily housed in a 108 gallons tank and I seem to have a pair formed: 2 of them just hang together without beating each other. I'LL move them in a smaller tank very soon.

Very neat fish

Phil