Some Questions I Have

[HookedOnFish]

Hello everyone, this is my first post here on apistogramma.com and I've always loved these creatures and accepting them for a hobby to as a breeding project. I have a pH of 7.8 and I have RO water installed in our kitchen becuase we have really hard water. How can I get the pH down, and I do have peat anything else I can add to make the water softer and pH down a little a lot? I have a 5.5 gal and a 29, 75, 150 but the 5.5 is the apistogramma breeding tank. Is that enough tank size? Since, I'm using a strong light I'll grow LOTS of plants for the female if she gets beaten. I want to start off with more of a harder whitewater higher pH and not to soft water fish in case I screw up. I will order these dream apistogramma speicas fish form the ones I want the most to the last on my dream list: 1. Pandouro 2. Agassizi red 3. Bore ill yellow face 4. Cokatuadies. Are these hardy and good for spawning in harder water (if I screw up my RO is not heated and is very cold) are these good choices for a beginner?

Are these good choices for fish and other recommendations?

 

[Mike Wise]

Well, hard & alkaline water isn't ideal so I suggest that you mix your tap water 50/50 with R/O water and then treat with peat to get the pH close to 7 and moderately soft water. A 5.5 gal. tank is very small if you have thoughts of breeding apistos. Is it possible? If you are an experienced breeder, yes but dangerous. Although small, they are cichlids and behave like cichlids. The male can be extremely aggressive to the female when she is not ready to breed. The female will be extremely aggressive to the male when she has eggs/fry. This often leads to the death of one of the adults. Of the species you list I suggest trying A. borellii. They are the smallest and least aggressive species of the lot. Personally the 29 would be a better, safer breeding tank. In a 5.5 you will have to work very hard to keep the water quality high - maybe doing 25% water changes 1 - 2X each day, depending on the number of fry.

 

[HookedOnFish]

Ya I was thinking of taking down the 5.5 and use the 29 as the breeding tank.

 

[Mike Wise]

Excellent idea!

 

[HookedOnFish]

Well I did get some Borelli about a week ago youngsters a trio 1 make 2 females. Since there young now there's 2 males and 1 female which I mixed up since there so young! I've seen my female hang out with young male but when feeding time comes they get territorial and it's all happing in my 5.5 gallon and it's getting really heavily planted and at some points I won't eve see the Males or Female.