Target fish

[DBlauj]

Anyone know any good target fish I could put with my Apistos? Generally would prefer some kind of SA target fish but any suggestions welcomed. Target fish not to be confused with dither fish.

 

[slimbolen99]

You could use the search function on the site and find some really good threads. Try searching "dither". Seems like this is a repetitive topic - maybe time for a sticky?

 

[DBlauj]

Did that, and like I wrote "target fish not to be confused with dither fish."

 

[bseitz234]

what do you mean by target fish, if not dithers?

 

[DBlauj]

"Dither fish are schooling, mid-water swimming fish that are used to bring hiding fishes out into the open. Smart fish like cichlids use the presence of smaller fish around them to judge the degree of danger around them. The idea is “surely if hundreds of those little tetras are swimming around above me, there must not be any imminent danger”. In aquaria, many schooling fish are active and constantly swim from one end of the tank to the other whether there is danger or not. Schooling fish find security in numbers and so, do not dive for cover when danger approaches, so they will keep swimming when you approach the tank.

Target fish are not used for the same purpose – they are used to divert the pent-up protective aggression within a mated pair of cichlids from each other or their pair bond may erode. Aggression in cichlids is put on hold only while the pair are “in the mood”. Having other fish to beat up on has saved the lives of many a female cichlid who is not quite ready for spawning."

I found this explaination on another forum. Pretty much instead of your Apisto pair attacking a lone male/female or one another, they go after the target fish instead. Makes for better fry care also.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Black Neons are ideal as dithers and target fish, whilst Pencils etc are really just dithers.
cheers Darrel

 

[bseitz234]

Well, that makes sense as an explanation. I've kind of always used dithers and targets as the same thing- like Darrel said with Black Neons, my Columbian tetras serve both purposes pretty well right now. I have a feeling that given the chance, they'd be "fry piranhas" (as someone described rummy-nose tetras on this forum), but that's why I don't keep them in breeding tanks. I also feel like a group of Corys fills the role of target fish pretty well, although that's never been my goal in adding them to a community tank. I have a group of 5 paleatus that keep my cacatuoides pretty distracted, since they occupy the same area of the tank, and really don't seem to mind the aggression at all. Heck, sometimes they blatantly ignore being headbutted if they've found a tasty morsel.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Corydoras certainly elicit the "target fish" response, ideally you want some-thing that is robust enough to provide a threat, whilst not being so robust that they can swim through the females defences. Any thing that is both nocturnal and fry eating is a non-starter (Bristlenose etc). If you have multiple tanks with line of sight, the Apistogramma pairs will be "self dithering" with the fish in the next tank.

The problem with Corydoras is that they occupy the bottom of the tank, and the protecting female may be able to peck an eye out or cause fin damage. Conversely a large robust Corydoras may manage to hoover all the fry up, despite the females best efforts. A perfect Corydoras is something like C. pygmaeus, C. paleatus is a bit big, bottom orientated and also likes cooler water (in cool water all A. cacatuoides fry will be female). They will also hoover up all the live blood-worms, grindal worms etc that you feed your fish with.

Black Neons work really well as they shoal, stay near the top of the water column, are big enough to survive a close encounter with an angry female, are quick learners and do really well in the same water conditions as most Apistogramma spp.
I've never tried other Tetras, other than a couple of Pristellas, which were great fry hunters. Pencils or Hatchets also work, but are more expensive to buy and usually more problematic to keep healthy.

cheers Darrel

 

[Mike Wise]

Since most apistos don't form breeding pair bonds, target fish aren't really needed to keep a pair bond together. A target fish that keeps the female actively protecting her fry is what is wanted. Often this can be another apisto.

 

[DBlauj]

Well I'm just worried that if another Apisto (in this case my lone female) can be the target fish it might cause her/him to stress out. If this is something I need not worry about then I'll just stick to getting dither fish for the tank

 

[bseitz234]

I would say it's a worthwhile concern- I had a trio of cacatuoides, and the male and one female started really beating up on the other female, until I removed the pair to their own tank. Now the previously victimized female is the queen of the tank, and entertains herself chasing tetras and corys all day...

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Well I'm just worried that if another Apisto (in this case my lone female) can be the target fish it might cause her/him to stress out.

Agreed, that is why they are safest in an adjacent tank with line of sight.

I had a trio of cacatuoides, and the male and one female started really beating up on the other female

I've never had much luck with 2 females either, but 1 male and 3 or more females is fine <http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/i...s-female-covering-enterance.12589/#post-69186>. I kept my A. cacatuoides with Black Neons for a long time <http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/index.php?threads/apisto-tankmates.12507/#post-68418>.

cheers Darrel

 

[bseitz234]

Interesting... I'll have to keep that in mind next time. What size tank did you have that 1m:7f harem in? Sounds like it could be a lot of fun to watch...

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
A 4' long x 15" wide, but with only about 8" depth of water. It was one of the "spare" tanks from the "waste water" lab, but I had to give it back eventually. We've still got the tank, but a colleague is now propagating mosses in it for her work on mechanisms of tufa formation.

cheers Darrel

 

[Melanochromis]

Hi all,
Agreed, that is why they are safest in an adjacent tank with line of sight.

That's a good way to do. Another tactic I use pretty often is to put another Apistogramma in a floating transparent container, like one of those "breeder boxes" used for livebearers. In the picture below, this breeding pair is trying to intimidate another female in the box, although the third fish was cropped out of this picture.