Temp for agasizii

[nir_tza]

Hey guys!
What is the water temp for breeding agasizii, hatching egg and raising fry?
Thanks

 

[Mike Wise]

At 26ºC/79ºF you will get a 50/50 sex ratio. Lower temperatures usually produce more females, higher temperatures produce more males.

 

[nir_tza]

thanks mike!
to keep it at 26 all the way?

 

[ProF_FR]

Hi,

Is that temp the same for all apistos species ? If not how to know for each of them the right temp to get a 50/50 ratio ?

ProF

 

[Mike Wise]

thanks mike!
to keep it at 26 all the way?

You can use 26 only after eggs are laid & for 6 weeks after the fry become freeswimming. You can encourage spawning by raising the temperature. For maintenance can use slightly cooler water. Some people feel this lengthens their life spawn. I just keep the temp around 26º all of the time.

 

[Mike Wise]

Hi,

Is that temp the same for all apistos species ? If not how to know for each of them the right temp to get a 50/50 ratio ?

ProF

I wrote this earlier this year:

You definitely should read the section of Römer's Atlas dealing with sex ratios & temperature. Basically, temperature at the time of spawning is not important - nor the time until they hatch. Only after hatching should the temperature be kept at a relatively steady 79ºF/26ºC for the next 4 - 6 weeks. It is this time interval that 'sets' the sex in the fish.

Ideally apistos should be kept at ~75ºF/25ºC for regular maintenance, spawned & the eggs hatched at 82ºF/28ºC, and the fry raised at 79ºF/26ºC for the first few months. At the lower temperatures the fish will live longer. A high spawning temperature gets the fish in a breeding mood. The same hatching temperature speeds up the time that the eggs hatch & lessens the chance of losing them (There are some species from cooler waters where this is not a good idea. The eggs develop so fast that the resulting fry are too small & unable to eat normal apisto fry foods.). After the eggs hatch the temperature should be set to provide the sex ratio desired. The fry grow faster at higher temperatures, too. Once they have some size, it is time to lower the fry's temperature down to maintenace levels again.

Personally, this is too labor intensive for me (I'm a lazy slug!), so I keep the temperature around 79ºF/26ºC all of the time. It is a good compromise.

Römer found this true for all species he tested except what he called A. caetei. For this species the sex ratio was equal at 26ºC, but the sex ratios reversed at higher & lower temperatures (more males at lower temperatures; more females at higher temperatures).

 

[ProF_FR]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the infos. I keep my apistos at 27°C all the time.... i'm going to decrease it by 1 ° ( more for trifasciatas because i have too much males !!! )

I definately need to get books

ProF

 

[nir_tza]

hi mike!
thanks for the info..
but i am trying to get those books but i cant seem to find them..
do you know where i can find them?
Nir!

 

[Mike Wise]

Römer's Cichlid Atlas I will be reprinted & available early next year, along with Cichlid Atlas II.