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Some background. I had a wonderful weekend in Wisconsin last month where I gave talks to both the Madison and Milwaukee clubs. Ted was my host and graciously put me up at his home while there. Just before I left to fly home Ted gave me one of the 6"/15cm glazed spawning cave that he sells.
Forward a month. I hadn't had any spawns for months due to me being busy with my talk schedule (and being lazy). My fish were only getting minimal water changes with tap water. I really wanted my A. cf. payaminonis (Pantoja) to give me some fry but they seemed to want more than just plain ol' tap water. Being the holiday season, I was just too busy to set up the RO system and peat filteration tanks. Then I remembered Ted's idea of using pots with filled spagnum peat for his krib species. I thought, "would it work for apistos, too"? So into the payaminonis tank goes the glazed spawning cave with about a 1/4 cup/50ml lump of sphagnum moss stuffed in the back. A few days later I see the female investigating the cave and then she moves in permanently, only leaving to chase the male and other target payaminonis away (a good sign!). Yesterday I go down to my fish room and the female is proudly guiding about 25 very tiny fry around the tank! An early Christmas present!
Ted's idea of producing a micro-blackwater environment in the spawning cave worked! For those who are having breeding problems with some of their apistos, you might want to try this method. It worked for me. My next trial species will be the true A. sp. Papagei (Río Ampiyacu) and A. cf. eunotus (Shishita). So thanks Ted!
Forward a month. I hadn't had any spawns for months due to me being busy with my talk schedule (and being lazy). My fish were only getting minimal water changes with tap water. I really wanted my A. cf. payaminonis (Pantoja) to give me some fry but they seemed to want more than just plain ol' tap water. Being the holiday season, I was just too busy to set up the RO system and peat filteration tanks. Then I remembered Ted's idea of using pots with filled spagnum peat for his krib species. I thought, "would it work for apistos, too"? So into the payaminonis tank goes the glazed spawning cave with about a 1/4 cup/50ml lump of sphagnum moss stuffed in the back. A few days later I see the female investigating the cave and then she moves in permanently, only leaving to chase the male and other target payaminonis away (a good sign!). Yesterday I go down to my fish room and the female is proudly guiding about 25 very tiny fry around the tank! An early Christmas present!
Ted's idea of producing a micro-blackwater environment in the spawning cave worked! For those who are having breeding problems with some of their apistos, you might want to try this method. It worked for me. My next trial species will be the true A. sp. Papagei (Río Ampiyacu) and A. cf. eunotus (Shishita). So thanks Ted!