Tips and trick when breeding apistogramma

[Numnified]

Hi all

Was just wondering if you guys do have any tips and tricks you guys personally use when breeding apistogramma ot triggering them to do so and if so please share your personal tips in this thread thank you!

Cheers Darren

 

[Bart Hazes]

I don't find there to be much mystery, well at least not for most of them. Good food (most live and frozen), good water (100% RO in my case but depends on your tap water), a "jungle tank" that isn't kept too sterile, and not too much mucking around in the tanks. As a special feature I run all my tanks without filters just relying on (floating) plants for waste removal so no nitrates build up. I think it helps but a filter plus frequent water changes works great for the majority of breeders.

 

[Mike Wise]

As Bart wrote, good food & good water values/conditions are important. Filtration can vary, but most apistos don't enjoy high currents. I use sponge and matten filters powered by air-lift tubes. The tanks should be decorated so the fish feel secure. Other than that, 'benign neglect' - not continually poking your nose into the tank - is about all that's needed.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Same for me, a mature planted tank with <"some biofilm"> (and ideally lots of moss), and plenty of live food.

cheers Darrel

 

[Bart Hazes]

As Bart wrote, good food & good water values/conditions are important. Filtration can vary, but most apistos don't enjoy high currents. I use sponge and matten filters powered by air-lift tubes. The tanks should be decorated so the fish feel secure. Other than that, 'benign neglect' - not continually poking your nose into the tank - is about all that's needed.

Do you find the matten filters to be a good food source for fry? I am planning to use 2" matten filters to separate a 180x60x25cm fry grow-out tank into multiple compartments and draw a very gentle current across them all. Hoping for some nice "aufwuchs" to develop.

 

[Mike Wise]

Some of my mattens are now very dark and have Java Moss growing in them. My guess is that they are about as good as sponge filters that have the same pore size.