The pelvic setup for Apistogramma
Apistoramma like to stay between leaves, e.g. B. oak leaves on. To do this, a small layer of pre-soaked brown leaves is laid on the bottom. In between, coconut shells and small flower pots are placed. The flower pots should be as small as possible. There are also special caves for dwarf cichlids.
The colorful world of the different Apistogrammas
What water Apistogramma need
Like almost all South American dwarf cichlids, Apistogramma need very soft water. If you want to keep dwarf cichlids in harder water, you have to look at the African dwarf cichlids.
Conductance values between 80 and 100 µS are suitable for most species. Water with this conductivity is stable and almost all species of Apistogramma can be grown in it. Also sensitive species from black water areas.
pH values around 5 can be easily adjusted with this conductivity. Is acidified z. B. via peat or alder cones. Oak extract and the like should only be used very carefully with water this soft.
Males and females often look very different.
All Apistogramma species are strongly dichroic and dimorphic. This means that males and females do not look alike at all. Color and shape are completely different. The males are usually significantly larger than the females. Males often have different finnage. In addition, males are usually more colorful than females.
The females of the different species sometimes look very similar. Females of different species are therefore often difficult to tell apart. Females in courtship and brood care coloring are mostly yellow with a black longitudinal band or one or more black lateral spots.
Keeping exactly 2 males in an aquarium is risky.
The number of 2 males is unfavorable because there is only one winner and one loser in the ranking. The inferior male has to put up with every attack. In the long run, this means enormous stress. Apistogramma are prone to bacterial infections when exposed to constant stress.
Males that are added later are often mercilessly hunted down by long-established males.
Attachment can only be successful with very young males. Usually it is better to add 2-3 new males and some females. The prerequisite for this is dense planting and a well-structured facility.
One male dominates the other males.
Apistogramma baenschi Photo: Norbert Heidbüchel
If several males are kept in an aquarium, one dominant animal usually prevails. The other males fare worse even if they are not being terrorized.
In many species only 1 or at most 2 males develop the full color splendor and become large and strong. The other males remain fairly small and colorless. This is e.g. This is the case, for example, with A. macmasteri and A. hongsloi. With A. agassizii, the phenomenon is not so pronounced.
In aquariums that are too small and in which not all males can form their own territories, inferior males often hide in groups of plants etc. and only come out to eat.
Serious arguments can arise if one or more males are put into an aquarium which is already inhabited by other males. The ranking must first be fought out. If there are no alternatives, serious injuries can result.
Males used at the same time do not always fight each other.
Apistogramma baenschi Photo: Norbert Heidbüchel
When two young males are placed in an aquarium at the same time, they often do not fight. They often threaten each other only occasionally. As soon as a male indicates that he wants to scare the other male away, the other male leaves the field. In such cases, there is a clear ranking list, so that serious disputes rarely arise.
Why does the male attack a female?
When a male wants to spawn but the female is not yet ready to spawn, the male will often violently attack the female. In some species the behavior is very pronounced, e.g. B. in the Agassizii relationship. The behavior also occurs in cockatoo dwarf cichlids.
The female needs numerous places to retreat and should at least be given food every now and then. If the female does not suffer a severe loss of substance, the phase usually ends quite quickly and they spawn together.
However, this behavior can also affect brood care. The male must then be removed from the aquarium after spawning.
Keep 2 Apistogramma species in one aquarium
Whether 2 different species of Apistogramma can be kept in one aquarium depends on the species, the size of the aquarium and the time at which they were introduced.
A. agassizii can e.g. B. be kept together with A. cacatuoides if they are placed in an aquarium with 120 x 50 x 60 centimeters at the same time.
If the A. agassizii are used later, there are fierce territorial fights at first. The result depends on how assertive the A. agassizii is and how dominant the A. cacatuoides is.
Possibly both come to terms after a while and share the pool. However, the A. agassizii may be hunted down and weakened to such an extent that it can only hide. This one doesn’t last long. Either he falls ill through the weakening and oppression, e.g. B. from bacterial infestation, or he is hunted until he dies of weakness. So-called abdominal slips can also occur. A newcomer is always at a disadvantage simply because of the stress of moving. Therefore, the physically inferior animal should be used first, then the stronger animal.
On the other hand, older Apistogramma react much more sensitively to transfers and therefore also easily become ill due to the weakening caused by stress. It is best to first consider which species to keep and then use them at the same time. As a rule, there are no problems if the aquarium is large enough.
Which Apistogramma are suitable for a 60 liter aquarium?
Apistogramma borelli are suitable for a 60 liter aquarium. A. borelli are very beautiful fish. However, they are not as sensitive as butterfly cichlids.
A male can be kept with 2 females without any problems. If enough caves and hiding places are available, even 3 females can be kept.
If there are no other fish in the aquarium, A. borelli will provide offspring in a 60 liter aquarium, which they will carefully raise.
A. cacatuoides, A. macmasteri or A. agassizii are also often recommended for 60 liter aquariums. However, these species are more aggressive and actually too big for a 60 tank. At least a 112 liter aquarium should be provided for these species.
How polygamous Apistogramma are kept
Polygamous representatives of the genus Apistogramma should not be kept as a single pair, but in a group with two males and at least four females. This is the only way they show their complex social behavior. The aquarium must be large enough to accommodate the territories of each individual animal.
In an aquarium with a base area of 100 x 50 centimetres, 2 males can usually be kept with 4 or even 6 females. The aquarium should be structured with a lot of wood, especially in the bottom area. This creates many cave-like, shaded areas, which at the same time form optical boundaries to the neighboring areas.
Temperature and pH affect the sex ratio during breeding.
In Apistogramma, how many males and how many females are born in a litter depends on the temperature and the pH value. The respective influence differs from species to species. For some species, the temperature has more influence, for other species the pH value. In many species, higher temperatures result in more males.
The influence of temperature and pH decreases every day after fertilization. The distribution of the sexes can therefore not be influenced at any time by changing the two values. From 0 to 72 hours after oviposition, the sex distribution is typical for the respective target temperature when the temperature is changed. After 72 to 600 hours, the influence of temperature decreases linearly. Influencing is therefore practically only possible before hatching.
In the species examined, more female young animals developed at low temperatures between 23 – 25° C and high pH values. At higher temperatures and lower pH, more males developed.
One or more broods should be reared before attempting to influence them. In this way it can be recognized whether the gender ratio should be influenced at all. if e.g. B. only females are to be raised, the temperature should be low.
The courtship behavior of Apistogramma
The male swims right next to the female. The dorsal fin is erected and the male uses the caudal fin to constantly give implied blows in the direction of the female.
The courtship coloring of the females
During courtship or brood coloring, the longitudinal band of the female becomes a spot. The basic color of the females is bright yellow.
Apistogramma engaged in brood care.
Apistogramma guard and care for the brood. In some species, males and females tend the brood. In other species, only the female takes care of the brood and the male guards the territory.
During brood care, non-fertilized and dead eggs are removed from the parents. Healthy eggs are not usually eaten.
Sometimes the female will move to another location while rearing with the brood. It is known z. B. in cockatoo dwarf cichlids and A. sp. «Jurua».
In principle, the male takes part in the care of the brood in a so-called male-mother family. The female guards and leads the young directly and the male defends the outer territory.
In the so-called male-mother family, both parents take part in the care of the brood. In the aquarium, males show different behaviors depending on the species and the aquarium stock.
if e.g. For example, if there are many enemy fish in the aquarium, the male can participate very intensively in the direct defense of the young. If the young are less threatened, or if the animals live in a species tank, the role of the male is perhaps less noticeable. But then it doesn’t take hold of the boy either.
However, the male can also disturb the female when caring for the brood and aggressively harass it because he wants to breed again. Especially some species of the A. agassizii complex show this behavior. In such cases, the male should be separated from the female after spawning. Otherwise, if the male’s attacks become too strong, the female may stop caring for the brood.
literature
- Mergus Cichlid Atlas – The book is…