Another small Cichlid a few of my apisto’s

[Magnum Man]

These guys are bottom dwellers, and this tank has a lot of hidy holes… I originally put 2 each of 2 different line bred yellow colored juveniles in this tank I doubt this is a sexual pair, or even if they were the same line bred fish… but they both hang on this side of the tank.. I think there are 1 or 2 more that claim the other end of the tank… but these are rarely out where I can take pictures… these have all been in this tank over a year, and are rarely seen, except at “shrimp cocktail” time, but were available at 1st light this morning… they look very similar, but one has a more pronounced center line… looks like the last picture, is the only one, that I got both of them in the same picture…

 

[GaryE]

The boldly lined one is the dominant female. Are there no males?

If no, that's probably why you can have that many in the tank. With the yellow, they are showing they're ready to breed, but they will be relaxed about their turf in a beautiful tank like that.

 

[Magnum Man]

One more picture showing both… sorry if the quality isn’t there, as it’s a zoom picture

They very possibly could be sibling sisters??? As they were guppy sized when they got here…

 

[GaryE]

All of the Apistogramma I see are female. What species is it?

 

[Magnum Man]

This tank has the out going couple of electric blue rams, pretty much free range the tank… and then the 3 or 4 apisto’s… and the the 2 angels… most of the rest are Tetras

 

[Magnum Man]

I’m not really sure on the species, they were bought over a year ago… I was hoping if these guys were out this morning, that I could get a glimpse of the one or two on the other side of the tank, but all I’m seeing over there right now, is the dominant electric blue ram, and my Gold Nugget Pleco… pretty good chance, that the dominant electric blue is the dwarf Cichlid tank boss. So any apisto’s over there, are probably female as well, and probably still in their hidy hole, while big blue is on that side of the tank

 

[GaryE]

I'm asking because the Apistos look like agassizii, but there are 93 described Apistogramma species, and quite a few undescribed ones.

When I tried rams and Apistos together, any dominance moves by the rams got their butts kicked. The Apistos were always tougher, faster and more territorial. When they weren't spawning, they tolerated rams, but the rams, with their loose territorial needs as open spawners, were only too happy to stay out of their way.
I had rams in larger tanks where I was raising young, to maturity (when the trouble started). I had them with agassizii, mcmasteri, veijita, eunotus and I think once with njisseni. I had too many species and not enough tanks to raise them in, looking back on it.

 

[Magnum Man]

Those pictures were of the right side of the tank… this is what the left side looks like right now… with big blue hanging in the corner, there won’t be much other action going on over on this side

 

[Magnum Man]

agassizii Is a good guess, that is sounding familiar…

 

[Magnum Man]

Big blue moved to the center of the tank, and the right side is starting to get more activity… mostly tetras so far though

 

[Magnum Man]

I can see at least one apisto in the back of the cave on the left side, but it’s currently full of Pristella’s, and it’s behind the Pristella’s… and the Pristella’s always like to sleep in, rarely coming out, until after several hours of light… camera is focusing on the cave entrance, so all the residents are out of focus

 

[AJ356]

Nice. How is the pH and hardness in that tank?

 

[Magnum Man]

I honestly haven’t tested the water in quite a while, but it’s been getting straight RO for almost a year, at one time ( before RO ) my water was rock hard, last test it was quite soft ( sorry, don’t remember the exact numbers ) but there is quite a bit of natural driftwood, along with the resin wood caves, and I add a couple almond leaves as fast as they disappear… my best guess, is Ph is mid 6’s… I’ve witnessed the Rummy Noses in the tank, group spawn twice in the last 4 months or so… it must be close to what they like…

 

[Magnum Man]

Yep there is still 4 in this tank… this is the 2 from the right side… look the same, even though I bought a pair, twice… they were all the size of guppies… these look exactly the same as the 2 on the right side, both are probably female as well… so I probably have 4 females in this tank… just fed, and did see all 4 at the same time

 

[Magnum Man]

So the next question, if all these are females, should I add 1 male, and risk world war 3, or keep the peace and harmony???
As far as I’m concerned, this tank is done… although I’ve been wanting to add another 6-8 Rummy’s to get my numbers back up to what I started with of them