Apistogramma agassizii

[guppymonkey]

I just got 4 Apistogramma agassizii that I special ordered. I have 4 of them and I think there are 2 males and 2 females, and I have already had to separate 1 of the males because he was underweight and seemed to have been harassed. They are pretty young now and haven't developed their adult colors yet.

I was wondering what conditions I would need to breed them. I have read that they are polygamous cave breeders. I have read that they can be bred in a 5 gallon or ten gallon depending on where I read the info. Any information would be great!

Thanx!

 

[Peter Lovett]

Apistogramma agassizii is a little harder to spawn than Cacatuoides and Borellii. Requiring soft acidic water spawn. However the commercially bred strain are not becoming more tolerant to different water conditions.

I'm not very good at US tank sizes but a trio of agassizii will require a tank at least 24" long. There tank should be well planted and should have lots of hiding places as males can be quite perisent with the females.

If you feed them a good diet (No blood worm) and keep the water temp at 26c they will spawn when they are old enough. If the eggs don't hatch slowlly drop the hardness of there water untill the eggs hatch and keep it there.

It's also a good idea to add some pencil fish to the tank as apistos can be quite skitish and have other fish swimming in the open does make them more confident.

Hope that helps.

 

[guppymonkey]

If you feed them a good diet (No blood worm) and keep the water temp at 26c they will spawn when they are old enough. If the eggs don't hatch slowlly drop the hardness of there water untill the eggs hatch and keep it there.

Why not blood worms? I usually feed a combination of blood worms, tubiflex worms, New Life Spectrum pellets, and Boyds Vita Diet pellets.

 

[Peter Lovett]

Blood worm are not easy for apistos do digest and can cause the digestive problems witch in extreme cases can cause death. Though this is rear still best not to feed it.

 

[Peter Lovett]

It would probably be okay to feed small amouts too a full grown adult just not evey day. But IMO it is best avoided.

 

[guppymonkey]

Well thanx! Is it just the blood worms? or is it all "live" food? I wish some of the books told me about this!

 

[Peter Lovett]

No it's just blood worm and not just in it's live form but also frozen. Pretty much all other small live food is fine.

 

[guppymonkey]

Where did you find that information about not giving apistogrammas blood worms? I can't find any information like that anywhere. It seems that other foods besides bloodworms would also be a problem, like other mosquito larvae for example.

 

[Peter Lovett]

It not really information I found other than through experience. However do a seach on Apistogramma.com and you should find some more info.