I have some apisto's (aggazzis) and have been wanting them to breed for mayb half a year now. there's a great article in practical fishkeeping magazine atm (theres apisto's on the front cover\0, i highly suggest you buy it as its got loads of info in.
From what ive read in mags and on the internet and in this forum, apisto like ph that is slightly acidic water, they prefer soft water rather than hard, they would probably love half RO water. The ratio is about 1 male to 2-3 females. Females are quite picky with their mates so normally its suggested that you buy loads when their young and let them pair up. As for spawning sites ive heard that upside down coconut shells, plant pots and bogwood with java moss tied around it is what they like. Aparently if u feed them lots of live and frozen food they are more likely to spawn, there is a "wriggle" factor, meaning the more it wriggles the better!
However my experiences have been different. I have also heard that males and females should be seperate before breading, but i chose not to take that piece of advice as only have one tank.
I have a 35l tank, have slightly acidic water, my water is so hard, and i have no RO water in it, but do have a fair bit of java moss, but they only play with that when they think it has food in it. I had 2 males and 6 females, one male died after a long time being ill (have no idea why, mayb stress) my nitrate levels must have been high (3 weeks with no water change) and my female apisto found a little bit at the front of my tank where there was one piece of slanted slate, where she could just fit in by wriggling and when i came home from work there was 6 egg sacks on the roof of this piece of slate. She guarded them so well, and would leave them for more than two seconds. Then in the morning there was only two left, i asumed she'd eaten them. Then the next day after i came home from work the remaining two had gone, tho she was still guarding her hole, but not as much. As reguard to food i feed them flakes once a day in the evening for 5 conseqtive days, then the have either frozen brine shrimp or frozen cichlid mix, then a day with no food. Thats what i found works for me, but i think you've just gotta find whts right 4u.
