SA Dwarf Ciclhlids, Apistos,Dicrossus & Dwarf Pikes.

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 04 May 2007, 15:31

I know many of us keep more than our Catfish and Apistogramma keeping has come up so here's a place where we can cross-pollinate our other interests.
Choosing the username apistomater is no accident. I have been keeping and breeding them as long as I have Discus which is to say, a long time.
I have worked with a few dozen Apistos, at least, plus Nannacara and Dicrossus species.
Currently only have the following:
Apistogramma borelli F3 and now F4 gen from a pair of wild caught fish obtained almost three years ago.
Apistogramma cautuoides Gold Double Red, and Apistogramma baenschi INKA.
I am also trying again to run Dicrossus filamentosus through the entire life cycle. I have had them breed many times since 1970 but I still haven't been succeeful at raising enough fry to count as being successful. I'll just keep trying.
I recently began keeping Dwarf Pike Cichlids and I think I have C. notothalmus and C. regani. Dwarf Pikes are a new venture. I tried this past year to spawn C. compressiceps but they proved so vicious towards each other they killed most of hemselves off and I just rid myself of the survivors.

I find I can keep the Apistos with my Hypancistrus by varying the sizes of the access holes so only the Apistos can enter some caves and the plecos are excluded. I think being able to keep both in the same tank helps make the tank more interesting yet doesn't preclude either group form spawning. Sometimes a pleco spawning setup can appear pretty empty at times
The d
Dwarf Cichlids need another fishes presence to bring out there best defense instincts and threat displays directed harmlessly towards plecos that could care less. Conversely, the Apistos pose no threat to any Hypancistrus fry that may be produced.

arndogg · Post by **arndogg** » 04 May 2007, 17:32

I was actually considering this for my 30G tank. I had a pair of L199s with rummynose tetras and columbian redfin tetras. My tank got ravaged by ich recently, and I lost the rummynoses and a BN. I was worried that my L199s wouldn't pull through, but it looks like they are on the way to full recovery.

Now, I have the L199s and 4 Columbian tetras in it, and was looking at the possibility of adding a pair of apistos. My water is soft, as I have RO water, so that should not be a problem.

If only I can find these little cichlids where I am! YOu would think that they would be readily available in Los Angeles, but it isn't. Of course, I could be looking in all the wrong places. I might have to break down and just order on line.

sabbath · Post by **sabbath** » 04 May 2007, 18:48

i have not kept apistos in well over a year now. There was once a time when I was so into them, and I had nothing else in my room. My species bred list is:

A. staeki
A. sp. maulbruter
A. agassizi (Alenquer)
A. agassizii (Iquitos)
A. sp. Belem
A. sp. Macmiliensis (Rio Mamore)
A. viejita (CF II)
A. sp. breitbinden
A. cacatuoides (wild)
A cacatuoides (Orange)
A. tucuiri
A. diplotaenia
A. hongsloi
A. macmasteri
A. trifaciata

probably one or two more that I am forgetting. I have also done a bit of discus (tank strains), angels (lots!), and all different kinds of other dwarfs including, D. filamentosis, N. anamola, n. dimidiatus (sp. leza), and too many pelvichachromis to count.

Recently got into cats, (and african cichlids) have been breeding LF ancistrus, S. barbatus, and recently picked up some Blue panaques. Your including apisto species in cat tanks intrigues me. I am coming into some A. inconspicua breeders the middle of this month or so. I think I may try them in with the blue panaques. I have some old-school rino caves, especially for apistos.

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 04 May 2007, 20:20

Impressive list of SA dwarf cichlids you've raiseed, sabbath.
Dicrossus have been one that has been my nemesis. Breeds easily but to hatch eggs and raise the fry, aye, there's the rub. Only kept D. filamentosus but their eggs and fry seem extraordinarily sensitive. Never have had a female guard eggs more than 30 hours, then they're gone. I'm sure if the females would cooperate the survival rate would be better asssuming water conditions are OK.
My list includes many of the same species and many that are different among the Apistos.
One I was rather pleased to have spawned and raise successfully was Apisto. pertensis. Not too flashy a fish except when a male is in full display, then the finnage is very impressive. It was a sensitive one.
I found three fry as contaminants among a couple boxes of newly imported Cardinal Tetras. All three survived and grew out to be a reverse trio. A. diplotaenia is one I'd like to try.

arndogg,
I'll PM you with a West Coast source of Apistogramma.
They will be homegrown, no Czech Republic fish. Nothing negative should be inferred about Czech Republic fish from this statement. Many fine fish are being imported from the Czech breeders.

sabbath · Post by **sabbath** » 05 May 2007, 03:17

The Dicrossus were a nightmare for me. First they ate the eggs, then they stopped doing that and ate the fry. I finally took the advice of a friend, and sucked the fry out with a turkey baster and raised a batch seperately. They eventually became good parents but it took quite some time.

My friend Don Maloney wrote an article about it as well. The title is pretty amusing. You can find it here: http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/bre ... ntosa.html

Don is a pretty funny guy, and has raised some hard to do fish as well.

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 05 May 2007, 05:55

I have read Don's good article on breeding D. filamentosus. He sums up what the difficulties are very good. I was only able to get fry through artificiall hatching methods and only from very soft acid water.

Feeding the larvae and yet retaining pristine water quality is extremely difficult as these fishes' fry havw zero tolerance for the slghtest hint of pollution.

As Don said in his article they are a hubling species to raise successfully. I guess that is why I keep trying to perfect my techniques for raising them. The have kept me humble as well. If I ever raised 30 I would consider it to be a major success.

The use of a large tank is important also although I have had pairs spawn in ten gallon tanks may times.
If one has to resort to artificial hatching then a ten gallon is still probably fine.
I suspect thar a rotifer culture would provide the best firstfood for the newly free swimming fry. ver

sabbath · Post by **sabbath** » 05 May 2007, 08:06

I got about a dozen that lived the 1st time I stole them. Momma damn near killed papa that first time. I stole from the next two batches, and then they seemed to settle down and do it themselves. I still never got a spawn without mortality though. The largest group of survivors was probably 15-20 or so.

I housed mine in a 40 long with the Apisto. sp. belem and a few dwarf plecos. My female did'nt pick leaves (I had anubias in there), she liked the little 1.5 inch flower pots laid on the side. Every spawn happened in the same pot for as long as I owned her.

I have a pic someplace of her hovering over a clutch. I'll have to dig it out.

Have you ever done Biotoechus opercularis? Those were a fun fish! I also had the pleasure of obtaining some of my stock from Dr. Uwe Romer. He was in the country speaking at a convention I went to. i pasted in a few pics I took. Boy what memories this thread is bringing back!

[IMG]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r137 ... oechus.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r137 ... 7/bios.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i143.photobucket.com/albums/r137 ... abybio.jpg[/IMG]

sabbath · Post by **sabbath** » 05 May 2007, 08:07

i guess I did the image thing wrong. Am I missing something?

sabbath · Post by **sabbath** » 05 May 2007, 08:15

Try again.....

sabbath · Post by **sabbath** » 05 May 2007, 08:16

Thats better!

apistomaster · Post by **apistomaster** » 05 May 2007, 09:02

I haven't even ever seen a live one but I've always wanted to try them. Those are great photos, young as they are, they exude personality. Pretty cool little cichlid.

On the checkerboards; Mine have always spawned on a leaf, or the peak of a bend on a piece of smooth driftwood or on the top side of an inverted flowerpot but never inside a cave. I always thought that was one of the big differences between them and Apistos which always have hidden their spawns inside a cave of sorts.

sabbath · Post by **sabbath** » 05 May 2007, 10:11

I knew I had a snap around here someplace! I didn't save the original, so the one with my name is all I have left.

This "cave" wasn't exactly hidden. The mouth of the pot was facing the front of the tank. You could see right in. Not a very good pic, but you can see the eggs under her.