Rod54 Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 I've recently purchased a pair of these fish and I'm very keen to get them to breed. After a bit of research I've ordered a couple more females to provide the male with a harem of 3 females. Anyone breed these fish? Any further hints or tricks would be appreciated. The breeding tank at present will be a well planted long established 2ft tank but I'm not sure it will be big enough??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlakeyBoyR Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 It will be big enough mate. Just provide plenty of hiding places for the females, they go postal when they're breeding and deaths often result. 2' is plenty big enough to sucessfully breed them though, if all else fails just throw in a couple of small terracotta pots for them to hide in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abob Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 I think you'll be fine as long as there is plenty of plants, rocks, wood etc so they can't always see each other. I find with apistos "out of sight is out of mind". Let me know how you go, my trifs should be ready to breed in a few months. Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceswithDingoes Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 Try to create individual zones in the tank where there is no line of direct site between each cave and a frontal superterritory spanning the tank that the male can patrol but escape over zealous females. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod54 Posted June 2, 2005 Author Share Posted June 2, 2005 Feedback is appreciated! My females have arrived! What's best.... 1male 3 females or 2males 3females? It would be nice to see males sparring.....but would it create problems or just require a bigger tank??? or is it a good idea to keep 1 male separate in reserve incase the male with the females is killed? If they spawn is it best to remove male and other females or just let it happen? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanceswithDingoes Posted June 2, 2005 Share Posted June 2, 2005 1 and 3, the males will constantly fight and ignore the desperate females Look at a 3ft x 14x 14 some time in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevkoi Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Ok, Apistogramma trifasciata...... which do you have? Apistogramma trifasciata trifasciata (usually just labeled as A.trifasciata "Guapore red" or "Rio Guapore"), or the much rarer Apistogramma trifasciata macliensis? SLS in Sydney has the macliensis variant... a nice goldish subspecies. The A. trifasciata trifasciata group are ready breeders. Definately one of the hardier apistos. Their habitat range extends way into central Argentina, surrounding the cities of Santa Fe. Their tolerance to lesser quality water is evident in their survivability thru these intensively urbanised and farm areas. They can be found in waters with pH in the alkaline ranges! Their maintenace in the aquarium is relatively problem free because their demands on the water quality are limited. Most of the specimens obtained in the hobby are also tank bred these days. Recently I visited an Apistogramma breeding farm in Asia which produces, among others A.trifasciata "Guapore Red". Pictures of the farm setup I have posted on another forum (don't know how to upload pics here). The farm setup is unbelievably simple and effective. (evident by the thousands of fry available in their grow out tanks). Forget all the 'decoration in tank', and size of tank and harems etc.... these fish are bred, one pair in bare 18inch tanks with a flower pot on its side and a small sponge filter. The eggs are artificially raised of course. In short, you have a relatively problem free Apistogramma on your hands.... easy to keep and easy to breed. Once u get your feet wet with this variant, u might want to get ino say, A.elizabethae? These have been bred in Singapore, but these are a real challenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod54 Posted June 3, 2005 Author Share Posted June 3, 2005 Sorry not sure which specie....they were listed as Trifasciatum..not trifasciata My guess would be A trifasciata trifasciata based on pictures on the web? I read the the macliensis doesn't have the diagonal strip across the belly or spots on the caudal fin?? Not sure I could handle the bare tank concept....I feel a need to provide a natural setting..sand,plants,wood,dead-leaves...I don't know if it would make the fish happier but it makes me happier! Probably one of the reasons I haven't warmed to Rift lake dwarfs...a tank full of rocks and no plants... I'd like the parents to stay with the fry....I've really enjoyed watching my nanacara female look after her spawn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abob Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 I'm like you Rod, I like plants, wood, rock, gravel in my tanks particularly as they are in my living room . If I was in it to raise the most fry possible I would go the more minimalist option but I still love seeing little female apistos chasing off everything else in the tank to protect her herd. I may not have to wait as long as I thought for my A.trifasciata to breed as I notice one female guarding a pot, had turned a nice yellow and displaying to the resident male this morning I'll race ya to be the first of us to breed them Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abob Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 deleted my double post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod54 Posted June 3, 2005 Author Share Posted June 3, 2005 Sounds like you have a head start!! I'm hoping to get my male and his 3 girlfriends settled in their Love nest on the weekend....I've decided to move the nanacaras to a bigger tank and move the tri's to their old,well established, tank. I've had them in a small tank just to keep an eye on them for any disease outbreak given the stress they've had moving from wholesalers to lfs to home? It will be interesting...it took my nana's 3 goes before they got it right! The RACE IS ON!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abob Posted June 3, 2005 Share Posted June 3, 2005 Mine are still very small and I intend to let them try and raise the fry so I wouldn't be suprised if it took a few attempts. My guess is that barring accidents I'll have fry around august. Good luck and may the best fish-keeper win Dean <...Dean starts fumbling for the mood lighting and barry white records in his bid to win...> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod54 Posted June 3, 2005 Author Share Posted June 3, 2005 I think I'm getting the flu.... maybe it's the stress of this race to produce baby Tri's August heh? Got to get that grindal worm culture pumping! Rod Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod54 Posted June 16, 2005 Author Share Posted June 16, 2005 Darn darn darn darn! I had my male Tri and his 3 girls in a small tank just to make sure they were healthy. Over the long weekend I caught 36 young nanacaras out of a well establish 2 footer and put them in a 3footer to grow them. The male Tri was paying particular attention to one of his girls who had taken possession of a small terracotta pot....I thought you beauty....and moved the other 2 females to the 2footer to get them out of the way! Tonight I noticed both females in the 2footer are bright yellow and fighting....then I see 20 or so eggs under a piece of driftwood.....darn! WRONG MOVE! I think I'll wait to the weekend to move the male and his girl to the 2footer and see what happens....hopefully the female who laid the eggs won't beat him up??? The girls are ready! Hope he is??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod54 Posted June 23, 2005 Author Share Posted June 23, 2005 Well...my tri's had another spawn. but it was on the underside of a small pump of my custom filtration system....It had blocked so I took it out to clean it and noticed the eggs.....they're all gone this morning! Seems all the females have established a territory and the male wonders around the tank....displaying to the local female as he goes. Hopefully if I leave them alone nature will take it's course. How are yours going Dean? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abob Posted June 23, 2005 Share Posted June 23, 2005 Sounds like only a matter of time for your tris Rod. Good work. Mine have been disturbed over the last few weeks by a number of temporary tank-mates (Fp. gardneri and lionheads). Now the lionheads are gone mine are starting to colour up nicely and one of the females has turned yellow and claimed a pot. One of the gardneri thinks the male trfasciata are competitors and keeps chasing them . I've found them much more timid than my cacatuoides and viejita. They don't seem to like active tankmates like the gardneri and like to hang around in the rock work a lot. I'm going to need to take the gardneri out before I'll have any success with them. Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abob Posted July 6, 2005 Share Posted July 6, 2005 I've got fry! There are only about 20 of them and they are very small for apisto fry. My two pairs have turned out to be 3 males, 1 female . I pulled 2 males out as they were getting hassled by the dominant male and then I pulled the 3rd male when he was give the female a hard time. So far the female is being a good mother, protecting the fry. Dean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod54 Posted July 7, 2005 Author Share Posted July 7, 2005 Well done Dean! Congratulations! I'm in Papua New Guinea at the moment so I just hope mine are still alive!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod54 Posted July 26, 2005 Author Share Posted July 26, 2005 At Last! One mum with fry and another protecting a small cave. It will be interesting as they are only 100mm apart? They seem very comfortable and let Dad drift by from time to time. The mum fires up when the Male Nanacara gets too close...but he seems to be taking heed and turns away. I love my killifish but watching dwarf cichlid Mums with their babies is fascinating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamR Posted July 28, 2005 Share Posted July 28, 2005 Dwarf cichlid mums are what sucked me into the hobby. Now im loving my pair of pelvicachromis as dad helps out with the babies just as much as mum does. Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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