20G - Apistogramma cacatuoides

[bizfromqc]

I had images of my tank spread throughout a couple of posts in the General Freshwater, Plants and DIY sections so I thought it would be good to put everything under the same thread here. So bare with me for the duplicate images and description. I will put all new developments to the tank here.

[bizfromqc]

Tank just setup.

20 gallong high, 24" long x 12" deep x 16" high
CaribSea Kon Tiki Substrate
2 x 23W 6500K CFL in Home Depot Clip-on Fixtures.
AquaClear 150 (30) Filter with Foam, Carbon and BioMax
Hydor Theo 100W Heater

4 plants added

2 x Crypts (Cryptocoryne x willisii)
1 x Black Sword (Echinodorus 'Aquartica')
1 x Windelov Fern (Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov')

[bizfromqc]

Changed location of heater, filter and added a DIY CO2 reaction chamber based on: http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/diy-aquarium-projects/44053-tiny-super-efficient-co2-reactor.html

[bizfromqc]

DIY CO2 system using 1 x 2L bottle completed.

Specifically, I used:
- 2l bottle for the generator
- 710 ml for the bubble counter/gas separator
- 2 check valves (1 between generator and bubble counter and 1 between counter and tank)
- Black silicone tubing

For the mix, I used:
- 2 cups sugar
- 3/4 tsp Lalvin EC-1118 champagne yeast
- 1 tsp baking soda

The design of the CO2 system including the bubble counter aka gas separator
http://www.qsl.net/w2wdx/aquaria/diyco2.html

The yeast mixture recipe (I added a bit more yeast because of a lil' spill... don't ask)
http://www.aquatic-eden.com/2006/09/diy-co2-recipe-duration-vs-intensity.html

[bizfromqc]

Added a piece of Malaysian driftwood and attached the Windelov fern to it. Also moved the crypts and sword plants around, rearranging everything.

[bizfromqc]

Added 2nd bottle of DIY CO2 to the system to boost up production a bit.

[bizfromqc]

Plants added and some rescaping.

New plants are:

2 x Hornwort (Ceratophyllum submersum)
1 x Dwarf anubias (Anubias Barteri var. nana)
1 x Alternanthera Bettzickiana (couldn't find the common name)

Current fauna:
5 x Zebra Danios

[dan2x38]

Very clean look! I suggest not to over fertilize for now since it is low growth right now but be prepared you should get some nice jungle like growth soon! :-)

[exv152]

Looks better with more plants. Where did you get them?

[bizfromqc]

First batch (fern, crypt and sword) from Big Al's on Innes.
Second Batch of plants from La Niche.

[bizfromqc]

Added some moss that Errol gave me at the last planted meeting (please enlighten me with what type it is...) to a rock with fish line and put it in the front-right of the tank, just in front of the crypts and swords. The danios seem to like it 

Pardon the dirty tank, it needs a good scrub...

[jshchrtn]

Tank looks good, I like your lay out!

[bizfromqc]

SUBSTRATE SWAP - PART 1

Last night I setup to replace the substrate swap in my tank with the natural stone used for pool filtration (see thread here). So out went the CaribSea Kon Tiki and in went the Natural Stone for pool filtration.

I knew it was going to be a major PITA but it was going to be worth it in the long run.

1) Unplug everything
2) Empty half the tank into spare 25G tank
3) Remove heater, filter, wood, plants, co2 reactor
4) Go Zebra Danio hunting (these little guys are fast)
5) Finish emptying tank into spare 25G tank

Whole process with seting up and all took about an hour but that also included about 30 minutes rinsing out the new substrate.

Pictures of the process attached. Pickled Danios anyone?

[bizfromqc]

SUBSTRATE SWAP - PART 2

With all the water gone, I was finally able to swap the substrate.

1) Remove old substrate
2) Give the tank a good scrub
3) Put new substrate in the tank

This time, I put in a lot more substrate than I did last time. I was originally using a 20lbs bag of the CaribSea   and it gave me about 1in depth all over. This time, I approximate that I used a good 35lbs, if not more, of the natural stone pool stuff, about 3/4 of the 50lbs bag. It gives me a nice 2in+ to play in now where I'll have enough room for plant roots and my eventual inhabitants to play in 

I then proceeded to put the stuff back in the tank. I realized that my piece of driftwood was probably too big for the footprint of the tank so I went downtown on it and sawed it in half MOUHAHAHA I now have two smaller pieces of driftwood 

Put the heater back in place, redid the layout, replanted the tank and filled her up.

I refilled the tank with 70% of the water that was originally in there and 30% new water since I hadn't done a water change since I originally setup the tank.

Even though I rinse the new substrate, the water is still pretty cloudy and I have a feeling it may take a coupe of days to clear up. It's slightly better this morning than it was last night so it's going to go away but how long will it take? Who knows. I've attached a FTS picture right after it was filled up and also a FTS picture from this morning, you can see it's clearer but it's got ways to go.

All and all, it was roughly a 3 hour job but I'm glad I did it. IMHO the substrate looks nicer, is deeper and the new layout give me more room for plants and eventual shelters for my coming apistos.

What do you guys/gals think?

Also, this morning, I checked the params and i got the following:

Ammonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 0ppm
PH: 6.0-6.5

I was surprised to see the nitrates at 0ppm and was expecting to see at least some but nothing... Is this normal???

Pictures attached.

[touchofsky]

Are you fertilizing your tank?  If not, the plants may be using whatever nitrate is in the water.  It sounds as though you have a very light fish load, too, so your nitrate level is probably fairly low to begin with.

Also, if you add some filter floss to your filter, it will help to pick up the really fine particles and clear the water faster.

Your tank looks great so far.  Do you have a wish list of plants?

[bizfromqc]

Are you fertilizing your tank?  If not, the plants may be using whatever nitrate is in the water.  It sounds as though you have a very light fish load, too, so your nitrate level is probably fairly low to begin with.

Also, if you add some filter floss to your filter, it will help to pick up the really fine particles and clear the water faster.

Your tank looks great so far.  Do you have a wish list of plants?

No fertilizing yet and a pretty low fish load. I only have 5 danios that I put in there to get the nitrogen cycle going and maybe keep as dither fish when I get the apistos. I have just done a 30% water change as well so it probably cleared some of the nitrates too. There's probably some left in the tank but not enough for my test kit to pick up. I'm using the NutraFin Mini Master Kit.

As for plants, I'd like to add some more background / low keep / low light plants, possibly another anubia or two and maybe some foreground/carpeting plants but I'll have to do some research on what I can successfully keep. Ideally I'd like to create some safe/hiding zones for the apistos (and fry if I'm lucky) so the scaping will be done with that in mind. Suggestions are welcomed.

I disconnected the DIY CO2 and will be going with a liquid carbon source until I can get a proper pressurized system. I also plan to use liquid ferts and root tabs if needed.

I'll look for some filter floss to help clear up the tank, thanks for the tip.

[touchofsky]

You can use stuff like quilt batting instead of floss from the aquarium store.  Looks for 100% polyester without any additives (such as flame retardant).

[Peekay]

The new gravel looks great!  Love the wood too. 

[charlie]

Plants added and some rescaping.

New plants are:

2 x Hornwort (Ceratophyllum submersum)
1 x Dwarf anubias (Anubias Barteri var. nana)
1 x Alternanthera Bettzickiana (couldn't find the common name)Current fauna:
5 x Zebra Danios

Keep an eye on that plant,it might not be a true aquatic plant.

[bizfromqc]

The new gravel looks great!  Love the wood too. 

Thanks!

I think it was way too big to begin with for a 24 x 12 surface. It's still the same volume of wood but split in half and vertical instead of horizontal... I think it looks better that way and gives the little guys more room on the tank floor.

[bizfromqc]

Keep an eye on that plant,it might not be a true aquatic plant.

Oh no... looks like you're right on this one (of course).

I did look up the alternanthera but couldn't originally find this one, might explain it now. I've looked it up online again and this time found forum posts and other people confirming it is not suitable for aquarium growth  

I'll have to yank it out. Good news is i still have a couple of small clay pots so I'll put it in there and bring it to my office or put some if my girls bedroom!

Thanks Errol, once again, you're the man  

[bizfromqc]

FRIDAY NIGHT UPDATE - PART 1 - New plants and decor

Plants added:

1) Sagittaria Pusillus (right in front of the vals, some tiny little shoots for now but should grow)
2) Vallisneria Gigantea (in front of the heater, behind sagittaria pusillus)
3) Nymphaea Zenkeri (Red Tiger Lotus in the middle)

I just think that the Red Tiger Lotus is beautiful, I love the great big leaves. Hopefully I can keep it and it will grow nicely.

Also added:

1) 2 x 3" clay pots (a whopping 0.57$ each at Wal-Mart) to serve as caves for my apistos
2) Some river rocks throughout the tank to add a little hardscape in there

Water is still clearing, slowly but surely. Attached is a FTS, let me know what you think.

[bizfromqc]

FRIDAY NIGHT UPDATE - PART 2.1 - New fish

Hooray! I found some apistogramma cacatuoides. They were marked as "double reds" but from looking at the male I pick, I'd say he's borderline "triple red" since he's got the red on the tail, dorsal and anal fins. In any case, he's a beauty, by far the nicest one from the batch at the store. He's still a bit shy but warming up the the tank, the other fish and more importantly, the female apisto 

Pictures attached.

[bizfromqc]

FRIDAY NIGHT UPDATE - PART 2.2 - New fish

Picture of the female apistogramma cacatuoides.

[bizfromqc]

FRIDAY NIGHT UPDATE - PART 2.3 - New fish

It seems the pair are already warming up to each other. After staying in their corners for a good 15 minutes after they were introduced to the tank, they came out and checked each other out. Male was kinda flaunting for the female and she then took her turn showing off. After a little while, they were swimming together and even both checked out the clay pots and posed for the camera 

All I need now is a little Barry White in the background to set the mood LOL

Pictures attached.

[charlie]

Nice find, would it not be better to keep them as a Trio 1M+2F?
Regards

[touchofsky]

Looks great.  I am happy that you got the fish that you were looking for.  I love red tiger lotus, too, and they aren't hard to keep, so you shouldn't have problems with it.

[charlie]

FRIDAY NIGHT UPDATE - PART 1 - New plants and decor

Plants added:

1) Sagittaria Pusillus (right in front of the vals, some tiny little shoots for now but should grow)
2) Vallisneria Gigantea (in front of the heater, behind sagittaria pusillus)
3) Nymphaea Zenkeri (Red Tiger Lotus in the middle)

I just think that the Red Tiger Lotus is beautiful, I love the great big leaves. Hopefully I can keep it and it will grow nicely.

Also added:

1) 2 x 3" clay pots (a whopping 0.57$ each at Wal-Mart) to serve as caves for my apistos
2) Some river rocks throughout the tank to add a little hardscape in there

Water is still clearing, slowly but surely. Attached is a FTS, let me know what you think.

a root tab under that lotus every 2-3 mths should help to keep it happy 
Regards

[bizfromqc]

Nice find, would it not be better to keep them as a Trio 1M+2F?
Regards

I think the jury is still out on that one. My tank is relatively small so to speak and if a pair establishes, I would have to take out the other one. I'll give it a go for a little while and see how things go.

If the male harasses her and she's not interested, I might get another one to spread his attention until things settle down and they pair up. Problem then is I have to put the extra female "somewhere" else.

[Peekay]

So cool!       They are beautiful!  lol at the Barry White!

I love the red lotus too. 

[daworldisblack]

Things are looking good! What are the chances of you going in and having the fish you wanted just in eh?! I was told there was a delay in the shipment due to bad weather the week before so I'm sure its pretty nicely stocked there now with neat new fishes! Looking better and better with each progress pic!

[jshchrtn]

The fish you were able to get are awesome! Congrats!

[bizfromqc]

Thank you for all the comments.

The male is starting to get settled in now and is flaring up his fins all the time in front of the female and to scare off the danios when they get on his nerves. He really is the man of the house now and acting like it LOL

I'll try to take some better pictures today and post them here.

[bizfromqc]

Went in the basement this morning to check on my tank occupants. Couldn't really find the female at first but finally found her under some leaves behind the clay pot in the front part of the tank.

She looked really different than she did yesterday... way more YELLOW. A good sign I hear. I was pretty excited about this since female apistogramma turn yellow when they're about to lay eggs or in brood care. I took a picture for you guys to see and it's attached to this post.

Went in again a little while ago and found her again under the anubias behind the clay pot. I thought maybe the male was being a little pushy and she went in there to relax. Took another snap of it.

When reviewing the pictures in Picassa, I noticed little bumps on the under part of the anubias leaves. At first I thought it might have been pearling of the plant but I'm not even putting in CO2 anymore so not that...

Went in the basement again after looking at the pictures and again, took another picture.

They're not bubbles, they're EGGS !!! Kind of pinkish/brownish, it's hard to tell but they're definitely eggs. I must have had the correct timing as the second picture I took seemed to have more eggs so I might have caught her in the act. Who knew this would happen so quickly. They were introduced to the tank Friday night. Funniest thing is they didn't even use the clay pots but the plants LOL

I'll have to read up on apistos and eggs/fry and what to do and whatnot. I may have to know about this earlier than I expected 

Enjoy the pictures.

[charlie]

WOW, good for you.
As they say timing is everything
Maybe fischkop can throw in his experience with Apistos here?

[touchofsky]

Wow!  Good for you.  That is very exciting 

[jshchrtn]

Wow that's exciting

[bettabreeder]

Unreal. This calls for more pictures of course!

[bizfromqc]

Unreal. This calls for more pictures of course!

I am super excited about it. I know it can take a couple of spawns for them to get used to the whole thing so I don't have high hopes for this first one but... that being said, I'd love for it to be a successful one 

Gotta get the Danios out of there, they're pesky little buggers. The female is doing a great job at keeping them away from the eggs but they're fast so if these guys ever make it to free-swimming form, they might get swiped  by them.

More pictures coming soon as things develop.

[Peekay]

That's amazing!  It was the barry white, fo sho!   

[touchofsky]

Good idea to move the danios.

Are the eggs still there today?

[bizfromqc]

Yes they're still in there so mommy is doing a fine job at keeping them away

Most of the time they won't even venture near the Anubias but will migrate to the bottom of the tank after feeding and that's when they go around her and she gets p**** off at them.

I need to get my 10gal tank setup ASAP in case I need to move some fish in a hurry.

I need more tanks LOL

[touchofsky]

My kribs killed some of my long finned danios when they started breeding.  I had to move the danios out quickly|!

[fischkopp]

Congrats on the breeding!

It's actually not that uncommon that apistos will breed shortly after they were introduced to a new tank. The female was probably ready to breed long before, but at the fish store with the high stocking density it wasn't able to establish a territory or even find a spawning site. Males tend to be opportunist especially with no other males around.

Keep the temperature around 25/26 degrees, this will give you the most even split between males and females for the fry. They will take about 4-5 day to hatch, and are free swimming a couple of days later. In the beginning you will see their litle yolk sack; it will last for the first 2-3 days, then you will have to start feeding. Freshly hatched BBS works best in the first weeks.

I never had danios as i find them to erratic, so I would take them out too. But it is a good idea to have some tetras as dither fish. With no other fish around to chase away apisto pair can turn on themselves and this usually ends badly for one of them. Females do a great job protecting their fry, and they got no problem doing it against little tetras, but they male can get very annoyed and is in the end the stronger of the two. Also males sometimes help to chase off danger too.

And don't worry if that all goes to fast for you. If this brood doesn't turn out, and you stay on top of water changes and all that they will sure breed again in three weeks ...

Good luck!

[bizfromqc]

Congrats on the breeding!

It's actually not that uncommon that apistos will breed shortly after they were introduced to a new tank. The female was probably ready to breed long before, but at the fish store with the high stocking density it wasn't able to establish a territory or even find a spawning site. Males tend to be opportunist especially with no other males around.

Keep the temperature around 25/26 degrees, this will give you the most even split between males and females for the fry. They will take about 4-5 day to hatch, and are free swimming a couple of days later. In the beginning you will see their litle yolk sack; it will last for the first 2-3 days, then you will have to start feeding. Freshly hatched BBS works best in the first weeks.

I never had danios as i find them to erratic, so I would take them out too. But it is a good idea to have some tetras as dither fish. With no other fish around to chase away apisto pair can turn on themselves and this usually ends badly for one of them. Females do a great job protecting their fry, and they got no problem doing it against little tetras, but they male can get very annoyed and is in the end the stronger of the two. Also males sometimes help to chase off danger too.

And don't worry if that all goes to fast for you. If this brood doesn't turn out, and you stay on top of water changes and all that they will sure breed again in three weeks ...

Good luck!

Thank you for quite the detailed answer 

I went to BA during my lunch hour to pick up a sponge to act as a pre-filter for my HOB AC30. Don't want the fry to get sucked in. I also picked up some Omega One Frozen Baby Brine Shrimp for when the fry needs to eat. I don't have the setup/time (at least for this batch) to get the live newly hatched BBS going so it'll have to be the frozen kind.

My tank moves between 25 and 27 because of the heat my lights (2 x 23W CFL) generate. Generally around 25-26 when the lights first turn on and about 26-27 when the lights turn off (after being on for 8 hours). That is around what you recommend, would you make any changes or keep it like this?

As I mentioned before, the danios are leaving the tank tonight. I have an empty 10G that I'll have to put them in, hopefully they can survive the move and help cycle the tank for me (it doesn't have any water now). I hate to say this but the apisto fry ranks higher on my list than the danios so while I do hope they'll be OK in the uncycled tank, it'll have to be that way for now.  I'll get some tetras or pencilfish to replace the danios as dithers and hopefully keep the couple happy 

Have you always kept the male with the female/fry or do you remove him after a little while?

Hopefully, by the time I need to remove the male (if indeed I do need to remove him) the 10G tank will be cycled so he can then move there temporarily until the female is ready to spawn again. At which point I may move the fry to the 10G or bigger tank.

So many things to learn and do, so little time LOL

One last question, what are good/typical numbers for a successful hatch?

Thanks again

[fischkopp]

Generally around 25-26 when the lights first turn on and about 26-27 when the lights turn off (after being on for 8 hours). That is around what you recommend, would you make any changes or keep it like this?

That's ok. Other water parameters will influence the male-female ratio as well, so the temp range is a good start. You can tweak it up or down. If memory serves me right warmer water will produce more males.

Have you always kept the male with the female/fry or do you remove him after a little while?

I kept them together most of the time unless I really want to raise the young. It's easier to care for the fry that way.

It pretty much depends on your tank size, the smaller the tank the more friction there is between the male and female. 24x12 inches footprint is still pretty small, there isn't much room for the female to escape the male, or to put another way: the male may not be happy if he only gets half of the tank. This very much depends on the mood/species of your apisto. Male eat the eggs and fry sometimes, or beat up the female badly, I have even seen a male beat up the female and then took over the care of the fry, or they just get along. For the agassizii group a 48inch tank can be too small; the cacatuoides group is much more calm and probably safe in you current tank.

One last question, what are good/typical numbers for a successful hatch?

That will vary depend on age and feeding. Overall they don't lay a lot of eggs since they care for the brood. 50 fry is a good number. Anything +/-25 is possible.

[bizfromqc]

Thanks again for the info.

Bad news though, I came home tonight and all the eggs were gone. Better luck next time 

[bizfromqc]

Went to the OVAS meeting last night and purchased a couple of new plants that I will be adding to the tank.

1) Java Ferns
2) Assorted mosses
3) Anubias Nanas
4) Limnophila Aromatica (thrives in high light and CO2, may have a hard time keeping it)
5) Small clay fired apisto cave

The apisto cave has already been added to the tank and both the male and female took turns in checking it out. The male barely fits in the entrance but the size is just perfect for the female to come in/out and protect. Hopefully this will give them another option for spawn location.

I also added some more rocks in front of the 2 existing clay pots to make it a bit more interesting and effective as a hiding spot for the fishes.

I will be putting in the new plants tonight and post pictures soon after. Tune in for a picture update tonight or tomorrow morning.

[charlie]

Went to the OVAS meeting last night and purchased a couple of new plants that I will be adding to the tank.

1) Java Ferns
2) Assorted mosses
3) Anubias Nanas
4) Limnophila Aromatica (thrives in high light and CO2, may have a hard time keeping it)
5) Small clay fired apisto cave

(6) ROTALA SP. 'GREEN' i thought you got this too ? 
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=103
Try the Aromatica under the brightest part of the tank, i don`t think the tank it came out of is injected, could be wrong.
Regards

[bizfromqc]

(6) ROTALA SP. 'GREEN' i thought you got this too ? 
http://www.aquaticplantcentral.com/forumapc/plantfinder/details.php?id=103
Try the Aromatica under the brightest part of the tank, i don`t think the tank it came out of is injected, could be wrong.
Regards

Yes, I did get the Rotala Green, totally forgot about it LOL

Came from a good home too 

[bizfromqc]

My Red Tiger Lotus is rapidly melting away, it's scary. It seems like everytime I look, another hole develops on one of the leaves and I look again and part of a leaf is gone. At this rate, It'll be entirely gone in 1-2 weeks tops.

May not have enough light in my tank to keep this one happy, I'll be sad to let it go.

I finally got off my b()tt and bought some Seachem Excel Flourish as well as some root tabs and put some of both in the tank this morning.

Two capfuls of the Excel as a first dose (later realised it was waaaay too much, my math this morning was off LOL) and added 3 root tabs. One under the Red Tiger Lotus, one under the Black Sword and another one under the Crypts.

Hopefully the addition of the root tabs and the biocarbon from the Excel will bring a little life back to my tank, I really don't want to see the Red Tiger Lotus melt away like that.

Any other ideas?

Oh, and I did add 4 otocinclus to the tank as new roomies for my Apistos and Danios (yet to be replaced).

I still need to put in my new plants from the mini-auction. I cleaned them up, tied them in little bunches with fishing line and put them in temporary water jars until I can get them in the tank. Hopefully they'll still be in good shape by the time I get around to add them to the tank.

Sorry no pictures this time, crazy busy these days. More to come soon.

[bizfromqc]

Made a couple of changes to the tank:

1) Removed the Alternanthera Bettzickiana (thank you Errol)
2) Added Rotala sp. Green where the A. Bettzickiana used to be
3) Added some Anubia Nana to the mid/foreground in front of the clay pots
4) Some rocks in front of the clay pots

I'm starting to think I want to remove the piece of wood on the left. It's just a matter of time before it gets totally hidden by the plants and takes up a lot of real estate. I've also come to terms to the fact that it's not too aesthetically pleasing (as opposed to the one of the right). I think I am going to remove it from the tank, thoughts?

Things on the to do list:

1) Attach moss and java fern to piece of driftwood on the right side of the tank.
2) Remove driftwood on the left side of the tank
3) Rescape left side of the tank

Another thing I realized... Put the root tabs AFTER you're done moving stuff around and NOT a day before. The tank got sooooo cloudy when I moved the substrate where the root tabs were inserted, I wont be doing that anymore.

The otos are doing a fantastic job at cleaning up the tank. My crypts are now looking clean as a whistle and they've now moved on to the sword on the left. I have a feeling I may have to supplement their diet with some vegs as they'll be done sweeping up the entire tank in no time.

On the fish side, the female apisto is now back to her normal colors and lost the bright yellow about 48 hours after the eggs were gone. Male apisto still looks good as usual. The whole gang is getting along pretty well. I have yet to remove the danios (procrastination, yes, it's a problem).

Some pictures.

[bizfromqc]

Death in the tank.

One of the otocinclus got too close to the filter intake and got stuck. It was too late when I noticed it 

I wanted to swap out the AC30 for an AC50 I had laying around for a while now and finally decided to do it. A bit more filtration power and I also wanted to free the AC30 for a new 10G tank build. I also added a ginormous piece of foam on the intake to prevent more accidents until I can figure out a nicer looking (and still safe) alternative.

I did a direct swap from the AC30 to the AC50 but kept the Bio-Max media insert from the AC30 and put it in the AC50 (along with a new Bio-Max insert) to kick start the bacteria in the new media. I'll keep it in there for a couple of days and then put it back in the AC30, slap that in the 10G along with the 5 danios and start cycling the new 10G. At least, that's the plan...

Let's just hope the new AC50 will cycle soon enough not to affect the water quality in the apisto tank. Same with the old AC30 and the danios in the 10G. I hope to end up with two cycled tank and not two tanks that have ammonia spikes and a bunch of dead fish, that would NOT be cool.

[daworldisblack]

One of the otocinclus got too close to the filter intake and got stuck. It was too late when I noticed it 

Same thing happened to me today! It was stuck in the intake but the tail was moving so I shut the filter off and let it free. It swam straight to the glass as it to show me its damages.. poor guy.. i saw internal bleeding in its mouth. Looks good so far. Fingers crossed he makes it. Sorry to hear about your loss though

[fischkopp]

Chances are that the otocat was weakened by something else. A healthy fish should have no problems with the suction of an AC.

[Peekay]

Sorry you lost one.   

Why don't you run both filters in the 25 for a week?  Keep all inserts in both of them growing and alive, and then when you start the 10, the filter is ready to go.  If you're concerned about flow, just turn them both to 'low'. 

[bizfromqc]

I thought about that but (and this is going to sound ridiculous) I would have had to cut a hole in the plastic insert of my cover for both (I know, I know...) and didn't want a big'ol hole when I took it out. I cant really run topless either since my lights rest of the cover (and I have an adventurous cat)

I need to do something about my lights, it's starting to be a PITA to remove it all everytime I need to access the tank.

[bizfromqc]

I don't know what's going on but something's gotten into my male apisto.

He seems like he's p***** off all the time and basically won't let anyone, including the female apisto, near the bottom of the tank. He chases the danios when the get too close and will chase the female away when he sees her trying to get near the bottom of the tank. Poor thing has been kind of pinned to the top-tier of the tank.

I wonder if he's ready to mate again and the female isn't and/or he's suddenly getting territorial but he's acting like a bully. He's not harassing the female per se, it's like he doesn't want to have anything to do with her and doesn't want her near him...

I wonder what caused all this. I just hope he relaxes and doesn't stress the female to a point of no return.

Tank params are:

Temp: 27c
pH: 6.5-7.0
NH3: 0ppm
NO2: 0.3ppm
NO3: 5-10ppm

[exv152]

One thing that is noticeable is your tank isn't done its cycle process, hence the NO2 present, and low nitrate. Not sure if it's the reason for the fish's behaviour, but something to keep an eye on.

[touchofsky]

I haven't kept apistos, however, my pelvicachromis pulcher (kribensis) behave in the same way.  At times, the male won't let the female down to the bottom of the tank, and has kept her up at the top.  Is hasn't lasted very long, and after a bit, they start to get along again.  He has never done her any harm in the process.  I tend to keep some plants in the upper part of the tank to give her some cover.

[bizfromqc]

One thing that is noticeable is your tank isn't done its cycle process, hence the NO2 present, and low nitrate. Not sure if it's the reason for the fish's behaviour, but something to keep an eye on.

I switched filters a couple of days ago (and added the media from the old filter), that may explain the presence of nitrite, maybe I triggered another mini-cycle.

I will perform a water change tonight (25-30%) and do another test tomorrow to see where I'm at. I hope things settle down soon but the current levels aren't too bad (as far as harming the fish) but I'll definitely keep an eye on it.

[bizfromqc]

I haven't kept apistos, however, my pelvicachromis pulcher (kribensis) behave in the same way.  At times, the male won't let the female down to the bottom of the tank, and has kept her up at the top.  Is hasn't lasted very long, and after a bit, they start to get along again.  He has never done her any harm in the process.  I tend to keep some plants in the upper part of the tank to give her some cover.

Things are looking brighter today. She still hangs around the top tier of the tank but the times where she went down in the tank, the male just strolled along with her until she came back up again. We'll see how this little couple drama unfolds LOL

[bizfromqc]

Made some (yet again) changes to the tank. Mainly some house cleaning. Also made a 33% water change.

1) Removed piece of driftwood from left side of the tank
2) Removed Rotala Green
3) Added Limnophila Aromatica
4) Moved Sword, Vals and Rock with Peacock Moss attached to it
5) Added giant, ugly piece of foam over filter intake in case I get lucky and my apistos try to breed again (cross fingers)

I ended up removing the Rotala Green because I hadn't planted it correctly and ended up free in my tank causing a big mess. I then lost patience trying to piece everything back together and it got the better of me so out it went. I'll have to try it again another time... 

The Limnophilia are all curved down now (the stem is actually like this) since I have been keeping those in a glass pickle jar up until I had time to plant them. The stem actually formed to the curve of the curve. I tried to straighten it out again but I broke one stem trying to do this. So I'll give it a go like this and hope it'll straighten out in the tank trying to reach for the light. If it doesn't work, I may have to try something else.

Things are a bit cleaner now and I wanted the wood for a new 10G tank I was building. See other build thread (link in my sig) if interested.

Full tank shot as of today attached to this post.

[charlie]

this works great.
Tank is coming along nicely
Errol
P.S. cheapest place is Petsmart

[bizfromqc]

this works great.
Tank is coming along nicely
Errol
P.S. cheapest place is Petsmart

That looks so much better than the bright blue I have now LOL

Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out.

[pm]

this works great.
Tank is coming along nicely
Errol
P.S. cheapest place is Petsmart

Yeah, those are great.  I got a second one recently for $3 at petsmart.  I use mine to prevent shrimplets from being sucked up in the filter.  My only issue with them is that on a more powerful filter they clog up quickly (hence me getting a second to do a weekly swap).

[bizfromqc]

Bought two of them at lunch time.

Paid a little more than I would have at Pet Smart but I saved a long bus/car trip and supported a LFS that's been in the business for more than 35 years.

[bizfromqc]

Tank update.

Made a 33% water change last night so decided to test the parameters today.

Temp: 27c
pH: 6.5-7.0
NH3: 0ppm
NO2: 0.8ppm
NO3: 5-10ppm

I am really not liking the nitrite levels. Especially since it seems to have risen since last time I took it (0.3). I thought it would have lowered after the 33% WC but the opposite happened.

I am sure this is all related to my filter swap 4-5 days ago. I had kept the old bio-max filter insert into the new filter until yesterday hoping it was enough time to kick start a cycle since everything else stayed the same. I now wonder what will happen next here...

I will check the params again tomorrow night and see... (will also do the same with the new 10G I started with the old filter.)

The danios are now out of the tank and have been moved to the 10G to get things started over there. I will need to keep an eye on that one too...

Thoughts? 

[bizfromqc]

To make things more interesting, it seems my female apisto is in the mood (if you know what I mean...).

She keeps showing her side to the male and just drift towards him (pretty cool thing to observe) while he just stands there looking at her with a clueless look LOL She's also spending most of her time coming in and out of the clay cave.

... and all of this is happening while my tank is possibly in the middle of a re-cycle. 

[bizfromqc]

Tank update.

Temp: 27c
pH: 6.5-7.0
NH3: 0ppm
NO2: 0.3-0.8ppm
NO3: 10-20ppm

Slight change from yesterday. Nitrite seems to have gone down a little, not quite yet 0.3 but not as dark as the color for 0.8 so I'm guessing somewhere in the middle. Definitely lighter than yesterday.

As far as nitrate, they've gone up a little it seems. Was between 5-10ppm yesterday and seems to be between 10-20ppm today.

I'm going to interpret this as a good sign, nitrites are going down and nitrates are going up.

[charlie]

Tank update.

Temp: 27c
pH: 6.5-7.0
NH3: 0ppm
NO2: 0.3-0.8ppm
NO3: 10-20ppm

Slight change from yesterday. Nitrite seems to have gone down a little, not quite yet 0.3 but not as dark as the color for 0.8 so I'm guessing somewhere in the middle. Definitely lighter than yesterday.

As far as nitrate, they've gone up a little it seems. Was between 5-10ppm yesterday and seems to be between 10-20ppm today.

I'm going to interpret this as a good sign, nitrites are going down and nitrates are going up.

Yep, you are so right

[bizfromqc]

I love pictures so here's more picture for people like me 

The male and female are definitely courting. The female spends her time coming out of the cave, does her thing, tries to impress the male and then goes back in the cave.

I juuuuuuuust missed catching a video of both of them swimming sideways and flapping their fins at each other, maybe next time.

Here's a couple of pictures of the male checking out the cave and the female taking a peek outside. I have a short video that I'll try to upload to YT tonight and maybe embed it in this post (are we allowed?)

One other thing, can anyone confirm what is happening to my sword plant? Some of the bigger leaves seem to be rotting or decomposing. New small bright green leaves are growing but the bigger ones are going.. is this normal or is it showing a deficiency?

[charlie]

Beauty , keep the pics & updates coming - the new wave is on all on board 
Errol

[bizfromqc]

Beauty , keep the pics & updates coming - the new wave is on all on board 
Errol

Any idea what's happening to my sword plant?

[charlie]

Any idea what's happening to my sword plant?

Eric i just went through this thread from the start & almost all the pics of the sword shos early signs of deffiency, so my guess is that it needs nutrients & carbon, BTW the most difficult aspect to provide in non limiting doses in the aquarium even for the greats out there, but that another topic  ., it might be now establishing itself, hopefully you have stuck a root tab under it & i suggest you start providing a source for carbon.
Errol

[bizfromqc]

Thanks for the info Errol.

Yes, I did put root tabs under my crypts and swords about a week ago. I also started using Flourish Excel around that time too.

Might explain why the new growth looks better?

Would dosing NPK + micro nutrients help at all at this point or should I first try to improve the lighting/carbon first?

[charlie]

Thanks for the info Errol.

Yes, I did put root tabs under my crypts and swords about a week ago. I also started using Flourish Excel around that time too.

Might explain why the new growth looks better?

Would dosing NPK + micro nutrients help at all at this point or should I first try to improve the lighting/carbon first?

I`ll tend to lean the light side of water column dosing @ this point perhaps 1x week & focus on lighting & Carbon, reasoning is most of the plants you have are slow growers & root feeders & moss etc.

[touchofsky]

Just to add to Errol's comments    On my tanks with slow growers, no CO2, I dose Flourish Comprehensive once per week.  It seems to do the trick.  If I notice deficiencies, then I will tweak with a bit of NPK.  Only one of my non CO2 tanks seems to need a bit of NPK once in a while.  The other three are doing well with only Flourish Comprehensive, root tabs & Excel. 

[exv152]

It really depends on your fish load and biomass. With some fish and a light plant load you may get away with not dosing NPK at all, which is usual for low tech setups, along with some micro ferts (also once a week). The plants will tell you, and if you see the signs of deficiencies you can dry dose NPK once a week, beginning with very low amount. Do a search online for Tom Barr low tech dosing recommendations.

[bizfromqc]

Thanks for the tips folks. I'll keep an eye on the plants and go from there.

I have some Flourish Comprehensive on order now. I'll start with the Excel, Comprehensive and root tabs and go from there.

[touchofsky]

Sounds good.  Please keep us updated!

[bizfromqc]

Tank update.

Temp: 27c
pH: 6.5-7.0
NH3: 0ppm
NO2: 0.3-0.8ppm
NO3: 10-20ppm

No change from two days ago.

Nitrite and Nitrate appear to be at the same level than 2 days ago. Could have a slight change but the colors of the test kit are so close to each other I have a hard time telling which is which.

I fed my apistos a bunch of frozen brine shrimp yesterday, a teat day. Male seems to like'em a lot more than the female. Although the female seemed to be buys coming in and out of the clay cave...

I might have some good news in the coming days (don't want to jinx it but I THINK I may have seems some wriggling action in the cave  )

Will test again this weekend and go from there and keep everyone posted on the "cave" situation.

[bizfromqc]

It seems the apistos were at it again, It's difficult to see inside the cave but I see what looks like tiny fry but nothing moves yet... Good news is that they haven't been eaten yet so time will tell what will happen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yIDdAwCXTM

[touchofsky]

Good luck, I hope it all works out this time!

[bizfromqc]

TANK UPDATE.

FREE SWIMMERS, Woohooooooooo! 

Got freaked out this morning because the clay cave was empty and I couldn't find the female or any of the eggs/wrigglers. So I set out to find them and found the whole gang hiding out behind the piece of driftwood, mommy and I'm going to estimate at least 50 free swimmers!!!

The picture and video doesn't really show how many of these tiny fishes there are! Substrate below the female is littered with tiny little apisto babies. Took a picture with the flash (I never do because it messes the colors) to try and show a bit more of them but got mixed results. You can see some of them on the picture attached.

I also uploaded a video to YouTube for you guys to check out. Let's just say mommy has her hands full! You can even see her "swallow" a couple of them and spit them out in another spot because they were straying away, it's by far the coolest thing I've seen with these guys. I read that dwarf cichlids were good parents and that's why I decided to keep'em in the first place so I could witness it. I have yet to be disappointed 

Here's the link to the YouTube video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRhvG6KDCqg

Can you tell I'm excited about this yet?

I fed the little guys frozen baby brine shrimp tonight. Frozen is not the best but that's all I have now. I just received 1/2 a pound of brine shrimp eggs this morning in the mail and I will be hatching live ones ASAP to feed to them. I have to get an air pump and airstone and get cracking with the eggs. Until then, they'll have to make do with the frozen stuff. They seemed to enjoy it although it's hard to tell since everything is soooooo tiny.

As you'll see in my 10G build thread, I decided to pull the male apisto out of the tank and put him with the danios. I've decided it's probably the best thing since the female won't want to harm him, he won't want to harm her and no one will want to eat the babies as a snack LOL

So right now, in the 20G, there's only the female apistogramma cacatuoides, her babies and 3 otocinclus. I am totally not worried about the otos trying to eat the fry. I'm a bit worried about them though as the female won't allow them anywhere near the corner of the tank where the babies are. She's a force to be reckon with.

A couple of days ago I decided to move things around in the tank to better see what was going on in the breeding cave. I also moved some plants around and added some Creeping Jennys to the foreground. I decided to cut the L. Aromatica in half and start two new ones (might not have been such a great move though LOL). In any case, I now have a clear view of what is going on in the cave and have more room in the foreground for plants.

Attached a picture of the female and free swimmers, picture of the Creeping Jennys and an FTS shot. Don't forget to check out the YouTube video of the female tending to her babies, it's pretty cool.

[daworldisblack]

Pretty exciting!! Hope it works out this time round! 

[bettabreeder]

Wow way to go!!! Congrats!!!

[Peekay]

You are so lucky!  Very cool and so interesting!

[DaWolfe]

Very cool Eric.  Congrats. 

Hopefully they will all survive so you can sell them and get bigger tanks. 

Dan

[bizfromqc]

Very cool Eric.  Congrats. 

Hopefully they will all survive so you can sell them and get bigger tanks. 

Dan

Ah ha, yeah bigger tanks... where will I put them though? LOL

[touchofsky]

What a great video!  Momma apisto is sure a busy lady    Good luck with them.  I am looking forward to your updates 

[bizfromqc]

Got my BS eggs in the mail from Canadian Aqua Farm. 20$ for 0.5lbs shipped right to my door, pretty good deal considering BA sells 0.21oz for 3.99$.

Got the "hatchery" setup with a 2L apple juice jug, an air stone and a tiny air pump. Put the whole thing in a bucket under one of my tanks. If all goes well, I should have some newly hatched BBS in 24-36 hours to feed to my fry.

[fischkopp]

I run two 1l bottles in parallel to hatch BBS, but with 24h offset. The first bottle is used for feeding during the day, while the other one is hatching the batch for the next day. That way you have fresh BBS every day and don't run out.

[bizfromqc]

I run two 1l bottles in parallel to hatch BBS, but with 24h offset. The first bottle is used for feeding during the day, while the other one is hatching the batch for the next day. That way you have fresh BBS every day and don't run out.

Good point, I'll get another bottle started either late tonight or tomorrow morning. I only used about half a teaspoon of eggs, should be enough for two/three feedings of BBS. Right now I feed them a bit in the morning, some more when I come back from work and a little more just before going to bed. I may adjust the amount of BBS eggs if I see I don't have enough (or too much) for the daily 2-3 feedings.

Thanks for the tip.

[fischkopp]

Half a tsp sounds like more than plenty, you probably won't need that much.

If the fry just started free swimming they will still have there yolk sack for food; don't feed until you see it almost gone.

[bizfromqc]

Half a tsp sounds like more than plenty, you probably won't need that much.

If the fry just started free swimming they will still have there yolk sack for food; don't feed until you see it almost gone.

They're about 3 days old now. I don't know if it means anything but I did see most of them gobble the Frozen BBS I've been giving them (does that mean their yolk sack is gone)?

I'll see what 1/2tsp gives me and drop to 1/4 if it's too much.

[Peekay]

Hey Eric... look in the classifieds... Peter has some of the ludwigia that you were coveting in my build thread for sale!   

[bizfromqc]

Hey Eric... look in the classifieds... Peter has some of the ludwigia that you were coveting in my build thread for sale!   

Yes I saw that, thanks for reminding me though 

Call me chicken but I'm a little paranoid about rescaping the 20G now with the tiny fry in there. I don't want to rock the boat too much and tick'em off.

But seriously, It's like we just had another kid. I'm constantly keeping an eye on them, feeding BBS three times a day, checking temperature, parameters. etc... LOL

My wife thinks I'm nuts 

[Peekay]

So drop it in one of your other tanks until your fry go off to college.   
Sorry, I'll stop enabling... 

[bettabreeder]

I'm sure pops in the 10g would love some ludwigia... Just saying

[bizfromqc]

VIDEO UPDATE - Fry Day 5

Click here to watch the video on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KByU7xQQ21M

Everyone seems to be doing OK. Still 3 small daily feedings of BBS until the live ones hatch.

You'll notice a blue tinge on the video, that's from the new light (Hagen Glo T5 HO 2 x 24W) that has a 10000k and actinic bulb in it (used to be used by a salty before Rah sold it to me  ) I just put it on top of the tank to test it and went back to my CLF until I get my new bulbs (1 x Flora Sun @ 5000k and 1 x Ultra Sun @ 6500k).

Enjoy!

[brotherluv]

Cool video. Lots of the little guys!

[daworldisblack]

Looking good! It should look awesome once you get your bulbs in!

[pm]

You'll notice a blue tinge on the video, that's from the new light (Hagen Glo T5 HO 2 x 24W) that has a 10000k and actinic bulb in it (used to be used by a salty before Rah sold it to me  ) I just put it on top of the tank to test it and went back to my CLF until I get my new bulbs (1 x Flora Sun @ 5000k and 1 x Ultra Sun @ 6500k).

Hey Eric, that might be too much light for the tank without CO2.  I will let the guru guys comment on this, but just wanted to give you a heads-up.  It might be okay as it is a tall tank.  Of course if it is too much light, you could raise the fixture a bit.

[bizfromqc]

Hey Eric, that might be too much light for the tank without CO2.  I will let the guru guys comment on this, but just wanted to give you a heads-up.  It might be okay as it is a tall tank.  Of course if it is too much light, you could raise the fixture a bit.

You think so hey? I've been wondering about that. Right now I've got 2 x 23W CFLs pendant-style sitting right on top and things have been OK (mind you some plants are clearly showing deficiencies) for what I've been keeping in there. Maybe it was a sign of too much light and not enough of everything else... CLFs are inneficient so I thought that was the cause but maybe not...

The T5HO are probably way more efficient so I'm going to have to see how that affects everything in there. That puts me @ 2.4 WPG. I've been doing daily dosing of Flourish Excel (2ml) and weekly of Flourish Comprehensive (can't remember the dosing). I also plan to add macro nutrients to the mix as well to try to balance things out. Hopefully the Excel will be enough for now as a carbon source but we'll see. Ultimately, if I could get away with a Excel + EI dosing situation, it would be great (for now).

That being said, I'd love a proper CO2 system but my b-day is only in July LOL

I'm sure DJ Plant-Master (Errol) will have something to say about this 

[fischkopp]

I was running one of those Hagen light over a 20H for a while. You can do it without CO2, but you want to be below 8h of light. The 10k bulb is probably ok and not as intense. You only need to switch the actinic.

[charlie]

I'm sure DJ Plant-Master (Errol) will have something to say about this 

Tell me the song you want to hear & i`ll play it 

[bizfromqc]

Tell me the song you want to hear & i`ll play it 

What do you think about the 2 x 24W over my 20H? Light will be sitting right on the rim...

I don't want to give my apistos a tan either 

[charlie]

What do you think about the 2 x 24W over my 20H? Light will be sitting right on the rim...

I don't want to give my apistos a tan either 

Well if the apistos are like red plants the light will bring out the pigmentation in them 
seriouslyy, it all depends on the plants mas & type of plants, if memory serves me well, you plant mass is minimal & not much supplementing, , although the tank is consideredd tall, it`s not tall enough with that light -2 x 24 wattT5 HO with reflectors is more like 4 WPG if you use the old rule of thumb that was geared around the T12 NO ancient bulbs  :Bottomt line either raise the fixture or wrap 1 old bulb in foil, since if you remove 1 the other will not fire.
Errol

[Peekay]

A few links i found when researching my light, that you may find useful, Eric.

This one shows par readings at certain distances for different bulbs, and where they fall on the 'low' to 'high' light spectrum.  (Notice that its for single bulbs!)

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/105774-par-vs-distance-t5-t12-pc.html

Also, this one, which shows lux of different fixtures penetrating to the bottom of a tank in their experimental setup.. shows how effective the glo fixture reflectors are!  It's the brightest dual fixture.. everything that rates higher is quad! 

http://www.petsandponds.com/en/aquarium-supplies/c5813/index.html

Hope this helps!

[bizfromqc]

A few links i found when researching my light, that you may find useful, Eric.

This one shows par readings at certain distances for different bulbs, and where they fall on the 'low' to 'high' light spectrum.  (Notice that its for single bulbs!)

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/lighting/105774-par-vs-distance-t5-t12-pc.html

Also, this one, which shows lux of different fixtures penetrating to the bottom of a tank in their experimental setup.. shows how effective the glo fixture reflectors are!  It's the brightest dual fixture.. everything that rates higher is quad! 

http://www.petsandponds.com/en/aquarium-supplies/c5813/index.html

Hope this helps!

Thanks for both links.

Basically, what I'm getting is that although I'm only slightly over 2wpg (@2.4WPG), with the fixture I have and the distance from the fixture to the substrate, I don't even fall into "high light", I fall into "too much light".

If I interpret this chart correctly, I would have to either drop one bulb or raise the fixture 6" to get "high light" or raise the fixture 12" to fall into "medium" light. Seriously? These lights are that good? LOL My reflectors are dirty, maybe that will help me 

I already got my bulbs from MOPS and installed them in the fixture. The tank is not extremely brighter than when I was using 2 x 23W CFL pendants but looks more evenly lit. Although the difference is not dramatic to my eyes, it probably is for the plants. As mentioned in an earlier post, I went with a 5000k bulb and a 6500k bulb, it gives the tank a nice overall look, I like it.

I don't want an algae bloom (who does) but I cant get pressurized CO2 so something will have to give somewhere... I really like the combo of the red and white bulbs so I'll probably keep both but raise the fixture and go from there.

Who knew I was getting THAT efficient of a fixture LOL But now I cant use it to its full potential until I go full blown CO2 

Fischkopp, can you tell me a bit more about your setup when you had this fixture over a 20H? What was your photo period, plants, dosing, co2? If you were able to do this successfully, I'd like to learn from what you did and apply it to my tank.

On a side note, i had to remove the Vals and Hornwort from the tank. The Vals were melting and fouling up my water and the hornwort were basically down to a string. I wonder why I wasn't able to keep'em?

Not enough light (I had the CFLs), too much light, not enough nutrients, etc... LOL This is driving me bonkers...

The priority now though his to take care of the fry and not get an algae bloom, If I can achieve this, I'll be happy.

[touchofsky]

I have 2 x 24 watt T5HO's sitting on the rim of a 29 gallon tank.  I have a glass canopy over the tank, and between the light and the glass canopy, I put another piece of glass that I lightly whitewashed.  If you find that you have too much light with the fixture, you can reduce the light somewhat by using various means.

[bizfromqc]

I decided to pull the LED fixture from my 25G build since I'm going to have to tear it down (don't ask, I'm still angry about it, read here) and use it on my 20G instead and here's why.

1) New T5HO fixture provides too much light
2) I had to pull some plants out of there since they weren't doing too good (lower plant mass)
3) Apistos prefer dimmer light

... and since I have to teardown the 25G and redo it, the 25G will become the main "planted tank". I think the 25G will be a better home for this for the following reasons:

1) I will be using the new T5HO fixture (Hagen Glo) on it
2) It has a bigger, more powerful canister filter (higher flow better for plants)
3) It is in our main living room and tank, stand, lights and plants will look real nice there
4) It has more real estate (30 x 12) than the 20G (24 x 12)
5) I'll have saved up money for a proper CO2 system by the time i'm ready to set it up.

That being said, I want to keep plants in my apisto tank but I'll make the switch to very low-light that can be kept with LEDs (I'll be referring to Valerie's LED thread for ideas) since I still want to provide a good natural environment for my apistos.

On a different note, the fry are doing great! Mom brings them out of their "spot" more ofter to explore the tank and they seem to get more adventurous, it's a beautiful thing to watch. I watched the mom and fry for about an hour yesterday, it's just fascinating.

I will try to get a video for you guys to see sometimes this weekend.

Meanwhile, here's what the apisto tank now looks like with the LED fixture (it's not on yet, just sitting on top).

[bizfromqc]

Apistogramma Cacatuoides fry is now 1-week old. Enjoy the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlS_cd1F_Rw

[bizfromqc]

Tank update.

Params
PH: 7.0-7.5
Amonia: 0ppm
Nitrite: <0.1ppm
Nitrate: 5ppm

Don't know why I can't get rid of those last traces of Nitrite. I keep up with my water changes and my fish are thriving so I'm not going to sweat it and keep doing what I do.

That tank has now been running with the Marineland Double Bright LED light fixture for a couple of weeks now and everytyhing seems to be adjusting just fine. It may be psychological but I could swear the Red Tiger Lotus is doing better with the LED than it was with my CFL pendant... The Creeping Jennys have been doing great. I snipped them in half and replanted for more coverage 

I also added two more plants:

1) Mayaca Fluviatilis
2) Rotala Macrandra Green

I moved the HOB filter and put the heater vertically to give me more background real estate and put the two new plants in the far back left portion of the tank.

The female and apisto fry rarely ventured to the left portion of the tank and only did so when I turned off the HOB filter for feedings. That's why I decided to move the HOB filter a bit more to the right and added a sponge on the output to decrease the output flow a bit. Since then, I don't even have to turn off the filter for feedings and the fish go all over the tank, they especially like to hangout in the Mayaca Fluviatilis and in/on/under the Creeping Jennys.

All-in-all, everyone seems to be happy about the changes 

[touchofsky]

I am glad that your tank is doing so well.  The little guy is really cute!

[bettabreeder]

Very cool! The little guy is awesome


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[bizfromqc]

The little guys sure are small but growing really quickly.
Watching them eat BBS is a treat. I can't wait to see how they'll turn out as they mature.

[DaWolfe]

Good job buddy!!  The kids are looking great.  Have you named them yet?

[bizfromqc]

Good job buddy!!  The kids are looking great.  Have you named them yet?

If I get 26 or more (looks like I may have more at this time), I was thinking of naming them from A to Z 

Working on a video...

[bizfromqc]

New YouTube video showing 2 week old fry, enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bJ6A_CWElE

[bizfromqc]

Little update.

Fry is still doing well, mainly feeding on frozen BBS. Still hard to estimate the number since there's too many, in too different spots and they're too quick LOL

Female apisto is still pretty territorial and chases away the otocinclus coming near her or the main hang out spot of the fry (even though they pretty much go all over the tank now)

Link has been posted in my BAP thread but for those not following it there, here's the link to the YT video (week 3)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtjXQi_LQxE

[DaWolfe]

Sweet!!!   I love it.  Uncle Dan is very proud...

[bizfromqc]

Giant auction (March 4th) marked the 1 month anniversary of the A. cacatuoides fry in my tank. Everyone is doing well and eating like pigs  Some pictures for your enjoyment are attached to this post.

YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IkJWIDm3E8

Eric

[bizfromqc]

Juvies are now clocking in at 6+ weeks and still growing.

Switched from BBS to the 0.5mm NLS sinking pellets as the staple food as they are now big enough (most of them, the smaller ones get the leftovers) for the pellets and went from feeding twice a day to once a day. I think they're old/sturdy enough now for the change and it's a lot less work for me 

I also took a FTS picture to show the plant growth I've been having using the ML DB LED. I dose daily excel and weekly comprehensive and the tank seems to be doing just fine.

[touchofsky]

Your tank and fry look great.  I am glad to see that the ML DB LED's are working out well for you.

[bizfromqc]

This tank has been torn down. The fry are now in their own ol' 10G with no plants, sponge filter and sand/tiny gravel substrate.

Makes for easier feeding, maintenance and catching the fish