10G - Apistogramma cf. alacrina (Rotpunkt)

[bizfromqc]

Those following my other build thread (here) know I've been trying to get my pair of apisto to breed. With this in mind, I decided to setup my 10G as a grow out tank in case I need to separate the male and/or female with the fry in the even that they breed again and have a successful spawn.

I took a piece of driftwood out of the breeding tank and put it in this one here. I was going for the same overall look of the breeding tank. Same substrate, same background, same rocks but slightly different plants. I also added a clay pot for a hiding spot.

The hardware:

1) Tank: 10 gallon Hagen (20in x 10in x 12in)
2) Lights: 2 x 13W CFL @ 6500K
3) Filtration: Aqua Clear 30/150 with Foam, Carbon and BioMax inserts
4) Heater: 50W set @ 26 degrees

The plants:

1) Java Moss (attached to rock)
2) Java Fern (attached to driftwood as well as to the rock with the moss)
3) Limnophila Aromatica (it's also curved like in the 20G, see other build thread for details)
4) Blyxa Japonica

Next steps will be:

1) Add timer for lights
2) Add fish to start cycle (probably taking the danios from the other tank)
3) Add a bit more fast-growing stem plants to keep balance in tank and reduce chances for algae
4) Add foam pre-filter to cover filter intake if/when fry will be moved to the tank.

That's it for now, FTS attached to post.

[bizfromqc]

Update.

Tank now has some fish in it! I removed the pesky little (not so little anymore) danios from my 20G apisto tank and put them in here. Serves two purposes.

1) Kick start the 10G tank cycle
2) Leave my apistos alone so that they can do "their thing" 

On the plants side, the limnophilia aromatica are starting to straighten out and losing their "bent" shape (after a couple of days in a pickle jar).

Pictures to come soon.

[bizfromqc]

Tank update.

Temp: 27c
pH: 6.5-7.0
NH3: 0ppm
NO2: 0.1ppm
NO3: 5ppm

Tank seems to be cycling nicely. Must be because Its using the "old" filter that was on the other tank so it had a head start.

Feed the danios for the first time in this tank, we'll see how that affect the tank parameters. I haven't fed them in two days since they pigged out on the apisto pellets and some of the brine shrimp in the other tank before being pulled out. PIGS!

Also started Seachem Excel and Excel Comprehensive, 2ml of each to start and I'll adjust from there

(I have some reading to do on dosing, possibly EI, in non-CO2 tanks... thanks Errol)

That's it for now, more to come over the weekend.

[brotherluv]

Looks great! 

[bizfromqc]

Looks great! 

Thank you kind sir.

BTW, is there a cure for wanting more tanks all the time? This dreaded MTS ("Multi-Tank Syndrome") everyone is speaking of... I blame the people around here for this LOL

[brotherluv]

Yes there is a cure...its called you buy so many, you can't keep up with them all and you end up selling them to nice people on ovas.  That was my cure anyway. Lol.

[bizfromqc]

Yes there is a cure...its called you buy so many, you can't keep up with them all and you end up selling them to nice people on ovas.  That was my cure anyway. Lol.

That's just spreading the disease man ! lol

[jshchrtn]

I agree with your mts syndrome lol, I have 100$ in gift carts from big ALS and I've just being staying away lol I want a sw dymax haha

[touchofsky]

I haved 11 tanks, so don't look to me for a cure 

[brotherluv]

The LFS's love addicts like us! 

[bizfromqc]

Little tank update

1) Move the Blyxxa Japonica away from the HOB filter outtake (thanks peekay)
2) Added new Pogostemon helferi at the base of the driftwood where the blyxxa japonica used to be (thanks charlie)
3) Added black fluval edge pre-filter to HOB filter intake (thanks pm)

Tank is still pretty empty and has plenty of gaps still. Mainly it really lacks any sort of background plants and we can see the heater and filter intake. I'd also like to add some more moss of the many rocks in the tank. I also need some more fast growing stem plants to keep everything in check. I also want to add a couple of otos to keep things nice an clean in there although I pretty much don't have any algae for them to munch on yet.

It's coming along but still a lot of things I want to do.

Some pictures.

[daworldisblack]

Looking good! Esp the L. Aromatica!

[pm]

A 10 gal is not much space to work with, but you have done a very nice job.  My plant and shrimp grow-out tank (also 10 gal) is not scaped at all, it is literally just plants and shrimp thrown together.  You are giving me ideas to play with it a bit for a nicer effect.

Cheers!

[bizfromqc]

A 10 gal is not much space to work with, but you have done a very nice job.  My plant and shrimp grow-out tank (also 10 gal) is not scaped at all, it is literally just plants and shrimp thrown together.  You are giving me ideas to play with it a bit for a nicer effect.

Cheers!

Hey, thanks for the comments, really appreciated!

This tank was meant to by a grow out tank for (hopefully) apisto fry but I may pull a swiitcheroo and use the 20G as a grow out and the 10G as a breeding one.

I've got another 25G almost ready to go next week that I'll start cycling, planting and scaping. I may try an amazon biotope (or close to it anyways). An apisto breeder from Montreal is keeping me a pair of apistogramma panduro and he'll bring'em here for me at the giant auction in March.

[Peekay]

Looking good! Esp the L. Aromatica!

If that means the rosy plant with the serrated edges, I agree!  Very nice.   
I would maybe move it an inch or three away from the side glass... give it a bit of room to spread.  You have the space to come in,  and I actually think it will make the tank look bigger by not having the glass infringing on the plant. 

You've got it bad, Eric... 3rd tank in 6 weeks?  Wowie!

[touchofsky]

Looking really good, Eric.  Yes, you have a bad case of tankitis

[bizfromqc]

If that means the rosy plant with the serrated edges, I agree!  Very nice.   
I would maybe move it an inch or three away from the side glass... give it a bit of room to spread.  You have the space to come in,  and I actually think it will make the tank look bigger by not having the glass infringing on the plant. 

You've got it bad, Eric... 3rd tank in 6 weeks?  Wowie!

Good tip on moving the L. Aromatica, I'll have to get my hands wet again lol

I have a feeling the whole thing will get rescaped. I want a piece of wood in the middle and I'll have to move things around.

[bizfromqc]

Looking really good, Eric.  Yes, you have a bad case of tankitis

ssshhhh...  don't tell anyone 

[bizfromqc]

Tank update.

So I now have free swimmers in my 20G tank and decided to play it safe and pull the male from it and put him in here with the Danios while mommy apisto tends to her young (without having to chase him away or get stressed out). There was no sign of aggression yet but better safe than sorry. Didn't want either the male, female or any of the fry to get hurt.

Long story short, male is now in the 10G with the Zebra Danios. I guess this is no longer a grow-out tank, the 20G now is by default. He was pretty stressed out about the move but seemed to be acclimating nicely. Watch out danios, there's a new man of the house. He should keep'em busy in there and hopefully won't miss his female apisto too much.

An FTS picture.

[bettabreeder]

You got your apisto from big als? Still amazed by how vivid his colouring is. Was thinking of setting up a dwarf cichlid tank and these would be first on the priority list. I kno they spawned in the 20g (just for convenience sake as I'm already responding here ) do you test hardness or was it just the Barry white?

Cheers,

Brendan

[Peekay]

Congrats on the babies!  How cool..   

[bizfromqc]

You got your apisto from big als? Still amazed by how vivid his colouring is. Was thinking of setting up a dwarf cichlid tank and these would be first on the priority list. I know they spawned in the 20g (just for convenience sake as I'm already responding here ) do you test hardness or was it just the Barry white?

Cheers,

Brendan

Yes, I did get them from BA but it was a total fluke (you can read about it in my 20G thread). I was first to pick from the batch so I got (in my humble opininon) the cream of the crop, not easily, but after 15 mins of skillful net handling LOL

He was definitely the nicest looking of the batch and also swam around the tank like he was the boss too, I knew I had to have that one specifically.  Lost all his colors when we started trying to net him and when I brought him home but after a couple of days, they came back and started to pop (better than at the LFS), and his fins grew longer too.

I'm hoping that some of the surviving fry will have his nice colors, time will tell.

Never tested hardness although I'd like to know what it is because I do plan on eventually trying other apistos (more tanks? LOL)

I tell you peeps, it's the Barry White, NO ONE can resist it 

[bettabreeder]

Haha sounds good, and yea I've been following both posts it's just that every time I go look to pick some up they have limited selection and there are hardly any that are real eye catchers.

[bizfromqc]

Haha sounds good, and yea I've been following both posts it's just that every time I go look to pick some up they have limited selection and there are hardly any that are real eye catchers.

Tell you what... If all goes to plan, I may have a nice colorful pair for you in a couple of months LOL

[bettabreeder]

Sounds like a deal sir!

[bizfromqc]

Little update on my small tank housing the male apistogramma cacatuoides and 2 zebra danios. Everyone is getting along real well and the male seems pretty comfy in there. I don't know if its the NLS pellets I give him or not but his fins just popped with colors and grew quite a bit. He's a real beauty (well, how can I say otherwise, he's my boy  )

I've been trying to get a snap of him while he's flaring up his fins but I'm too slow on the trigger, I think he's messing with me. In any case, here's a couple of pics of him.

[bettabreeder]

Why your fry grow out I'll definitely buy a group he's one of the best cockatoo's I've seen


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[touchofsky]

He certainly is gorgeous!

[Peekay]

Wow!  He's spectacular! 
Great photos too.

[DaWolfe]

Little update on my small tank housing the male apistogramma cacatuoides and 2 zebra danios. Everyone is getting along real well and the male seems pretty comfy in there. I don't know if its the NLS pellets I give him or not but his fins just popped with colors and grew quite a bit. He's a real beauty (well, how can I say otherwise, he's my boy  )

I've been trying to get a snap of him while he's flaring up his fins but I'm too slow on the trigger, I think he's messing with me. In any case, here's a couple of pics of him.

Daddy is looking great!!

[charlie]

Daddy is looking great!!

I agree, he is making me want to keep a pair again.

[bizfromqc]

I agree, he is making me want to keep a pair again.

The pictures will keep on coming, you guys will be wanting those bad boys in no time 

[bettabreeder]

Me me me!!! pick me

[bizfromqc]

New tenants in the 10G tank.

Grabbed a pair of wild caught Apistogramma sp. rotpunkt at the giant auction and needed a cycled tank for them. So out went the male Apistogramma cacatuoides and in comes the new pair (after acclimation).

I had a spare 10G running ready to go with a sponge filter, substrate and heater. Turns out I had set the temp to the same as my other 10G so after checking the params to make sure the tank was OK, it was a pretty straight forward move for the little guy.

I kept the danios in with the new pair as dithers and they seem to be doing their job. The male appears to be a lot less shy than the female. I saw her a couple of times hanging out in the java fern but later on she was gone, couldn't see her again. I think she might be hiding in the coconut shell.

I'll try to snap some pics of the new pair of fish when they get settled in. Until then, you can see the new (temporary home) of the male Apistogrammma cacatuoides. He's still a bit stressed out but he'll settle in just fine. Gave him a coconut shell for some privacy and he was hiding in there this morning. You'll also notice (who wouldn't) a nice big Vallisneria spiralis "tiger" in there that I originally bought for the SA Community tank but moved because it turns out it originates from Asia (DOH! I thought the "Tiger" variety was an Americana but it's not  )

I should rename this thread now since the tank serves a new purpose but I have no idea how to do it.

[touchofsky]

You sure are having fun with your apistos!

Looking forward to pics of your new arrivals.

[Peekay]

Looking forward to seeing the new apistos! 

To change the title, go to your original post (top of the thread!) and you can edit it there.

[bettabreeder]

Would love to see some pics. I sadly missed the auction due to work but I might've picked up some apistos had I been there...


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[bizfromqc]

Here they are. They are extremely shy and I'm going to have to sharpen my ninja skills to take better snaps of them. But for now, here are the best pics i could get.

The picture of the male was taken with the flash on because it was the only way I could freeze him and picture of the female was taken without the flash when she was resting/blending in on a pile of rocks. The male's blue coloration on his cheeks look a lot nicer than they do on the photo, similarly to the blue sheen German Blue Rams have.

One fun fact about the female is the she changes colors/patterns in a split second. In the picture attached, she looks really dark with stripes (both horizontal and vertical) when she was resting on the rock but as soon as she started swimming away, she got lighter again and looking a lot more like the male.

I don't know if she was stressed out or not but it's amazing how quickly it can change.

Hopefully they'll warm up and I can take better pics later on.

First picture = Female
Second picture = Male
Third picture = Male taking a peek out of his hiding spot (coconut cave)

Eric

[touchofsky]

Good pictures of elusive fish    Interesting about the quick colour change. 

[fischkopp]

Looks like you got yourself a nice pair pair of apisto's. I do like the coloration on the male. Should have raised my arm too. But then again, I had already trouble finding a tank for the norberti's I got. You almost need a new tank for any new one you get ...

[bizfromqc]

Looks like you got yourself a nice pair pair of apisto's. I do like the coloration on the male. Should have raised my arm too. But then again, I had already trouble finding a tank for the norberti's I got. You almost need a new tank for any new one you get ...

I'm glad you didn't, I got the pair for a shocking 8$  There was 2 pairs up for auction but I didn't get to see who walked away with the other one (the other pair sold for almost twice what I pair for mine IIRC).

I wasn't planning on getting a new pair but I couldn't resist after failing to get the A. norberti (hum hum) pair. Sometimes I dream of a wall full of 10/15G with 20 different kind of apistos LOL

This is my first WC pair so it will be interesting to see if I can get winning conditions for them to breed.

[bizfromqc]

FYI.

I was told by Mike Wise from apistogramma.com that the correct naming of the rotpunkt is Apistogramma cf. alacrina (Rotpunkt). Identification number A106.

I renamed the thread to reflect the change in the scientific name.

[bizfromqc]

Some updated pictures of the tank and fish.

Both male and female apistos we're really shy at the beginning and would hide at the slightest movement in front of the tank. I've since then added danios to act as dither and that seems to have helped them settle in. The problem now is that the male is not tolerating the female AT ALL. He's claimed the coco-hut as his own and that's his favourite hang-out spot. The female will hang-ouf in the java fern, behind the driftwood and sometimes behind the heater when the male chases her around. All I can say is that there's no pairing going on now 

In any case, I might switch to a slower moving dither fish because the danios are a bit too intense to my liking, these guys just don't EVER rest LOL.

I wasn't able to take pics of the female when I took the camera out but the male didn't mind so maybe next time I'll have better luck. I rearranged the tank a couple of weeks ago right after the giant auction and never posted pics so it was time for an update.

(Don't mind the algae, It's been on that fern for the longest time, I've just been too lazy to take it out and clean it but there's no new algae growth at least)

Eric

[touchofsky]

Nice pictures, Eric.  I have found that my pair of kribs (that have never produced any fry for me), go through various stages of liking or disliking each other.  They have never hurt each other, so I don't worry too much about it.

[bizfromqc]

Major update.

Tank has been torn down. I need the spot in the living room for the other (20G) tank. This tank will be re-purposed as a grow-out tank for the A. cacatuoides juvies.

Pair has been put up for sale in the classifieds.

Eric