Help new to Apisto

[Chrispy5363]

Hi guys, I hope I am posting this in the right place and or looking for help in the right place. I am fairly new to Apisto, i bought a harem of what were supposed to be Cac orange flash. This what I believe to be a female out grew everyone so fast and became a bully in a 40 gallon aquarium attacking the male, and the other female. Her fins are no where close to as orange as the fish that she has bullied and killed. Anyone know if this is a different strain or what I am doing wrong to get bullying. All the fish were fine for a month eating healthy even had what looked like a spawn in a coconut cave. I know the photo is terrible will try and get a better photo soon

 

[peterclarke666]

nope thats a female orange flash for sure, females hardly ever have any colouration in there fins its only the males that do in 95% of all apistos there are a select few that might show some colouration but not very often the ones she prob killed were prob all small males as she wanted to breed but the males weren't mature enough yet, this is my male

 

[Chrispy5363]

Thanks Peter for the reply. Ok glad to hear she is at least orange flash. She was one of the smallest when i bought the supposed harem, First fish she bullied was my definite male I removed him from the tank and tried to stabilize him but sadly a few days later he passed. The second was what i thought was another female she was smaller then the picture i posted but the fins were an opaque orange rather then that yellow on her. She currently is doing well and is eating very healthy and active but now its just her alone. Would you recommend trying to find an older larger male to place in the tank and see how she fares with him?

 

[Mike Wise]

Is your tank properly decorated and large enough?

 

[rr16]

Am loving the decore in Peter's tank!

 

[Chrispy5363]

I am very new to Apisto so hopefully It is decorated somewhat properly and large enough. It's a 40 breeder, I am sure my substrate is a little off I see in most pictures a nice fine sand, but my aquarium was already stocked with black sand, and a fluorite. In the aquarium I have a coconut cave, a terracotta pot cave, and some driftwood work and live plants. I thought I provided plenty of hiding spaces. When the first were first introduced the 3 fish all stuck to their own areas. The female in the picture eventually grew much faster and started taking over. I may have done this set up all wrong. I will try and get pictures I am currently without a camera. Thanks again for the help.

I also really like Peters decor. I think before I try again I will try and get some more cover and decor in the tank to try and create more hiding spots. I hate to lose fish because of poor practice.

 

[rr16]

Whereabouts are you? It's worth researching which tree species in your area are OK to use for branches and shed/dried out leaves as leaf litter. Catappa aka ketapang aka indian almond leaves are used by Betta breeders and are commonly available in aquatics stores (though expnsive for what they are!). In the UK, I use oak and beech leaves and branches. I have some long pieces of oak branches that I just put in the aquariums, but always select ones that have fallen to the floor and dried. Have a look into it, but if you have enough leaf litter they seem to love it. When I first had cacs the femal excavated a burrow out underneath a piece of bogwood by removing pieces of gravel in her mouth.

 

[Chrispy5363]

I am actually living in the Turks and Caicos right now. For driftwood we have black mangrove which is supposedly safe and we have some safe leaves, I know someone who puts some local leaves in his aquarium I will ask him for some. I really want to do this right because I really love these fish.

 

[rr16]

They are beautiful little fish, but then I think that about all Apistogramma species. Good luck, I have found lots of driftwood and leaf litter (up to 10cm thuick in some places) helps to provide hiding places for A. agassizi. The females would disappear for several days whilst brooding and would then reappear with fry. I have had them use the leaves as laying sites and also for moving wrigglers from one curled up leaf to another.

 

[Chrispy5363]

Thanks rr16 you have been really helpful. I will try and get a hold of some more driftwood and some leaf litter and try and get a better habitat in for the fish. My lone female as is looks great and seems healthy digging caves. Thanks again everyone for the help!

 

[Chrispy5363]

Just an update for the guys who helped me out rr16 and Mike, thanks again, I used your advice and added some leaf litter and got some tannins in the water since then the fish have been much happier and look much healthier.