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any apisto's available in the Philly metro area?

Kevin F Smith

Member
Messages
82
Location
Pennsylvania
Hi Dave. Glad you got them. Are you talking about the big turquoise in the far tank? I Didn't know that they spawned. I offered Wayne $130 for the big male today but he laughed. HR want $199 each, which is too much. Plus they've had them a long time now. I get my discus from Vlad (vladsdiscus) who lives down the block from me. Better fish, better price. Enjoy the aggies!
 

Kevin F Smith

Member
Messages
82
Location
Pennsylvania
I've attached some photos of the Bolivian Rams that I was talking about. For comparison, the smaller fish are also BR, about 1 inch in length. These are huge! Have a great weekend!
 

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ErtyJr

Active Member
Messages
245
Location
Philadelphia, PA
That's awesome that the discus have spawned. I've had my eye on them a long time but simply don't have the space. If I ever do end up going for a pair though I may have get ahold of your friend vlad though kevin. That will likely be a long way down the road from now though. I need more apistos first!
 

Diesel Fitter

Member
Messages
61
Gents, generally speaking, how long for A. CACATOIDES to become free swimming after eggs are laid. My pair spawned last Thursday and the female has moved her larva twice since Saturday. Finally, getting some decent hatch rates on the brine shrimp, I think the key, for me, was removing the air stone and letting the tubing bubble away. I feel that I am much better prepared for this spawning than I was a week before Christmas. I purchased a new R/O unit that is capable of 90 gal a day, which is a vast improvement over the 20 gallon unit that was producing about 2 gallons a day. Lately Kent R/O membranes have been horrible, I know I replaced mine 2 separate times in 2 weeks. Anyway looking forward to seeing some fry, until next time, David
 

ErtyJr

Active Member
Messages
245
Location
Philadelphia, PA
Gents, generally speaking, how long for A. CACATOIDES to become free swimming after eggs are laid. My pair spawned last Thursday and the female has moved her larva twice since Saturday. Finally, getting some decent hatch rates on the brine shrimp, I think the key, for me, was removing the air stone and letting the tubing bubble away. I feel that I am much better prepared for this spawning than I was a week before Christmas. I purchased a new R/O unit that is capable of 90 gal a day, which is a vast improvement over the 20 gallon unit that was producing about 2 gallons a day. Lately Kent R/O membranes have been horrible, I know I replaced mine 2 separate times in 2 weeks. Anyway looking forward to seeing some fry, until next time, David

The fry become free swimming after about 1 week. The eggs hatch after about 2-3 days but they can't swim for about a week. The more you try to see the eggs/wrigglers, the more she will move them and the higher her stress will be. My advice is try not to even look at her and her babies untill they are out and swimming around =D. Congrats, hope they grow up quick and happy!
 

Diesel Fitter

Member
Messages
61
She doesn't make it easy on me, every place that she has used this time and the time before have been really well hidden, she especially like the section of the tank that has abundant leaf litter, driftwood, and a collection of live plants to choose from. It is actually kind of weird that she has behaved exactly the same way with this spawning as with her first. She chose to spawn in the same place and both areas to hide the larva have been used in the same order. Talk about a creature of habit, she is one. Thanks for your reply Erty.
 

ErtyJr

Active Member
Messages
245
Location
Philadelphia, PA
She doesn't make it easy on me, every place that she has used this time and the time before have been really well hidden, she especially like the section of the tank that has abundant leaf litter, driftwood, and a collection of live plants to choose from. It is actually kind of weird that she has behaved exactly the same way with this spawning as with her first. She chose to spawn in the same place and both areas to hide the larva have been used in the same order. Talk about a creature of habit, she is one. Thanks for your reply Erty.
Haha, mine was the same way. She had two places one she started the second she would move the fry to if I poked my nose around to much. She always had the same order as well.

Good luck with saving your babies, try a bottle trap with some live blackworms inside.
 

Kevin F Smith

Member
Messages
82
Location
Pennsylvania
I have little experience with breeding apistos. That might change, if my "blue" cacs go at it. Just wanted to say, thanks again ErtyJr for selling me the orange flash. This is one of the best I've ever seen in terms of vibrancy of colors. And, I should add that your triple red is the best and biggest cac I've ever seen. Must be close to 3 inches. Hopefully you become one of the philly go to guys for apistos. I'm keeping my out for the wild "blue" cacs, and will probably do mail order in the Spring. Perhaps Ted Judy (Teds Fishroom) or Jeff Michel (Aquaclarity). If I do, I'll keep you guys in mind. It would be great to see blue back in cacs (my profile pic).
 

ErtyJr

Active Member
Messages
245
Location
Philadelphia, PA
I have little experience with breeding apistos. That might change, if my "blue" cacs go at it. Just wanted to say, thanks again ErtyJr for selling me the orange flash. This is one of the best I've ever seen in terms of vibrancy of colors. And, I should add that your triple red is the best and biggest cac I've ever seen. Must be close to 3 inches. Hopefully you become one of the philly go to guys for apistos. I'm keeping my out for the wild "blue" cacs, and will probably do mail order in the Spring. Perhaps Ted Judy (Teds Fishroom) or Jeff Michel (Aquaclarity). If I do, I'll keep you guys in mind. It would be great to see blue back in cacs (my profile pic).

I'm absolutely thrilled you like the little guy! He is a gorgeous fish and hopefully he will inherit his father's finnage! You will have one nice looking flash is so! Make sure to keep us updated with pics as he grows! Post us some pics on Facebook if possible. I love seeing the little guys as they grow!

Hopefully one day I can get ahold of a blue cac, right now though, I will likely be getting ahold of an A. Sp. Abacaxis pair, so I will be tied up with them tring to get some fry for a bit.

Also if you need any tips for fry rearing feel free to call text or email. I have some foods I could give you as well.
 
Last edited:

Diesel Fitter

Member
Messages
61
Gents, after a lengthy wait, my female Cacatoides has appeared with her brood, hopefully this time goes better than the last time around! Dave
 

Kevin F Smith

Member
Messages
82
Location
Pennsylvania
Congratulations Dave! Best of luck!
Chance, My wife and I have named the orange flash that you sold me: "SnubNose 38"
Great little fish!
I was getting tired of seeing washed out cacs at the LFSs. There must be some serious inbreeding going on.
This orange flash had vibrant colors, looks like an F1? Whatever that means.
Now that my interest in cacs has been reborn, I'll be looking for a triple red with likewise breeding quality!
Speaking of washed out colors, I've noticed that discrossus filamentosa is also appearing washed out compared to what I saw 20 years ago, when last had them. I have a couple males right now that don't come close.
Will be posting shortly with some contacts for fish in the philly area and others.
Kevin
 

Diesel Fitter

Member
Messages
61
I think I'm good, I have plenty of BBS, the fish are in a heavily planted tank, with plenty of Java moss, and I plan on a 5 gallon h20 change daily on my 29 gal tank.
 

ErtyJr

Active Member
Messages
245
Location
Philadelphia, PA
Congratulations Dave! Best of luck!
Chance, My wife and I have named the orange flash that you sold me: "SnubNose 38"
Great little fish!
I was getting tired of seeing washed out cacs at the LFSs. There must be some serious inbreeding going on.
This orange flash had vibrant colors, looks like an F1? Whatever that means.
Now that my interest in cacs has been reborn, I'll be looking for a triple red with likewise breeding quality!
Speaking of washed out colors, I've noticed that discrossus filamentosa is also appearing washed out compared to what I saw 20 years ago, when last had them. I have a couple males right now that don't come close.
Will be posting shortly with some contacts for fish in the philly area and others.
Kevin

Thank you Kevin! The compliments mean quite a lot coming from such an experienced apisto guy such as yourself. I pride myself on the quality of my fish and take large pains to provide them with excellent food and water! And, I absolutely LOVE the name! Ammo would be proud!

Later this week Ammo & Nia will be put into my breeding tank so I should have eggs fairly soon. I haven't had time recently as I have been switching tanks around and setting up a blackwater tank for my wild A. Sp. Abacaxis that I should be receiving today, but, I will start working on my website again hopefully. Once I do I have decided to setup a no deposit preorder list. The plan is to, when I have a fish I will go down the list and send pictures of the fish or pair or trio to the 1st on the list and ask if they want that particular fish. If so they get it and then work through it in descending order, if that makes sense. I already have 1 person waiting on an orange flash pair!

So hopefully in about 2-3 months I should have some sexable juvies up for sale from Ammo's lineage. And shortly behind that I should have some from Nitro and Gen's line.

As for the F1 status of SnubNose 38, he is actually what is considered TR (tank raised). Both his parents are from 2 separate breeders from opposite sides of the country, so they are not related, but F1 means that both parents are wild caught, which Ammo & Nia are not. F2 are the grandchildren of wild caught, and anything after is considered TR. Occasionally some use F3 which would be great grandchildren of wildcaught, but that is rare. In addition there are TR x wild cross, or F1 x wild cross ect which means the fish's parents a tank strain and a wild fish. Which is what I plan on doing with Nitro's children to broaden the genetic strain and avoid the washed out colors!

Thanks again for the compliments Kevin, they mean a lot and I'm thrilled SnubNose 38 is happy and has a wonderful name!
 

Kevin F Smith

Member
Messages
82
Location
Pennsylvania
Gents:
I finally have some links. I know this is a little off topic, but we are concerned about the philly area, and there are some great people out there:

For phillipine blue angel fish Ulagev Bek. Good guy. Cottman Ave, near Bustleton Ave, Philly. blue neons, DD black veils, blue stripe, blue pearl veils, paraibas. contact: [email protected] He's restocking and has mucho small fish, should be available again in March.

For discus: Vlad. Vladsdiscus. Two blocks from my house in Feasterville, off Bustleton, near Street road. There is absolutely NO REASON to buy Discus in the LFS, while Vlad is around. His fish are far better, and prices much lower.
He also sells flowerhorns, tetras. http://www.vladiscus.com/

For killies:
Unfortunately, nothing in Philly area of which I'm aware, will keep looking, but killies ship well, and individual species are pretty uniform, so it's easy to know what you get. Here are my connections for great killiefish:

Chris Butcher, big name in the AKA, bought from him a few times, and he also has an occasional dwarf cichlid: [email protected]


Ruth Warner. another big nae in the AKA, from whom I've got great fish: http://www.killiesbyruth.com/

Re killies, make sure you specify you want YOUNG sexable fish. Sexing them is easy.

As for apistos? We're waiting for you guys! ;-)

Hope these help!

P.S. I tend to stay away from Aquabid, especially re Discus, angels, and apistos. I want to see my fish. Vlad and Bek welcome visitors!
 

ErtyJr

Active Member
Messages
245
Location
Philadelphia, PA
Gents:
I finally have some links. I know this is a little off topic, but we are concerned about the philly area, and there are some great people out there:

For phillipine blue angel fish Ulagev Bek. Good guy. Cottman Ave, near Bustleton Ave, Philly. blue neons, DD black veils, blue stripe, blue pearl veils, paraibas. contact: [email protected] He's restocking and has mucho small fish, should be available again in March.

For discus: Vlad. Vladsdiscus. Two blocks from my house in Feasterville, off Bustleton, near Street road. There is absolutely NO REASON to buy Discus in the LFS, while Vlad is around. His fish are far better, and prices much lower.
He also sells flowerhorns, tetras. http://www.vladiscus.com/

For killies:
Unfortunately, nothing in Philly area of which I'm aware, will keep looking, but killies ship well, and individual species are pretty uniform, so it's easy to know what you get. Here are my connections for great killiefish:

Chris Butcher, big name in the AKA, bought from him a few times, and he also has an occasional dwarf cichlid: [email protected]


Ruth Warner. another big nae in the AKA, from whom I've got great fish: http://www.killiesbyruth.com/

Re killies, make sure you specify you want YOUNG sexable fish. Sexing them is easy.

As for apistos? We're waiting for you guys! ;-)

Hope these help!

P.S. I tend to stay away from Aquabid, especially re Discus, angels, and apistos. I want to see my fish. Vlad and Bek welcome visitors!
Great info Kevin! Thanks a ton me and the gf will be looking into your sources for killies asap!
 

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