smokecombs1015
New Member
- Messages
- 11
- Location
- Yosemite, Kentucky
Starting off I hope I've not broken any rules making a new thread. I read the rules but sometimes I still seem to break a rule or two upon entering as a new member to various forums. So if I have I apologize in advance.
I have been interested in Apistogramma for many years, from an old aquarium book I've had since I was a kid I got in 1980. I think it was the borelli, or boreli species, but the pic was non colored and just showed the basic shape of the fish, which I liked. The main point I liked was the fact of a cichlid being "fairly peaceful and community compatible"...So anyways to shorten up a long story of fishkeeping, I've kept fish since I was around 8 years old, goldfish was my starter fish and quickly outgrew an old pickle bologna jar. Lol. I was a poor kid in rural Kentucky and got, as I called him, a hammerhead black goldfish. Haha. Not even sure what they are called for sure, but I thought of him as a hammerhead. Anyways he just got so big I had to release him in a neighbors goldfish pond where he grew to a large size. I checked on him almost daily for many weeks. Eventually I was lured to cichlids. In my adult years I have bred convicts, rams, and managed to get some angelfish fry once. Rams I've had luck, and bad luck both. Depended where I bought them. To be honest my favorite fish I've ever had was a very good specimen of a paradise fish. He was beautiful, super intelligent, and wouldn't take crap from other fish. He and a dominant angelfish I had used to have territorial battles for the ages, but never seemed to hurt each other. Apistogramma, in looks, body shape, somewhat coloring of the cacatoides double reds or orange flash remind me a bit of paradise fish. So I have "had to have one" for some time.
Finally found a fish store that isn't so local (I drive 2 hours and a half to get there), that will order these guys for me. They received 6 but when I got there the guy could only get me 5. I think one had been sold on accident. But these guys are small, and although pretty, not quite as colorful as I thought. The finnage for sure is not where I want it. But I assume, and hope these are quite young fish. The largest 2 are slightly larger than my female guppy, smaller than my plump female platies, and quite a big smaller than my German Blue Rams. Overall length including tail fin is about an inch and a half on the largest. I also don't know if I have males or females, or a mix. I'm thinking I have 2 females and 3 males.
My question is, how large will a large male apistogramma cacatuoides grow to? Will they be larger than a German Blue Ram, same size, or quite a bit smaller? Can you distinguish if I have any males from the videos and pics I will post? Would someone be so kind as to show me pics of various stages of growth, example, 1 month with a pic, 3 months old pic, 6 months, a year, and fully mature male and female? If that is not too much trouble. Or could someone link me to such a pictorial thread here? I have googled and haven't found definitive pictures like this. Does the color improve with age? And judging on the looks of my video I will link, do I have a good enough environment for these fish? In the video take note I have removed the Bolivian rams to their own tank. The Bolivians and the German Blue were at odds with each other too much and the Apistos are so small right now I was just afraid all the commotion would stress them out. So I have removed the Bolivian rams and only have the 5 apistos, 2 German Blue rams, cories, 3 platies, and 5 bloodfins in my 55 gallon tank. The tank has driftwood, spiderwood, fake plants, live water wisteria, 1/3 sand substrate on one side, 2/3 gravel, oak leaves, lava rock, and coconut shell huts. Here is some video and I'll try to put up some pics.
I have been interested in Apistogramma for many years, from an old aquarium book I've had since I was a kid I got in 1980. I think it was the borelli, or boreli species, but the pic was non colored and just showed the basic shape of the fish, which I liked. The main point I liked was the fact of a cichlid being "fairly peaceful and community compatible"...So anyways to shorten up a long story of fishkeeping, I've kept fish since I was around 8 years old, goldfish was my starter fish and quickly outgrew an old pickle bologna jar. Lol. I was a poor kid in rural Kentucky and got, as I called him, a hammerhead black goldfish. Haha. Not even sure what they are called for sure, but I thought of him as a hammerhead. Anyways he just got so big I had to release him in a neighbors goldfish pond where he grew to a large size. I checked on him almost daily for many weeks. Eventually I was lured to cichlids. In my adult years I have bred convicts, rams, and managed to get some angelfish fry once. Rams I've had luck, and bad luck both. Depended where I bought them. To be honest my favorite fish I've ever had was a very good specimen of a paradise fish. He was beautiful, super intelligent, and wouldn't take crap from other fish. He and a dominant angelfish I had used to have territorial battles for the ages, but never seemed to hurt each other. Apistogramma, in looks, body shape, somewhat coloring of the cacatoides double reds or orange flash remind me a bit of paradise fish. So I have "had to have one" for some time.
Finally found a fish store that isn't so local (I drive 2 hours and a half to get there), that will order these guys for me. They received 6 but when I got there the guy could only get me 5. I think one had been sold on accident. But these guys are small, and although pretty, not quite as colorful as I thought. The finnage for sure is not where I want it. But I assume, and hope these are quite young fish. The largest 2 are slightly larger than my female guppy, smaller than my plump female platies, and quite a big smaller than my German Blue Rams. Overall length including tail fin is about an inch and a half on the largest. I also don't know if I have males or females, or a mix. I'm thinking I have 2 females and 3 males.
My question is, how large will a large male apistogramma cacatuoides grow to? Will they be larger than a German Blue Ram, same size, or quite a bit smaller? Can you distinguish if I have any males from the videos and pics I will post? Would someone be so kind as to show me pics of various stages of growth, example, 1 month with a pic, 3 months old pic, 6 months, a year, and fully mature male and female? If that is not too much trouble. Or could someone link me to such a pictorial thread here? I have googled and haven't found definitive pictures like this. Does the color improve with age? And judging on the looks of my video I will link, do I have a good enough environment for these fish? In the video take note I have removed the Bolivian rams to their own tank. The Bolivians and the German Blue were at odds with each other too much and the Apistos are so small right now I was just afraid all the commotion would stress them out. So I have removed the Bolivian rams and only have the 5 apistos, 2 German Blue rams, cories, 3 platies, and 5 bloodfins in my 55 gallon tank. The tank has driftwood, spiderwood, fake plants, live water wisteria, 1/3 sand substrate on one side, 2/3 gravel, oak leaves, lava rock, and coconut shell huts. Here is some video and I'll try to put up some pics.