Seasonal Temperature Changes

[briztoon]

G'day guys,

I keep 3 small aquariums, two 3'x18"x18" 50 gallon tanks, and a 2.5'x15"x15" 29 gallon tank.

Aquarium Inhabitants are:
50 gallon
1 pair Laetacara curviceps (FXX?)
20 Hyphessobrycon pulchripinnis
2 Ancistrus sp. (L370)

50 gallon
1 pair & 3f Laetacara dorsigera (F0)
20 Aphyocharax rathbuni
1 Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus

29 gallon
1m & 2f Apistogramma agassizii red gold
12 Carnegiella strigata
9 Otocinclus vittatus

What I would like to know is, what yearly temperature variations are acceptable for these tanks?

I live in Brisbane, Australia, and we have a subtropical climate. From November to March I do not have heaters in my tanks, with tank temperatures remaining fairly constant between 27°C and 29°C. The rest of the year I keep heaters in the tanks, set at 25°C for the curviceps and agassizii, and set at 24°C for the dorsigera.

Could I lower these temperatures futher?

Both Laetacara species spawned pretty much every 2 weeks during last spring, summer and autumn, approximately a 7 to 8 month period. Both pairs took a mid season break of about a month during this period, but a different times. Neither pair has spawned for the last 6 weeks or so now that we have hit winter.

The agassizii are a relatively new addition, and are a line bred variation, a red gold cross. Both females have spawned in the last fortnight, but I do not think the eggs were fertile as they were white and eaten within 36-48 hours. One female is a German import red variant, the other female is locally bred from German import red gold stock, and the male looks to be a red gold import from Singapore.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
Briztoon I think you will need to keep the temperature about where it is for the L. curviceps and A. agassizii tanks, they are species from tropical regions, also you may find strange things happen with the sex ratio of any spawns at lower temperature.

L. dorsigera occurs in the Rio Paraguay basin, along with Aphyocharax rathbuni, and is apparently tolerant of much lower temperatures, (naturally occurring in a climate that I would imagine is pretty similar to Brisbane), not sure about Ancistrus "cirrhosus/species 3.", although they are pretty hardy. Really nice choice of species as well for the tank as well, have you got a picture?

cheers Darrel

 

[briztoon]

G'day dw1305,

Thanks for the advice. I am currently reading Cichlid Atlas I and am aware of the effects of temperature on spawns. But so far the book has raised just a many questions in my mind as it has answered questions. Possibly some of these questions will be answered before I get to the species profiles.

I don't have many pics, and my tanks aren't set up properly...yet to get around to doing some proper aquascaping.

Male Dorsigera

My Pair

Random female

Forgot my corydoras hastatus

Curviceps Pair

Lemon tetras

Agassizii

In quarentine

Marble Hatchetfish

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
G'day and thanks for the photo's, lovely fish, they all look really good, and Corydorus hastatus - another good one. I'm sure they will do well for you.

Seeing your Hatchets and as "the Ashes" are coming up, (this is cricket for confused readers) I'll give you a chance to laugh at a Poms expense before they start, as I reckon you won't have much to laugh about after we've won them back.

I kept Marbled Hatchets for several years, but they never spawned for me, I used to find it difficult to keep the wingless fruit fly culture pure and I used to spend ages chloroforming the adult flies and picking out the type (winged) ones, just like I'd done for the genetics lab. practicals.

After I'd stopped keeping both fruit flies and Hatchets, I was chatting to a frog keeper and I mentioned the problems I'd had, and he just said "why didn't you take the lid of, and just let the winged ones fly away?" and I realised how st*pid I am, because I'd never thought of this!

cheers Darrel

 

[Apistomaster]

Yeah, the wings ones fly out and the wild types soon fly in. Not the way to go to retain pure wingless cultures but for a frog keeper this could be irrelevant.