Adding fig leaves?? and laetacara photos

[Taylor-rose]

I recently bought a laetacara curviceps. Not very coloured up in these photos as she was just brought home and still acclimating. Thinking its a female. I was wanting to add leaves to the aquarium to make her more comfortable. Read somewhere you can use fig tree leaves. Is this true?? Am I able to pick them green and let them dry out and then add them??

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I would definitely not use dried green Fig leaves, and I'd be a bit suspicious of dead ones as well. The trees of the genus Ficus contain a lot of toxic compounds, including latex etc. Other leaves are safe, Magnolia grandiflora, most Oaks (Quercus spp), Beech (Fagus), Indian Almond (Terminalia catappa) etc.

cheers Darrel

 

[gerald]

Dont pick any live leaves off trees. Let them die and fall of the tree naturally, then pick them off the ground. Sugars and some of the defensive chemicals in leaves are drawn back into the branches when leaves die naturally on the tree.

 

[Ekona]

Nice to see actual L. curviceps! Almost every time I've seen something listed for sale online or at stores is invariably L. dorsigera. I've been meaning to ask, does anyone know why L. curviceps are so rare these days? Something to do with a ban on import/exports of tropical fish from Brazil? They used to be much more common.

Taylor-Rose do you mind sharing where you picked up your L. curviceps?

Thanks for sharing photos.

 

[Taylor-rose]

Nice to see actual L. curviceps! Almost every time I've seen something listed for sale online or at stores is invariably L. dorsigera. I've been meaning to ask, does anyone know why L. curviceps are so rare these days? Something to do with a ban on import/exports of tropical fish from Brazil? They used to be much more common.

Taylor-Rose do you mind sharing where you picked up your L. curviceps?

Thanks for sharing photos.

Hi just picked up some more today from a different LFS. Yes i have found the L.curviceps to be less common than the L.dorsigera.
My two new ones acclimating, will be much more colourful once used to there new home which i will get photos of later. Private message me for info on where i bought them. Hoping to get them breeding once in my 6 foot aquarium. Have found out you can use mulberry leaves in aquariums. People use them fresh for plecos and shrimps.

 

[Taylor-rose]

New photos
Still not showing there full colours but looking more comfortable, just working on getting some leaves to put in the aquarium. They aren't very good photos as they are so hard to photograph and i don't have an amazing camera and they wouldn't sit still!

 

[Taylor-rose]

Well I must have done something right! Once i had added the banana leaf they seem to be much more comfortable in their environment and the colours they showed! They are such a pretty little fish, but back on topic. I HAVE EGGS! yay, but of course they had to lay them around midnight, they spawned in between two strips of banana leaf. Stayed up to make sure all went well. It was quite funny to watch as the male had no idea what he was doing! and the only way he learnt was by watching the female but he eventually got the hang of it! So far they haven't eaten them. Any tips for helping the parents with the eggs? i turned up the flow of the water a little bit but there is a branch of banana leaf blocking the flow so the half of the tank they are in isn't getting much flow but i hope it helps. I will post photos of where they spawned but the eggs won't show up in the photo, you can barely see them with your eyes because they blend in so well! I also have added a few magnolia leaves.

 

[gerald]

They will fan the eggs with their fins; you don't need to increase the flow. Just try not to startle them. A nightlight in the room sometimes helps, especially if there's snails or catfish or anything that might try to eat the eggs in the dark.

 

[Taylor-rose]

They will fan the eggs with their fins; you don't need to increase the flow. Just try not to startle them. A nightlight in the room sometimes helps, especially if there's snails or catfish or anything that might try to eat the eggs in the dark.

It seems quite a few are becoming infertile and the number of eggs is slowly going down, but when they try to pick off the infertile ones they just wont come off. It is only their first time so I don't mind if it is unsuccessful. I have 1 blue light and 2 white lights and I leave the blue one on during the night, Even though i don't have catfish or snails.