aggression between apistos...

[ptite_ange]

Hi all,

I recently purchased my second pair of apistos (last week-end at the montréal super auction) and i have questions regarding their behavior.

They are a pair of Viejita II both 1.5 to 2 inches long, apperantly 1 year old, gorgeous colors... They are living in a 20 gal tank with 3 corys and i have noticed that the female seems to be ''attacking'' the male. She keeps picking on him and he keeps trying to outrun her... This morning his dorsal fin is a bit ripped and he's hiding out in a clay pot.(the tank is filled with 3 clay pots and 2 more plastic hollow logs and a few natural and silk plants) He has a good appetite though.

Is this common behavior for this particular variety? Could it be related to my water conditions because they are still quite different from the one they were used to. (I'm in the process of lowering pH with peat water...)

The only apistos i got experience with are my Cacatuoides and even though i have seen them picking at each other the cacatoo have never injured one another...

Thanks for any insight you may have...

 

[blueblue]

I guess the Viejita II that you have may be in a breeding-mood
or the female has laid eggs/are going to lay eggs... From my own experience, Viejita II female fish does not attack the male fish in most circumstances. In fact, Viejita is already quite peaceful: At least
much more peaceful than Maulbruter, Panduro, Cacatuoides, Harlequin, etc.

 

[greg kilgore]

I've only seen females be aggressive to dominate males when they have wrigglers/fry. I don't think I've ever seen any of my female apistos attack any male unless she was tending a hatch.

Females with a breeding space chosen will chase anyway subdominate males often. These females can be relentless on other females.

I'd bet she has wrigglers somewhere. Even when I've had females reject or ignore a male I've confined her with, she won't attack him. If the rejected male is interested and pursuing her she'll ignore him and stay away.

I'd think hard about removing the male for his own safety. If you can't, think about adding target fish. I like cherry barbs and bolivian rams as targets. She will worry about the targets and may allow the male to defend the perimeter. I've never tried this after the attacks began though. Usually once the attacks begin the male either finds a good, distant hiding spot and stays there or she kills the male. One more reason to hate small tanks.

 

[greg kilgore]

Also, I agree with blue. The few viejita I've kept were very gentle overall. I once got a young wild pair and the female grew up to be very small and not at all robust. The male was huge and beautiful and VERY interested in breeding. He pursued her constantly for at least a year and never hurt her. I often thought I'd have to separate them but never saw her to be beaten-up, just tired.