jordanstrango
New Member
- Messages
- 6
Hi all,
I've had my apisto pair for nearly 2 years. I've slowly gotten more educated and put more effort into giving them proper parameters, although I know my tank is too small (10gal) because the original info I read stated that was all they needed... I plan to upgrade to a large tank once I move houses and would like to have a harem. I removed all their previous tank mates except some nerite snails.
I've got a heavily planted low tech setup with a bubble stone. I feed them cichlid bug bites and throw in peas, earthworms or bloodworms every couple days. I try to do water changes every week, and mix RO water with (hard) tap to get around 6.5 PH with KH around 40ppm and GH around 50-100ppm. My nitrates and nitrites are always minimal. Since I started getting more serious with the water quality, they've started spawning twice a month. I'd love to watch fry grow up, but not sure I have much know-how with live food.
The male I have is very large and derpy. The female preferred this pirate ship ornament for laying eggs, but I decided to turn that sideways in case the issue was him not wanting to squeeze inside it. I have 2 caves and a coconut shell as well.
For the most part, they get along. But when the spawning happens, she decides it's time to kick his @ss (not even sure he has time to fertilize them), and he refuses to back down until she beats him pretty severely. I've been putting him inside a floating breeder box when this happens, but she spends half her time tending the eggs, and the other half trying to attack him while he makes rude faces at her. I'm still not even sure he fertilized the eggs in the most recent spawn in the cave below, although these eggs are more of a tea color than white like before.
Are these fertilized? Because she's already eating them or spitting them out of the cave after 2 days, just like the last 9 spawns. I'm not sure she has relationship nor parenting skills.
What do you guys recommend? Fish marital therapy? Different pair of fish? Thanks in advance...
I've had my apisto pair for nearly 2 years. I've slowly gotten more educated and put more effort into giving them proper parameters, although I know my tank is too small (10gal) because the original info I read stated that was all they needed... I plan to upgrade to a large tank once I move houses and would like to have a harem. I removed all their previous tank mates except some nerite snails.
I've got a heavily planted low tech setup with a bubble stone. I feed them cichlid bug bites and throw in peas, earthworms or bloodworms every couple days. I try to do water changes every week, and mix RO water with (hard) tap to get around 6.5 PH with KH around 40ppm and GH around 50-100ppm. My nitrates and nitrites are always minimal. Since I started getting more serious with the water quality, they've started spawning twice a month. I'd love to watch fry grow up, but not sure I have much know-how with live food.
The male I have is very large and derpy. The female preferred this pirate ship ornament for laying eggs, but I decided to turn that sideways in case the issue was him not wanting to squeeze inside it. I have 2 caves and a coconut shell as well.
For the most part, they get along. But when the spawning happens, she decides it's time to kick his @ss (not even sure he has time to fertilize them), and he refuses to back down until she beats him pretty severely. I've been putting him inside a floating breeder box when this happens, but she spends half her time tending the eggs, and the other half trying to attack him while he makes rude faces at her. I'm still not even sure he fertilized the eggs in the most recent spawn in the cave below, although these eggs are more of a tea color than white like before.
Are these fertilized? Because she's already eating them or spitting them out of the cave after 2 days, just like the last 9 spawns. I'm not sure she has relationship nor parenting skills.
What do you guys recommend? Fish marital therapy? Different pair of fish? Thanks in advance...