Apistogramma Agassizi Flame Red aka Fire Red Question

[sundragon]

Does anyone know where I can buy a pair of these babies?They have them in Canada and the UK, but don't ship the US [video=youtube;nWnMPeIdsgE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nWnMPeIdsgE[/video]

 

[ste12000]

I cant help im afraid as im here in the good old UK... Im feeling mischievous tonight so thought id tease you with a pic of my fish here in England :biggrin: :biggrin:

 

[JasonC]

Noticed you are in DC... Think that House of Tropicals in Glen Burnie, MD may still have them. they are a stunning fish!

 

[sundragon]

Haha, I'm jelly!! I'll take your flame red and raise you a hongsloi II

I cant help im afraid as im here in the good old UK... Im feeling mischievous tonight so thought id tease you with a pic of my fish here in England :biggrin: :biggrin:

 

[sundragon]

Thanks! I'll call them tomorrow

Noticed you are in DC... Think that House of Tropicals in Glen Burnie, MD may still have them. they are a stunning fish!

 

[animalmgc]

[email protected] will or does have some

 

[Linus_Cello]

Check with Bev Newcomber at the Amazon Basement. I've gotten some great apistos (borelli and agassazi, double red, not fire) from her.
http://www.theamazonbasement.com/about_us
http://www.theamazonbasement.com/apistogramma

I see you're in the DC area. She comes to the PVAS (Potomac Valley Aquarium Society) meetings. She'll be at the April meeting/auction.

http://pvas.com/auctions.php
http://www.pvas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=3979

 

[sundragon]

Thanks! I'm a member of GWAPA and CCA, but not PVAS - I've just sent her an email asking about it.

Do you think 3 pairs can be okay in a heavly planted 57G (36x18x21)?

They males currently display to each other and chase the females but don't really fight.

Check with Bev Newcomber at the Amazon Basement. I've gotten some great apistos (borelli and agassazi, double red, not fire) from her.
http://www.theamazonbasement.com/about_us
http://www.theamazonbasement.com/apistogramma

I see you're in the DC area. She comes to the PVAS (Potomac Valley Aquarium Society) meetings. She'll be at the April meeting/auction.

http://pvas.com/auctions.php
http://www.pvas.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=3979

 

[Linus_Cello]

I would have a spare tank handy and a floating PVC pipe in case one or several of the fish start to get picked on. I had 2 pair in a 75 gallon tank, and the one male terrorized the other male so I had to move the sub-dominant male.

You really should join PVAS. Also, check out their auction this April 7.

 

[nijrem]

hmm.. I've been trying to get 'regular' Agassizi... and all I can find is Fire Reds in Holland (well, in the LFS I usually try to get my fish from)
(and hey by the way; new member here..)
I really need to find some of those good websites for the EU before I randomly stock my cycling 180 litre tank with pretty fish ;-) (jk, jk.. that mistake has been made 6 years ago, no more )

 

[sundragon]

I would have a spare tank handy and a floating PVC pipe in case one or several of the fish start to get picked on. I had 2 pair in a 75 gallon tank, and the one male terrorized the other male so I had to move the sub-dominant male.

You really should join PVAS. Also, check out their auction this April 7.

I'm waiting to let these guys settle in a bit and also let the plants grow out. The tank is only a month old and is well planted, but a bit more growth will make it harder for the fish to see each other.

I'm also looking for a cave/rock/hardscape that will blend into my aquascape - most of the ones I've seen look super artificial. The hongsloi is pretty easy going and the large of the two. The redneck is a feisty fish that chases everything in the tank in including the otos, corys, much larger angels and my hand... He's the smaller of the two males and nearly the size of my females.

I'll look at joining PVAS - I don't have a car and the auctions and events are not usually public transportation accessible. I've gotten a zip car for the GWAPA and CCA events so far. I hear PVAS is pretty amazing.

 

[Linus_Cello]

I'm also looking for a cave/rock/hardscape that will blend into my aquascape - most of the ones I've seen look super artificial.
I'll look at joining PVAS - I don't have a car and the auctions and events are not usually public transportation accessible. I've gotten a zip car for the GWAPA and CCA events so far. I hear PVAS is pretty amazing.

Yes, the PVAS auction is amazing. There are lots of people who come (unfortunately I can't come to the 4/7 auction). I sometimes get rides from people from the Vienna metro station to the meeting; you may want to ask folks on the PVAS forum for a ride to the auction.

As for rocks, what are you looking for that isn't "artificial looking"? Maybe try garden centers in addition to LFS. PVAS may have a group buy which may include rocks (but for Ammano style aquariums). Another thing you may want to consider, though it's artificial, these are real rocks made in to caves. I use them for my plecos, but I'm guessing apistos may like them for spawning sites: www.planetcatfish.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=32851

 

[sundragon]

Edit:

Crap, I think one of my "females" is another male - he's not gotten enough color for me to identify his breed, LOL... Well I'll call Wetspot to acquire another 2 females so they don't drive her nuts.

Do females chase each other? The two had hung out with each other up till now without any issues. The one in question has a bit more color than before, but maybe it's a female that's hitting maturity and wants territory?

I don't mind amano style rocks - actually - I'd like that. The Pleco caves you mention are great! Does the guy still sell them?

 

[nijrem]

Edit:

Crap, I think one of my "females" is another male - he's not gotten enough color for me to identify his breed, LOL... Well I'll call Wetspot to acquire another 2 females so they don't drive her nuts.

Do females chase each other? The two had hung out with each other up till now without any issues. The one in question has a bit more color than before, but maybe it's a female that's hitting maturity and wants territory?

I don't mind amano style rocks - actually - I'd like that. The Pleco caves you mention are great! Does the guy still sell them?

Not trying to hijack here; but at one of the cichlid specific LFS I visited; I mentioned I was looking for 'normal' agassizii females to entertain my male. He actually had an interesting theory (unlike anything you read on the web). Instead of adding several females to 1 male; you should have more males than females. This is a quite experienced guy, mostly dealing in African Cichlids but also has some SA ones. It does make sense to have males 'compete' over females. But I suppose its species specific; who 'decides' who to breed with.
I managed to find some regular F Agassizii finally today, hope they'll get along with my male.

Seems Fire Red in Europe are abundant. It's all a sort of fashion thing, the guy that sold me the new females told me. Obviously Fire reds still do well but more and more people are asking for regular or red variety Agassizii. Also was told most of them come from the same breeder(s). Not sure how I feel about that, I hope they do try to mix bloodlines as much as possible

 

[sundragon]

Well, after sending pics to Anthony at WetSpot. I was wrong.I have two mature and two immature pairs:I thought the females were drab and small... I was wrong. The yellow viejta redneck male is actually a female, and quite agressive - she's the one that challenges the angels, my hand, and all the other fish near her driftwood cave, lol. The blue redneck male is chill pill by comparison. Apparently the two are a pair, (hopefully A. hongsloi II) - I need to let them grow out a bit and see how this goes. The other driftwood has a cave. So once I notice the female beating up the rest of the inhabitants, I'll know she's hit puberty... I thought male chichlids were mean?!?
Wow, every day is a learning experience with these guys.

EDIT: the labels/filenames on the pictures are wrong. They are A. viejta rednecks

 

[Tom C]

Well, the fish called "redneck" are actually a domestic strain of A. macmasteri.....

 

[sundragon]

Well, the fish called "redneck" are actually a domestic strain of A. macmasteri.....

LOL, you're probably more knowledgable than I am - it's sold as a Apistogramma Viejita "red neck"

It looks very similar to the pictures of the Macmasteri - The female has more red than any of the ones online FWIW.

This is the image I was given as a Viejta:

 

[sundragon]

EDIT: The labels/filenames on my pictures in the post a few below are wrong. They are A. viejta rednecks - I named them Agassizi incorrectly.

Hey Tom I am in no way trying to prove you wrong. I'm a noob and the variety of Apistogramma are dizzying. People call one something and another something else. Here's another, which is spot on for my male.

Whatever it's called - I'd like to know but I'm happy it's healthy and the two "Apistogramma macmasteri viejta (Super Redneck) kitchen sink variety 23" have paired and the male now guards the "cave" instead of the female....

This little soap opera has unveiled in the last 24-48 hours as the other "male" hit puberty... Though it could just be a pissy female... LOL

Would it kill the breeders to standardize? LOL

next we'll have small piraña schools being sold as Cardinal tetra "Gordo" :biggrin:

Well, the fish called "redneck" are actually a domestic strain of A. macmasteri.....

 

[Linus_Cello]

I don't mind amano style rocks - actually - I'd like that. The Pleco caves you mention are great! Does the guy still sell them?

Amano style rocks, maybe PVAS will do a group buy for it. Join PVAS. For the group buy, you can buy stuff at a discount, and the club pays for the shipping.
Yes, contact the guy for the pleco caves; he still sells them. Someone in PVAS bought some in October; I got one cave from him. The only issue is I think the seller still sells in groups of 6. But some of the other PVAS members may be interested in buying 1 or 2, and then you have a minimum order of 6.
Someone else mentioned having more males than females. From my experience, I currently have 1 male A. agassazi that terrorized all the other male agassazi in a 75g tank; it shows no aggression to the females, so I would say more females than males for this species.

 

[sundragon]

I appreciate the information. The fires are rare stateside, on the other hand we have agassizi in abundance.

Based on my very limited experience with agressive females, I am not surprised at keeping more males to females. But I'm still learning how they act. The other pair are maturing and will probably surprise me.

Either way, I would keep a 1/1 ratio - the females are strikingly beautiful - far from the drab colored wild ones.

Not trying to hijack here; but at one of the cichlid specific LFS I visited; I mentioned I was looking for 'normal' agassizii females to entertain my male. He actually had an interesting theory (unlike anything you read on the web). Instead of adding several females to 1 male; you should have more males than females. This is a quite experienced guy, mostly dealing in African Cichlids but also has some SA ones. It does make sense to have males 'compete' over females. But I suppose its species specific; who 'decides' who to breed with.
I managed to find some regular F Agassizii finally today, hope they'll get along with my male.

Seems Fire Red in Europe are abundant. It's all a sort of fashion thing, the guy that sold me the new females told me. Obviously Fire reds still do well but more and more people are asking for regular or red variety Agassizii. Also was told most of them come from the same breeder(s). Not sure how I feel about that, I hope they do try to mix bloodlines as much as possible