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Cacatuoides or agassizi?

Bobblehead27

Member
Messages
46
hey guys. I just bought these four that were sold as "apisto. Double red" but didn't explain which species. Seeing as I'd be happy with either or I didn't push the issue and scooped up four in hopes of at least one pair. I'm sure they're too young to sex but I was curious which species you'd say these are. My guess is agassizi based on the lack of points on the dorsal fins but idk if those develop later.
 

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Mike Wise

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5 Year Member
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The pictures aren't the greatest for ID, but I see an A. cacatuoides in the bunch. None appear to be Double-red cacatuoides, or at least double-reds of good quality. On another note, do you know what the black/white marbled fish in the last photo is? If it's what I think it is, it's not a good fish to put in with apistos.
 

Bobblehead27

Member
Messages
46
See I thought it looked cacatuoides by body shape. Yea I'm no photographer. Got my iPhone and that's it

Yea it's probably what you think it is. A Molly. Why is that no good?
 

dw1305

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
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Location
Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
Yea it's probably what you think it is. A Molly. Why is that no good?
One reason would be that they have very different water requirements, if you have hard, high conductivity water for the Molly, it won't be very suitable for the Apistogramma and vice versa.

Apistogramma cacatuoides will survive in much harder water than most Apistogramma species, but even then there probably isn't any over-lap with the Mollies requirements.

cheers Darrel
 

Bobblehead27

Member
Messages
46
hmm ok... thanks I never even thought to look into the molly's requirements... i just got them as a breeding food source for the apistogrammas. I was under the impression that they were very adaptable... i guess i'll have to remove the molly's what would be better sword tails?
 

dw1305

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
2,755
Location
Wiltshire UK
Hi all,
hmm ok... thanks I never even thought to look into the molly's requirements... i just got them as a breeding food source for the apistogrammas. I was under the impression that they were very adaptable... i guess i'll have to remove the molly's what would be better sword tails?
Apistogramma are pretty inept predators, I think any livebearer is soon going to over-populate the tank. Same applies to Sword-tails really as Mollies, they need much harder water.

I used Black Neon Tetra <"as a dither for mine">, they were fine, a lot of Tetras aren't. At the moment I've got Copella arnoldi and Pyrrhulina australis, the Copella are fine, but the Pyrrhulina are great fry hunters and have also decimated the tanks resident Asellus.

I found that A. cacatuoides really likes <"Cherry Shrimps"> as a food source, otherwise mine get a mix of <"Daphnia, mosquito larvae, Grindal Worms, Red Earth worms and Astax based pellets">.

A lot of people feed, both adults and juveniles, largely on Baby Brine Shrimps.

cheers Darrel
 

Bobblehead27

Member
Messages
46
Ah. Ok thanks.

Would the adult cherry shrimp be left alone to mate or would I have to set up another tank? (My wife's not really down for that. She hates how many tanks I had before we were married haha)
 

Mike Wise

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Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,202
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Since it's a Marble Molly - and not some OB morph of a Mbuna or Central American cichlid - they should be safe together. What Darrel writes is true. Not the best combination, but can survive together. Cherry shrimp OTOH tend to be very similar to juvenile prawns found in the same waters as A. cacatuoides and are eagerly eaten by them.
 

Bobblehead27

Member
Messages
46
So I will probably have to set up another tank since they'll probably all be eaten? Hmmm how big would be the minimum size I'd need for breeding them. I'm thinking if I make it pretty with all plants and whatnot she won't chop my head off.
 

Bobblehead27

Member
Messages
46
Ok I set up a small tank for breeding cherry shrimp. My wife's not happy but agreed haha anyway I think I have one that is definitely male but is it too soon to tell for sure with these guys or is an inch about when they start to show?


Not the best pic but you can see he's starting to color up. Plus you can't tell in the pic but I've noticed his first few rays on his dorsal fin are extended which I read is another way to tell.
 

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Bobblehead27

Member
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46
I'm starting to think I have two males and one female (the fourth didn't make it past the first 24 hours) I'm guessing by the first few dorsal fin spines being extended. As well as the aggression from the colorful one towards the other big one. I'm hoping the little one is at least a female. Maybe I can trade in my second male for a female somewhere if that's what it ends up being
 

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