Tropical Fish Forums

Jack_Dempsey11 · Regulars Joined: 08 Oct 2006 Location: At the LFS

I am looking to breed apistrogramma aggassazi in a standard 40 (although if you enter the dimensions into a tank volume calculator you get 47g) gallon "breeder" tank. I just test filled the tank and will be adding a sand substrate, dense plantings, and then cycle the tank. In other words adding fish is a long way off. Initial filtering will be a 150 gph HOB filter that is already cycled on another tank. I will put this filter on at the same time as a 100 gph HOB filter that is not cycled, so I will start off the tank with a 150 gph appropriate biomass while the 100 gph catches up with its beneficial bacteria.

Anyway, I am wondering if I can keep other fish with the apistos in the tank or if the breeding cichlids will be too much for other fish. Exact tank dimensions are 36 inches long, 17 high, and 18 wide and I plan to keep two pairs of aggassazi's.
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number6 · Moderators Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: Ontario, Canada

something top dwelling like hatchetfish can work (good lid required).

Really though, if breeding is your primary goal, I wouldn't add anything in.
I used a similar sized tank and pretty soon it was overflowing with apistos... never felt empty at all Wink

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Jack_Dempsey11 · Regulars Joined: 08 Oct 2006 Location: At the LFS

The tank just surprised me with how tall it was! I figured that since dwarf cichlids are bottom dwellers I might get a bit of empty tank syndrome without something for the top/middle strata. Oh well, I guess I'll just start with the apistos and go from there.
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number6 · Moderators Joined: 07 Feb 2003 Location: Ontario, Canada

K20A2 · Members Joined: 02 Aug 2006 Location: Maryland, USA

How about harlequin rasbora? Would they eat the apisto fry? I'm curious as well because I have a tank set up to house apistos and was considering using rasboras as mid/top water dwelling fish.

Jack_Dempsey11 · Regulars Joined: 08 Oct 2006 Location: At the LFS

I am mostly past the ETS stage as well, but I am not past the LWP (living with parents Embarassed

) stage. The tank is to be set up downstairs because my modest bedroom doesn't have enough space for a tank so considerably larger than my usual 20 and 10 gallons. Anyway, my parents have a bad case of ETS, and my dad is one heck of a fish haver Confused

. Anyway, I'll just try to get totally dominate the aquascaping part of the tank (my mom is espicially fond of the Takashi Amano tanks in the Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazines I leave lying around the house Wink

) and maybe they won't realize that there are only four fish plus fry gracing the behemoth (sp?) of a tank that dares to intrude upon the holy TV room.
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leslie ferguson · Regulars Joined: 02 Aug 2005 Location: amarillo,texas

I've found that the dwaft pencilfish are the best with Agssizi. they leave the fry alone and they help keep the dad busy so that he dosn't eat the eggs. if this is there frist fry or when they get there frist fry. The female is more likly to eat the frist set of eggs. I've also found that they spawn a lot faster and have a larger egg count in a 50/50 water set up. 50% RO or distilled water and 50% tap water. I've tryed both tap and RO water for breding them and like I said found they spawn faster in the mix before mentioned. The female will get more aggrassive when spawning and the agssizi {IMO} are the meaner of all the Apistogramma spices when breding. I've bred 12 differnt Apisto spices and have also found that the agssizi are the better perants.
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