Need some info on A. cacutoides.

[Mad78]

I have planned to purchase some here in a couple of monthes. They ae very pretty fish, that is what caught my eye. But i would love to get as much info as i can so i can provide a great healthy life for them and maybe possibly get them to spawn.

[Sponsors]

[mpodolan]

Maybe look here http://www.cichlid-forum.com/article...acatuoides.php

There is probably more info on that forum as well

[valerietheangel]

Check out apistogramma.com. Apistos need pretty soft, acidic water. There are certain species that are more aggressive than others and certain species need to be kept in pairs while others need to be in harems. I've heard A. borelli is a really good species for apisto beginners as they are hardier and less aggressive overall. I would definitely try to find some from a local breeder if you can, they're more likely to be used to the water conditions and it might be easier to find some that are already conditioned to flake or pelleted food.

Only one of my local stores carry apistos and they aren't in the best shape. Luckily we have a local fish club with several members who keep them so I will try to get mine from there.

[Riley]

Not all apistos need soft acidic water. Apisto. cacatouides is one of the best beginner apistos. To me, those fish are like convict cichlids....they are easy.

This is some old school info, but heres a link:

http://www.thekrib.com/Apisto/A-cacatuoides.html

[valerietheangel]

Apistos come from soft, acidic water in their natural habitats. IMO any time you are keeping a fish you should keep it in optimal conditions or else why bother? Yes you can keep apistos in hard, alkaline water but they won't thrive (and possibly won't breed) like they would with more natural, optimal conditions. Tank raised fish will likely be more tolerant of a wider range of conditions, but lots of apistos are still imported and wild caught and they're pretty sensitive fish overall when compared with most other cichlids.

Also, I recommended borelli over cacatuoides because borellis are less aggressive and you can keep more fish in a tank vs. cacatuoides or agassizi who are more likely to chew up tank mates after pairing.

[NeverEndingNinja]

Well, I'd have to disagree. My Cacatuoides are not aggressive at all, not even when they had a batch of eggs and the juvies kept coming around the cave. The female would just chase them off, without being overly aggressive, and go right back to the eggs.

I personally like the look of Borelli very much, but could not find any for the deal I got my Cacatuoides(Adult pair and juvi 1m/3f combo for $25 ) so I went with them.

[lauraleellbp]

Here's yet another forum- one of the Admins (Crazygar) has done alot with breeding Apistos http://www.tropicalresources.net/forum/index.php

It's the official forum for Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine.

[Mad78]

laurelee do you breed your neons?

[fishscale]

Try apistogrammaidiots.com while you're at it.

[lauraleellbp]

Originally Posted by Mad78

laurelee do you breed your neons?

No, I don't keep neons, just cardinals (for once, I don't even have those at the moment though a large school will go in my 90gal soon!), and at the moment I don't have the space to breed cardinals though I would love to...

[valerietheangel]

Don't get me wrong, I love the look of cacatuoides (and most other apistos!) I have just heard by most accounts that cacatuoides were far more aggressive than borelli or even hongsloi.

[Riley]

LOL I have bred plenty of "softwater" apistos in my hard local tapwater. Hell discus are bred in hard water. A fish's behavior depends on the fish. I have some borelli that are absolutely nasty, and others that are fine same with cacatouides, agassizi, Inka 50s, Algodons etc. It depends on the fish. Right now I have a female Inka 50 sitting on a clutch of eggs in 7.8 water. Good luck with whatever you decide on. You will have luck with cacatouides, borelli, pretty much anything thats commonly available as long as your water is clean, plenty of hiding spots, and your feeding them good. Good luck!

[Mad78]

thanks for the info everyone. But i read that you absolutley cannot feed them or the babies live blackworms. Why is that? I am always trying to create the most natural habitat that looks good, so what live foods will they enjoy? guppy fry?

[Riley]

Where did you read that you can't feed the adults blackworms? I feed my adults blackworms with out any problems. I would assume that some people think that blackworms carry disease and whatnot....but I havent had an issue. Apistos love blackworms, mosquito larvae, daphnia, live brine, just to name a few live foods they like.

[fishscale]

Aren't tubifex worms the ones that are more likely to be contaminated? Then there are blood worms, and then there are California black worms. Which ones do you feed? CBW are expensive.