Wanted - Free Imformation on Apistogramma Trifisciata Care

[Godly3vil]

As title suggests I am after some tips on keeping and breeding some of these from someone who has had personal experience and success with these lovely little fish. Thanks in advance.

[Sunbird73]

try danval, he has bred some recently, or Joe, he is also an apisto guru.

I haven't had mine very long, so def not an expert - but they seem about as easy as cacatuoides to keep and breed. I bought some off danval and they bred in my community tank (in with cardinals, corydoras and one cobalt gourami). Think my water is around 6.5-7.0 pH, lots of plants, rocks, hideyholes.

I put a terracotta pot for them to breed in, but the female preferred to lay on the underside of a rock.

My tap water is around 7.8ph but quite soft, and I don't bother altering the pH before water changes (usly do around 30% at time) and they are not bothered. They are often out and about and the females will always come an inspect my hand every time I put it in the tank, great little characters.

I don't think they are a lot different to keeping other apistos (they seem vy similar to cacatuiodes), keeping the water clean and soft, with lots of plants is probably the most important, but again = not an expert

[hovmoller]

Google it!

[F15hguy]

my only recommendation with apisto's is that the less effort you put in the more you get out

the main thing to remember is that they don't like strong current

[Joe]

try danval, he has bred some recently, or Joe, he is also an apisto guru.

I'm not a guru, but I do love Apistos Dan would know more than me.

my only recommendation with apisto's is that the less effort you put in the more you get out

the main thing to remember is that they don't like strong current

That's not true at all :-? If I had put more effort into my trifasciata by getting some live food cultures set up for the fry, I swear I would have much fry more right now.

That's partly true about the current - if it is really strong they don't like it that much, but as long as there are quiet spots in the tank then they'll be okay. A decent current is a good idea, to stir up the bottom so the crap gets sucked up by the filter. You can siphone it up off the bottom but you'll have to be careful not to suck fry up. The good thing with a bigger tank is that they'll hang out in different spots, so while they're at one end you can vaccume the gravel at the other end and vice versa.

Soft water (pH less than 7 - about 6 or so), live food and a tank with the base dimensions of 45x30cm or bigger per pair is required. You can use oak leaves (boiled first to make them sink, and to kill any greeblies) for a more natural look too. If you don't want to use oak leaves then add peat or alder cones to the filter. They love tannin-rich water. Decorate the tank with bogwood, and use natural sand or natural fine gravel. If you want to use plants, get something that will grow aerial leaves because with tannin-rich water most plants won't grow very well because the light intensity will decrease faster with the tannins. Something like Indian fern would be ideal. I'm getting some for my 140L Apistogramma trifasciata tank.

When they're breeding feed the fry brine shrimp or some other small live food. I lost a lot because I have no live food for them so I feed them dry food. Sometimes the male will eat the fry and he may have to be removed. But some males are excellent parents and can be left with the mother and the fry.

Partial water changes (20-30%) every week or so (for a larger tank; smaller tanks should be changed once a week at the least) are good. Don't change too much water at the same time, and don't change the water chemistry too quickly because it will shock them and then they'll get stressed.

If you want to redo the tank, save as much of the old water as possible.

Dither fish aren't necessary, but if you really want to add some then get something very small like Ember Tetras (Hyphessobrycon amandae). I'm getting some Green Neons (Paracheirodon simulans) to put with mine.

This site has great information

Also click the link in my signature for my Apistogramma trifasciata tank journal.

[danval]

As always.. Great info Joe

[Joe]

Thanks Dan

[Godly3vil]

thanks alot guys, I really appreciate it.