Operation breeding agassizi's!

[Ben]

I have had 3 pairs of agassizi's for a couple of months now. they have spawned several times but eggs where infertile. :?

I have now set up their tanks ready to breed them!
no ifs or buts!!!! :shock:

I got some advice, that it works well with a couple of neons in their tank as it keeps them relaxed.
8-)
Any further ideas would be great!

cheers,
Ben

[kinezo]

hiya ben... nice tanks...

introducing neons to keep them relaxed hey? ive heard of that also at one of my lfs...
well good luck mate hope it works

btw.. where did u get that light.. i need one...
also... y is it pink on the left hand side? is that a girls tank? and boys on the right?

u need to mix boys and girls to get pairs u know...

lmao

kinezo

[DR.V]

Thats a great setup.

Let us know if you success ^^

Good luck

[Merrilyn]

Good luck Ben. Hope they give you lots and lots of babies.

[Ben]

Well, i know its been only 2 weeks since i first put up this post, but its time i gave up on these little buggers!
I have had them (adults) for over 4 months!

I think i will stick with discus!

anyone interested in buying them send me a pm.

cheers,
Ben

[Merrilyn]

Ben before you decide to give up, try swapping the partners around, so they each have a different mate.

Turn the lights out, lower the pH and drop the temp.

Hope it helps.

[mtchye]

Hi Ben,

Are the females getting nice and conditioned? You can tell usually with apistos by them turning fat and yellow, and black markings will intensify.

If they are not one trick is to have a serve of blackworms or daphnia continously available within the tank. I use these two because they stay alive and the fish basically graze all day long. It never fails for me when I want to spawn apistos or cories. Once they get nice and conditioned a big water change gets them going like clockwork.

Just to help motivate you here are some of my apistos from my triple red cacatuiodes normal x gold experiment:

The mum and fry:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~bchor/cacutoidesfemale.jpg

The dad:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~bchor/tripleredcac.jpg

F1 turned out great and grew fast, mature at 3 months old:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~chye/acacatuiodes3months1.jpg
http://members.iinet.net.au/~chye/acacatuiodes3months2.jpg

F2 ready to breed now, gold is confirmed recessive gene as it has reappeared with the triple red trait showing in most of the fry... very happy with result:
http://members.iinet.net.au/~chye/acacatuoides.jpg

This female F2 normal triple red has the spawning colouration on. She is now twice as fat though!
http://members.iinet.net.au/~chye/acacatuiodes2.jpg

I hope that helps you Ben as these guys are so interesting and not that difficult. I hope they become more popular because they are colourful and peaceful and do not require a lot of space. Perhaps if you can describe what they are doing we can help you with tips.. i.e. are they fighting/courting/nervous/ not eating alot etc

Cheers
Vincent

[mtchye]

Ooh one more essential tip for success with apistos long term is the quarantine regime they get when they come in. I usually treat with a course of prazi and a course of levamisole and having black worms in the tank during these treatments help because I suspect the worms absorb the medications which are then orally ingested into the fish as well as absorbed through the water.

Many of the apistos will harbour a small infection of parasites for ages with no obvious symptoms besides difficulty in conditioning them. They are such small fish that they eventually succumb to the infection once it gets a little worse.

[Ben]

Thanks for your kind words Merrilyn and Vincent.

I have tried everything with these guys, except for the treatment of medication.
They get fed 3 times per day, heavily with adult brine shrimp , which i grow, aswell as live blackworms and frozen bloodworms.

I have good quality lines for 3 different sources.
And the females look fat and all very healthy!

Will keep updated and try both of your ideas.

cheers,
Ben

[Ben]

maybe i was not sposed to breed api's.......

*sniffle sniffle*

[mtchye]

Just read your post more carefully and notice the infertility. If your water is not very hard.. perhaps it is one or both of the parents who are infertile for some reason?? Mate, with your discus success breeding you should have no problem with apistos :)

Try the meds regime on one of the pairs and see maybe.. but if they are already spawning regularly it may not make a difference. Also don't know if it makes any difference but I do not keep any neons in with mine...

Perhaps try the med regime, and during the whole time make sure there are always blackworms live in the tank..? (shouldn't be too expensive, apistos don't eat much and one 5ml blackworm serve for $2 lasts my pairs about a week...)

Cheers
Vincent

[Ben]

thanks Vincent,
I will try and give them meds,
what do you suggest is the best method?
just a normal course of prazi (1 tablet 20 litres of water)
and soak some black worms in 1 tablet aswell?

I see them courting and playing around a fair amount. they look very healthy and the females do look fat around the waist.

1 pair have spawned 4 times, and the eggs were infertile everytime.

since putting the light on them, they are not as shy, i will try and get a close up picture of them soon.

I will keep trying at them, but they are "on the market" so to speak.

Will keep you posted,
Thanks again,

Ben

[nicholas76]

ben!


get rid of those yet???? hurry up you could start pairing off your golds!

[Ben]

LOL Nicholas!

time is the essence...

if only i could say that about these little buggers!



Ben

[Ben]

some pics

[Ben]

pics..

Sorry about the quality of pictures, a bit tricky and shy to get a good shot!

[BillyBlanks22]

Where are you in Melbourne mate?
I'll give you $40 for a pair.

[Ben]

pm sent!!!

[Stuart]

Shame about the lack of success :( You seem to have the setup sorted - even down to the dither fish :)

Hope who-ever buys them from you has better success - I wish I lived closer :)