Keeping this species of Apistogramma is rather simple, however it is far more difficult to breed them. I have purchased a this stunning color variant of Apistogramma agassizii pair at Manly Aquarium (Sydney). They have been imported from Germany.
There have been quite a great deal of various colour morphs of Apistogramma agassizii in the hobby and some very colorful aquarium strains have been developed in Germany. This pair (below) is called "Agassizi Red Tail" or "Agassizi Double Full Red". "Full Red" often interpreted in the hobby as "Triple Red" because it implies that the dorsal, caudal and the anal fins of the male are all red.

Female



Male


I placed them into a 80L tank with plenty of driftwood and plants, sandy substrate and three half coconut shells. (I always use one more pot or coconut shell in order to lessen the possibility of fighting). I made it sure that the light is subdued by covering the tank, and fed them with food of high protein content, such as live brine shrimp, live black worm, Freeze Dried Cyclop Eeze and some good quality frozen brine shrimp. After a few days the female begin to show more vivid yellow colour and her abdomen become more rounded (indication, that the ovries becoming full). Water parameters: PH 4.8-5.5, TDS 45-65ppm (I use RO water mixed with tap water. The tap water in Sydney is soft), temperature 24-29 degrees, GH 1deg., NO3 5-40 ppm. I never use chemicals for lowering the PH. I soak Canadian Spagnum Moss placed into a nylon stocking.
Within a week she spawned. The number of eggs laid were small and they were covered with fungus within a couple of days.
The same happened 13 days later.
Two weeks later she spawned again. Hurrah!! The eggs hatched and I had about 10 free swimming babies. She kept on chasing the male away from her brood and looked after her babies. Yet the number of fry slowly decreased and by the end of the week they all disappeared. I noticed that when some of her fry swam too far for her liking she picked them up, but forgot to release some of them at times……
Female cichlids don't always release all their eggs at spawning. I have noticed that each time only one side of the female became flatter. She also seemed very active sexually while together with her male partner.
In order to overcome the above mentioned problems and failures I have done the following:
(a) I separated them and kept the female in the tank - alone - for four weeks. Her abdomen region became full (rounded) on both sides by then.
(b) The Nitrate level have been lowered to 5-10 ppm by 30% water change every second or third day.
After spawning both sides of the female showed definite concavity (indication of emptying both ovaries?) and the male have been removed the next day. She was relaxed and looked after diligently her eggs and larvae.
Seven days later she let them out of the "cave". The photo shows her "collecting" her brood at evening after their first time out. Please note their fat, pink belly full of BBS.(sorry for the poor quality of photo)

Day 8:

The fry is fed three times daily with newly hatched brine shrimp. The 30% water change is continued.
CONTINUED