# Apisto Heaven



## Ed Seeley (14 Apr 2008)

Well maybe...

This weekend I took the plunge and cleared out my old 180 litre tank.  It's a 36" x 18" x 18" tank with a homemade wooden hood.  Lighting was two, 18W T8 Interpet Daylight pluss with a 55W T5 power compact Daylight plus too.  Filtration is an Ehiem 2128.  CO2 will be pressurised from a FE into a DIY reactor on a solenoid to turn it off overnight but I'm waiting for the new regulator to arrive still.

This has never really been a scaped tank and is really my collectoritus tank where I keep all the plants I like.  As such it's generally a mess!  It's also my main tank for getting dwarf cichlids paired up and established before I move them to other tanks.  As such it's always been a sort of jungle meets cichlid home and really it will remain that way!

This time the cichlids are 7 _Apistogramma eremnopyge_.  This is a gorgeous species from Peru with red spots on it's side and a prominent blotch near the caudal peduncle.  I've bred them before but lost the original female and her fry.  The two remaining males have been biding their time in a two footer but when I bought my Biotoecus sp.'Tapajos'  I ordered 3 new females and another male.  I was sent a bonus female too so needed to rethink the layout slightly, but more of that later...

This tank has split slate as the background and I toyed with removing this but didn't have the time or the inclination to after I'd cleared the tank.  I like the background and so kept it!  My Ancistrus also spawn behind part of it so if I put them back they'll spawn there again hopefully!

All the old fish (20 odd Cardinals, 1 old Diamond tetra, a pair of ancistrus + a dozen or so babies and a pair of _Pelivicachromis taeniatus_ 'Bipindi' were moved into the 2ft tank while the fish for this tank are in my QT for a week or so.

All the old Flourite and sand substrate was removed as were all the plants into various containers.  The plants were also cut right back removing all old/huge leaves.  While doing this I found that the Ancistrus must have spawned recently as I found 12 or so little ones hiding around the tank.  Catching them slowed things down dramamtically!

Then I started to sort the 'design' out.  This is all practicality really.  For breeding apisto I've found females like a territory of about 12" diameter or a 6-8" radius.  With 3 females this meant I would be able to comfortably have three cave groups on sand at the front with two Aquasoil areas for serious planting at the back.  However 4 females meant that one of those planting areas needed to have a cave too.
I also wanted only some Aquasoil to copy elements of my Rio's design and reduce the effects of the aquasoil's leaching at first.  I also found that even the plants in sand grew better than ever becuase, I assume, of the nutrients coming from the Aquasoil.  So pure sand front and Aquaosoil backs. (I also had a 9l bag of Amazonia left from doing the Rio!).
Also Apistogrammas, being Geophagine cichlids, love to chew the substrate over and I'm not sure how they'll like Aquaosil but they love sand so a nice large area of that was needed.

Anyway basically big bogwood pieces on the right with Windelov fern and then slate pieces on the left.  These separate the sand from the Aquasoil as the chewing of the Apistos would otherwise mix them I'm sure.

So dry it looks like this (please excuse the rubbish pictures - I nearly forgot to take any and hurridly snapped a few shockers!)





I dumped the Aquasoil in the two pockets created by the hardscape and then carefully added sand into the front area.  I started off with a pretty thin layer of sand at first (about an inch) but added some more when planting to some areas.
I planted everything dry except the Cabomba furcata as I've never found planting Cabomba dry that easy and it dries out very quickly for me.  So I added enough water to let me plant it wettish.




Then I topped the tank up.  The water is 2/5ths tap water (Hot water to warm up the RO) and 3/5the RO.  I haven't added any RO Right as there will be some minerals in the tap water.  Then I switched the filter back on and had a beer.  The fish will stay in the QT until Nitrite readings are 0.


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## Ed Seeley (14 Apr 2008)

The plants have started to adjust to their new situations today.




Even though I've hacked the swords and ferns back I need more plant mass in there.  I also need to add some wood/rocks with ferns/anubias/moss to divide up the lines of sight in the foreground area.

The cave areas look like they will do the job once the surrounding plantings grow in.

First left front,




Middle,




Right Front,




and Right Rear.




Also the drop checker has remained this colour since I put it in the tank!




There's no CO2 injected in here so what's going on?  It's 4dKH water in there!

As I said this is a tank designed to breed fish rather than being scaped, but hopefully it should look good once everything's grown in.

Oh and the other fish will be 10 _Nannostomus eques_, 4 _Fundulopanchax gardneri gardneri _'Nsukka Gold', 6 _Aphyosemion bivittatum _'Funge', 3 _Epiplatys dageti dageti _'Nkwanta GH96' along with the 7 _Apistogramma eremnopyge _and possibly a pair of _Ancistrus sp._3.


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## GreenNeedle (14 Apr 2008)

Looks like you have the magic DC in there. lol  Why you got a drop checker in a non CO2 tank anyway?

Looking at the scape it reminds me of an amphitheatre. lol  Hope it doesn't turn out that way if you know what I mean!!! 

Will watch this one because waiting to see the fish.

Andy


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## Ed Seeley (14 Apr 2008)

SuperColey1 said:
			
		

> Looks like you have the magic DC in there. lol  Why you got a drop checker in a non CO2 tank anyway?



I'll be adding CO2 once my new regulator arrives.  It should be here this week sometime.  The drop checker was in there before when I had another CO2 kit on this tank so left it there.



			
				SuperColey1 said:
			
		

> Looking at the scape it reminds me of an amphitheatre. lol  Hope it doesn't turn out that way if you know what I mean!!!
> 
> Will watch this one because waiting to see the fish.
> 
> Andy



Cheers, I think...


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## johnny70 (14 Apr 2008)

NIce!

can wait to see these fish, I'm a HUGE apisto fan     

JOHNNY


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## GreenNeedle (14 Apr 2008)

I was meaning like the sand enclosed by a circle in an amphitheatre.  By 'I hope it doesn't turn out that way' I meant I hope that the apistos don't start to war too much!!.

Looks nice though.  I like sandy tanks (and so do they)

Andy


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## Themuleous (14 Apr 2008)

Blimey Ed, that's some stocking list.

Sam


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## ceg4048 (14 Apr 2008)

Nice layout Ed.  Good Apisto information too. From my limited experience with this group it's hard to believe so many can share that space.  

Cheers,


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## johnny70 (15 Apr 2008)

Where have you got the apisto's from Ed? not a one you often see that

JOHNNY


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## beeky (15 Apr 2008)

I would have thought that tank would only be big enough for 2 pairs, are the A.eremnopyge especially peaceful?

How do you get on with the plants growing in a particulaly soft water environment? Do you have to be careful about the plants you use?


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## johnny70 (15 Apr 2008)

Plenty of room in there for those apisto's we have 1 pair A baenschi and 3 pair of A trifasciata in a 90 ltr

JOHNNY


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## aaronnorth (15 Apr 2008)

How haveoyu done the backgound?


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## Ed Seeley (15 Apr 2008)

SuperColey1 said:
			
		

> I was meaning like the sand enclosed by a circle in an amphitheatre.  By 'I hope it doesn't turn out that way' I meant I hope that the apistos don't start to war too much!!.
> 
> Looks nice though.  I like sandy tanks (and so do they)
> 
> Andy



Right I understand!  We'll see in a week or so hopefully!

Thanks for the compliment.  I don't like the slate divider, but had nothing else handy to do the job.  Once I add a few more bits to break up the line of sights then I should hopefully visually break up the slate a bit too.


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## Ed Seeley (15 Apr 2008)

johnny70 said:
			
		

> NIce!
> 
> can wait to see these fish, I'm a HUGE apisto fan
> 
> JOHNNY



Cheers Johnny.  I like them too!   

I think a big species group should have great interactions and should bring a huge amount of fun to the tank.


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## Ed Seeley (15 Apr 2008)

Themuleous said:
			
		

> Blimey Ed, that's some stocking list.
> 
> Sam



Cheers Sam.  Just a few species I had knocking around in various tanks...  Sounds bigger because all the killies have such long names!!!


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## Ed Seeley (15 Apr 2008)

ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Nice layout Ed.  Good Apisto information too. From my limited experience with this group it's hard to believe so many can share that space.
> 
> Cheers,



Cheers Clive.  I think it'll look ok once the plants grow in.  There are a lot in there that can't really be seen until they get growing like the Crytocoryne becketii on the back right around the swords.



			
				beeky said:
			
		

> I would have thought that tank would only be big enough for 2 pairs, are the A.eremnopyge especially peaceful?
> 
> How do you get on with the plants growing in a particulaly soft water environment? Do you have to be careful about the plants you use?



I have been keeping two males in a two foot tank and they have co-existed for over a year with no major injuries.  Sparks will fly when they settle down in the new tank but there's a fair bit of room for them to hide and if there are problems I will be able to move some males out.  The females should be fine as each will have her own little area with some caves in the centre.  Once everything grow in there will be no direct line of sight between each cave complex either.

Also this is a haremically polygamous species that doesn't form pair bonds.  The females each have their own patch and then the males try to guard as many females from other males as possible.  If there's any trouble it should be between the males and, as I've found them not to be too aggressive I'm pretty hopeful.  I do have spare tanks if there are major problems.

In the wild Apistos have been found at densities of 50 fish per square metre so my tank is pretty bare in comparison (I know this is probably only a temporary density and the fish can usually move away but it's food for thought!)

Beeky I find all plants much easier to grow in soft water and would never go back to tap water for my main tanks.  I don't grow Vallis as this is known to like harder water, but I've never tried it!  Apart from that I have grown a wide range of plants.


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## Ed Seeley (15 Apr 2008)

johnny70 said:
			
		

> Where have you got the apisto's from Ed? not a one you often see that
> 
> JOHNNY



I got a pair of wild fish from a supplier originally but they were old fish I think and didn't breed.  Then I got a trio from Peter Lovett which turned out to be a reverse trio.  The smaller male was a sneaker male and you couldn't tell him apart from the female.  That female then died while brooding her second brood (she'd killed the first batch when her second brood came along) and that brood didn't survive.  I then had the two males sharing a 2ft tank for a while and while there was some chasing they both got on fine so I have high hopes for them in a 180l tank.

The last batch I got from Mark Breeze (Microman) along with my _Biotoecus sp._'Tapajos'.


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## Ed Seeley (15 Apr 2008)

aaronnorth said:
			
		

> How haveoyu done the backgound?



The background was done by getting a large chunk of slate from an aggregate supplier.  I then used a bolster to split this up into loads of thin peices.  As they broke and split they were slightly random and I pieced them together using the straight sides to form the background.  It also comes down the two sides.  The pices are siliconed onto the glass.

The only problem with it is that dirt and debris does collect behind it but I try to syphon this out using a thin plastic tube every so often.  My bristlenoses also like to hide behind there too and breed there.


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## Ed Seeley (15 Apr 2008)

Well I've just tested the water and quite unbelievably the nitrite reading is 0!  I was expecting some reading even with an already established large filter on the tank.  I know some Ammonia from the Aquasoil would have converted into nitrite by the filter so can only assume that it's been oxidised all the way to nitrate and the filter can cope with the load!  I am now very tempted to add the fish as they are currently in a 14" quarantine tank and would enjoy the extra space I'm sure!  

In fact I am now going upstairs to move them across.  I'll then do a large water change tomorrow just to be on the safe side before I go to see 'The Hives'!


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## beeky (16 Apr 2008)

Where do you get your killies from? I'm interested in adding some Epiplatys to my community, are there ones to avoid?


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## afroturf (16 Apr 2008)

Ed I'm looking forward to this tank, i'm a big Apiso fan too i'm looking for a new pair to go in my biotope tank after my original pair a A. iniridae died of a infection after i introduced some tetras from shoddy lfs beginning with the letter 'B'. 

Anyway have you got a group of juviniles as or do you know the sex of your apistos? are they wild or tank bred? 

What are you doing with the Biotoecus, these have to be in my top 5 fish of all time even though i've never kept them. I was thinking of getting some form Mark but was a little scared off by the price and that they're even more delicate than Apistos.

Think I'll go and buy myself a new pair of apistos soon.


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## johnny70 (16 Apr 2008)

Ed Seeley said:
			
		

> johnny70 said:
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Thanks Ed. Looks like you bought his entire stock of them   stunning little fish, I can't wait to see some pictures of them, any plans for pictures SOON???????  

JOHNNY


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## TDI-line (16 Apr 2008)

Excellent layout Ed's, i'm sure the Apisto's will love it.


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## Ed Seeley (17 Apr 2008)

beeky said:
			
		

> Where do you get your killies from? I'm interested in adding some Epiplatys to my community, are there ones to avoid?



An odd story about the Epiplatys.  I went to move them out of the QT into the main tank Tuesday and they'd vanished!  Knowing what good jumpers they are this tank was completely escape proof!  There's even filter wool in the cable holes in the sliding cover glasses!

I got the original pair from a great Killi breeder when I first joined the BKA.  My other killies I have mainly sourced as eggs from Aquabid.  They are pretty easy to raise.  You can also buy the fish and get them shipped.  I've bought eggs from as far afield as Hawaii and fish have come all the way from Germany.

All the Epiplatys are great community fish IME.  The ones to avoid for tanks with smalled fish are the Asian panchax like the Golden Wonder as they can eat small fish when fully grown.  I'd definitely recommend the Epiplatys dageti as I love the barred pattern and I'll be getting some more soon I think.


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## Ed Seeley (17 Apr 2008)

afroturf said:
			
		

> Ed I'm looking forward to this tank, i'm a big Apiso fan too i'm looking for a new pair to go in my biotope tank after my original pair a A. iniridae died of a infection after i introduced some tetras from shoddy lfs beginning with the letter 'B'.
> 
> Anyway have you got a group of juviniles as or do you know the sex of your apistos? are they wild or tank bred?
> 
> ...



The Biotoecus are in my Rio downstairs and settling in nicely!  No signs of any breeding activity yet as they're far too young still.  I lost one but the other three are eating well.  They are pretty shy still.

I bought young F1 fish from Mark but they were sexable.  I have bought groups of juveniles before with other cichlids and had great results.  Often it depends on getting what you can with more unusual species!  Normally Apistos are pretty easy to sex when they get to a saleable size.

You'll have to come over and have a look at some point mate and have a beer!


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## Ed Seeley (17 Apr 2008)

johnny70 said:
			
		

> Ed Seeley said:
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Sorry about that!   

Well hopefully they'll breed soon and I'll be looking for new homes for the babies!!!

I'll take some pictures this weekend.  Got a lot on this week and really should be working at the moment...


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## Ed Seeley (17 Apr 2008)

TDI-line said:
			
		

> Excellent layout Ed's, i'm sure the Apisto's will love it.



Cheers!  They seem to be settling in nicely.


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## johnny70 (17 Apr 2008)

> Sorry about that!
> 
> Well hopefully they'll breed soon and I'll be looking for new homes for the babies!!!
> 
> I'll take some pictures this weekend.  Got a lot on this week and really should be working at the moment...



When you get some babies, give me a shout, I'm sure I can persuade myself to find them some room  

JOHNNY


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## Garuf (18 Apr 2008)

I've an 18 x 12 x 12 going spare and have been watching this closely, what if any aspisto's would you recommend for me?


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## Ed Seeley (19 Apr 2008)

Garuf said:
			
		

> I've an 18 x 12 x 12 going spare and have been watching this closely, what if any aspisto's would you recommend for me?



Stick with a pair of the less territorial haremic species IMO.  Ideal candidates would be _A.borelli_ or _A.cactuoides_ as they are both relatively unaggressive species, are easy to breed and (unless you find wild ones) aren't too fussy about the water conditions.  To be honest though as long as you stayed away from the aggressive pair forming species like _A.nijsseni_ and _A.panduro_ and related species (as these need more room and are fussier over the water conditions) then most others would be ok in soft water.


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## Garuf (19 Apr 2008)

Cheers ed I'll have a look into those and get onto kidsgrove cichlids.


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## Ed Seeley (22 Apr 2008)

As promised I did manage to take some photos this weekend, it's just taken me a few days to get round to posting them!   

First of all the new Apistogrammas
Male





Female




They're still babies so the red spotting on the sides isn't really developed yet and the males dorsal extensions are only just growing.

Aphyosemion bivittatum 'Funge'
Male




Nannostomus eques doing what pencilfish do!  (Hovering in mid-water!)




A full tank shot.  Notice the Cabomba furcata.  Today one shoot is at the surface!  That's nearly 12" of growth in 7 days with no CO2!!!!  




Yesterday the plug adaptor for the CO2 solenoid arrived so I now have 30ppm CO2 in the tank which will help with the plant growth.  There are new leaves on all the swords and I will soon be cutting them back I think...

The females have started to stake out their territories now and one female has taken up near the E.angustifolius group and has started digging sand out of the cave - a sure sign that she's thinking of doing the dirty!


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## LondonDragon (22 Apr 2008)

Beautifull fish Ed, specially the Funge male.  tank looking good


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## Ed Seeley (22 Apr 2008)

LondonDragon said:
			
		

> Beautifull fish Ed, specially the Funge male.  tank looking good



Cheers.  I was a bit annoyed as that's the small male 'Funge'!  The large one (with far better fins and colours would not display and stay still for his photo!  I will get a photo of him though at some point!


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## Garuf (22 Apr 2008)

An unusual and more than welcome change to the usual cardinal tetra tank, can you give us more information on the funge?


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## ceg4048 (22 Apr 2008)

Fantastic stuff Ed.  I love the Aphyosemion. The plants are using their carbon "reserves". Be careful with that regulator - don't gas them mate.  

Cheers,


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## johnny70 (23 Apr 2008)

The apisto's are going to look stunning once they grow on a little, excellent choice of fish Ed  

JOHNNY


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## Themuleous (23 Apr 2008)

Very nice, Ed 

I really must get into Apisto's at some stage, yet another thing to try before I get to old!

Sam


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## LondonDragon (23 Apr 2008)

Themuleous said:
			
		

> Very nice, Ed
> I really must get into Apisto's at some stage, yet another thing to try before I get to old!
> Sam


I know what I will be getting is my rainbows go


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## fishgeek (23 Apr 2008)

you ever in sth london ed?

i have 3 bachelor fresa you may like... last of a few that i have had, 3rd generation home bred 

andrew


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## Ed Seeley (23 Apr 2008)

Garuf said:
			
		

> An unusual and more than welcome change to the usual cardinal tetra tank, can you give us more information on the funge?



Cheers.  The Killies are a race of Aphyosemion bivittatum from West Africa.  They live in the upper reaches of a the rivers in Africa inhabited by various Pelvicachromis spp. (among others).  There's loads more info on these, and every other West African killi on Tim Addis's site.  Click on the Genera index for a list of the genera.  Here's the page for Aphyosemion bivittatum.  They like a quieter than average tank and are ace jumpers so definitely not for uncovered tanks!


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## Ed Seeley (23 Apr 2008)

ceg4048 said:
			
		

> Fantastic stuff Ed.  I love the Aphyosemion. The plants are using their carbon "reserves". Be careful with that regulator - don't gas them mate.
> 
> Cheers,



Keeping the drop checker a nice dark green!  No Limeade colours on my tanks!!!!  Also setting the solenoid to go off an hour before lights out.  Rather a bit of algae to deal with than gassing the fish!  Been dosing EasyCarbo before the CO2 went on so fingers crossed that things should transition fairly painlessly!


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## Ed Seeley (23 Apr 2008)

johnny70 said:
			
		

> The apisto's are going to look stunning once they grow on a little, excellent choice of fish Ed
> 
> JOHNNY





			
				Themuleous said:
			
		

> Very nice, Ed
> 
> I really must get into Apisto's at some stage, yet another thing to try before I get to old!
> 
> Sam





			
				LondonDragon said:
			
		

> Themuleous said:
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Cheers guys.  Apistos are great little cichlids for any tank but great for planted ones.  As long as you provide them some caves somewhere and don't mind them digging out in their caves a little then they are no problem at all.  And the odd bit of chasing keeps all those shoaling fish on their toes too!

And as for the killies, more planted tanks should have them.  They're as long lived as the small rasboras and tetras and much more colourful IMO.  And they'll breed in the tank often too.


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## Ed Seeley (23 Apr 2008)

fishgeek said:
			
		

> you ever in sth london ed?
> 
> i have 3 bachelor fresa you may like... last of a few that i have had, 3rd generation home bred
> 
> andrew



I'm never in South London but I'd still be very tempted if I didn't already have 3 males in this tank!  Don't think they'd cope if I put another three in!!!!  Assuming I breed these (and one female's starting to wall up one of her caves...) would you be interested in some little females to carry on breeding yours?  If so you're welcome to some.


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## Ray (23 Apr 2008)

Ed Seeley said:
			
		

> And as for the killies, more planted tanks should have them.  They're as long lived as the small rasboras and tetras and much more colourful IMO.  And they'll breed in the tank often too.


Could you reccomend some that don't jump?


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## Ed Seeley (23 Apr 2008)

Ray said:
			
		

> Ed Seeley said:
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Err, basically, NO!  I understand Lampeyes are unlikely to as Zig kept his in a uncovered tank but all the others are mad jumpers I'm afraid.  I had some A.bivittatum in my PFK cube with the glass cover glass on and they jumped up through the gaps around the cover glass!  I plug all the cable holes with floss to make sure I don't lose any more now...


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## fishgeek (24 Apr 2008)

thats an interesting offer ed, i am moving and hence trying to reduce tanks

i had 7 on a small system dedicated to apisto's , gone now and heaps more through the house, down to 5 at present and still need to reduce numbers 

maybe i will get in touch once i am settled again
andrew


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## beeky (24 Apr 2008)

I had a female Aphyosemion Australe jump through a 2cm square hole once. I couldn't understand why the cat was sniffing around the back of the tank and then I found her covered in fluff.

You have to admire their aiming ability really.


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## Ed Seeley (24 Apr 2008)

beeky said:
			
		

> I had a female Aphyosemion Australe jump through a 2cm square hole once. I couldn't understand why the cat was sniffing around the back of the tank and then I found her covered in fluff.
> 
> You have to admire their aiming ability really.


Except when you find them on the floor...


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## Themuleous (25 Apr 2008)

Blimey, didn't know that about apistos and jumping, worth remembering!

Sam


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## Ed Seeley (26 Apr 2008)

Themuleous said:
			
		

> Blimey, didn't know that about apistos and jumping, worth remembering!
> 
> Sam



Apistos will occasionally jump Sam but it's the killifish I'm on about!!!!


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## Themuleous (26 Apr 2008)

Its that how they get around in the wild?  I mean from pool too pool?  

sam


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## Ed Seeley (26 Apr 2008)

The killies I keep live in small permanent forest streams, often in very shallow water at the upstream end.  The species that live in pools that dry up are African Nothobranchius spp. and a number of South American genera too.

I think the jumping may be related to getting stuck in areas where the water level has dropped though.  Whatever the reason it's a shame as they are otherwise excellent fish for small planted tanks.  They are stunningly coloured, relatively inactive (so don't need large areas) and easily bred to build up your population (indeed many species, if added to a well-planted species tank, can produce a self-sustaining population as enough babies will survive in the plants).  We should see more in planted tanks!  I've put a lone male Aphyosemion australe 'Gold' in my Rio tank and he adds a great splash of colour in there and gets on fine with all the other species.


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## Themuleous (26 Apr 2008)

Yeh whenever I see killies in LFS I think I must try them at some stage, as you say gorgeous colouring.

Sam


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## Ed Seeley (2 May 2008)

Well went to feed them this afternoon and one of the female Apistogrammas has spawned.  She's bred at the front left of the tank under a small piece of flowerpot.  Another female is doing a bit of digging under the right hand side caves and the other two girls are bickering over the third area.  I think I need to add a few more pieces of flowerpot near there to improve the location!  I'll try and take some pictures of Mum and Dad on guard duty tomorrow.


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## johnny70 (2 May 2008)

Thats good news Ed   we have just had another spawning form the Trifasciata and Baenschi too  

JOHNNY


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## Themuleous (2 May 2008)

Cool


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## Papillo (16 Jun 2008)

Nice tank Ed,

I am about to set up something similar for Rams and Apistos. My instinct is, like you, to go for a sand substrate to enable the Rams to dig spawning pits and the Apistos to dam up their caves but I am also contemplating using a commercial baked clay type substrate for the sake of the plants. Do you or anyone else have any experience of how dwarf cichlids cope with AS, EC etc?

Roy.


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## Ed Seeley (16 Jun 2008)

Papillo said:
			
		

> Nice tank Ed,
> 
> I am about to set up something similar for Rams and Apistos. My instinct is, like you, to go for a sand substrate to enable the Rams to dig spawning pits and the Apistos to dam up their caves but I am also contemplating using a commercial baked clay type substrate for the sake of the plants. Do you or anyone else have any experience of how dwarf cichlids cope with AS, EC etc?
> 
> Roy.



Thanks.  At the minute this tank has some BGA due to a complete lack of maintenance!  The Apistos are spawning and raising babies though!!!

I'd include the sand for Apistos as they love to sift through it, but there are loads of guys who've kept them in pure AS tanks and they do fine.  The sifting behaviour is not absolutely needed by them.  I wouldn't put group 2 Pelvicachromis or larger dwarfs in there though as I think they'd dig too much.


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## LondonDragon (16 Jun 2008)

Ed Seeley said:
			
		

> The Apistos are spawning and raising babies though!!!


We need some photos  when can I get a couple? hehehe


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## Papillo (17 Jun 2008)

I think I still want the sand - I like to see the full range of behavior in my fish. So how are you finding your split substrate? Are you getting much mixing of the AS and sand?


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## Ed Seeley (18 Jun 2008)

Papillo said:
			
		

> I think I still want the sand - I like to see the full range of behavior in my fish. So how are you finding your split substrate? Are you getting much mixing of the AS and sand?



It's not too bad in this tank due to the high barriers but there has been quite a lot spilling through the gaps in the cobbles in my Rio tank.  However every water change I just syphon them up with all the muck in the water change, rinse them off and put them back at the back of the tank.  As it's so light and larger particles than the sand they sit on top rather than getting mixed in.


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## Ray (17 Jul 2008)

Nudge.  How about an update and some pictures of inhabitants?


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## Ed Seeley (20 Jul 2008)

Will try later this week.  Broke up on Friday now so might have a bit of time once I've finished a bit some work at school and then helped my mate put up a fence!


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## aaronnorth (6 Aug 2008)

any updates Ed?


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