Breeding Project: Apistogramma

[@cole3967]

Thanks for the upload, watching this 2 weeks into a Cacatuoide fry batch. Probably the most accurate video on Apistogramma spawning I've ever seen. Thanks for being honest, not trying to upscale some product, remaining true to their actual biome or at least close to, and breaking it all down as easily as you have. 👍

[@cole3967]

The only thing that bothers me, is the mention on the need for live foods...we dont use them too many parasites/diseases come from live foods

[@TedsFishroom]

Live foods that are cultured cleanly should not harbor parasites or diseases. One of the best for fry is Artemia nauplii, which I have used for decades without parasite or disease issues... other than the occasional proliferation of hydra in the tank that are also feeding on the brine shrimp. But that usually happened when I was overfeeding and the brine were not all being eaten by the fish.

[@cole3967]

@@TedsFishroom will definitely look into that. Hopefully I can get them instead.

[@cole3967]

@@TedsFishroom no luck on those, but found Hikari 1st bites. Have you ever used that one? Thanks

[@kurtjohnson667]

Just purchased a pair of Apisto Inirida. Looking forward to breeding them. Jeff Cardwell mentioned your channel. Glad I subscribed.

[@billy-uo9mb]

Kurt Johnson did it work ?

[@migueljimenez2671]

Un video genial. Si alguien lo subtitulara al castellano ya sería la ostia!!! Great video Ted Judy, thanks

[@edwardsago]

Great video ✌🏼

[@Loogiemistress]

So much great information -thank you Ted.

[@sandragerjanvanboggelen1275]

wauw , thnx for the upload you are easy to follow , i like to try with my pair of triplle reds you have nice apisto !

[@NorthStarVlogs]

Thanks for all the detailed information. As a total beginner I'm noticing conflicting information regarding sandy substrates for Apistogramma. Many claim that their natural behavior is to sift through sand and small gravel.

[@tinadoyle3803]

Yeh I get ya I'm just starting with them too and I decided to give them some fine sand reason being fish don't come from bare bottom rivers and also to give them to Do they love sifting through the sand for live bloodworms.

[@ernstvangenne3957]

Hello Ted, The A. Keller is now the A. megastoma, I found them 2 weeks ago in Colombia, try to breed them here in Europe.

[@manfredkiel3667]

Beautiful fish. Thanks for the insights!

[@chiclids]

Those are beautiful Apistos’s ! Just recently I got a pair of agazzii tefe red back pair so far they’re doing well but I am patient if they spawn they spawn if they don’t they don’t

[@brianpickens730]

Great vid! you have a amazing collection.

[@rolfnair]

Hey Ted, I know this video is from years ago, but still the best for breeding wild Apistogramma. Do you maybe recall the scientific name of the tetras at 7:47? I cannot find them anywhere on the web 😮. Thank you so much :)

[@tryingmyluck]

We’re you able to find the specific name? I’m also having trouble locating them.

[@rolfnair]

@@tryingmyluck Hey Angie. Couldn't find it yet

[@erick6102]

Great instructional video.

[@PalJoey-rm2yh]

Excellent presentation.

[@tilapiastew6784]

Hello Ted I really enjoy your videos. Great job. I was checking out ur website and discovered what might be a mistake in the description of the repashy food Morning Wood. The description is the same as the grow out food. Just thought you might want to check it out. Looking forward to more videos.

[@Aquaparadise22]

Another great video! keep it up ☺

[@MadScienceHacksTV]

You're so lucky! Apistos aren't as common where I'm from. I've kept and bred A. Cacatuoides Sunburst and A. Agassizi Fire Red. I had to pay handsomely for those fish. South Africa does have a wealth of African Cichlids though but, I can't say that I'm a fan of those

[@aryanbradley2797]

Pro trick : you can watch series on flixzone. Me and my gf have been using them for watching all kinds of movies lately.

[@novajaylen5296]

@Aryan Bradley Yea, I've been using flixzone for since november myself :)

[@adriandoan5371]

very informative video.

[@DWAquatics]

Yet another great video Ted :) Keep up the good work!

[@lindaford3976]

Hello Ted I had two of these apistogramma, but one just completely disappeared. I broke the entire 75g tank down looking. The other seems so lost and I need to get another but am unsure of the exact kind. I so enjoyed watching them dance when I fed them and I believe the one left is actually grieving. Could you let me send a photo of the one I have,so you could identify and possibly tell me where I might find one? I will pay any and all shipping for overnight delivery. I really loved these 2 fish. Thank you for your time. Linda

[@TedsFishroom]

Hello Linda... I responded to your message through FaceBook. I no longer sell fish, but if I know the kind of fish I may be able to direct you someone else

[@Fiddlefarmer86]

Ted, would this information on apistos be applicable to rams as well?

[@TedsFishroom]

Some of it... IME, rams are more tolerant of harder water conditions than some apistos. Especially tank-raised rams compared to wild apistos.

[@tinadoyle3803]

AND RAMS LIKE WARMER WATER.

[@BradfordAquatics]

Another great video!

[@jonathanmaya984]

Great video! What species of apistogramma are better as trios? Thanks

[@dennisvaclavek]

very nice collection of apistos. Do you have a planted show tank with apistos? I would love to see it. I am starting one one

[@woodworkerroyer8497]

Can I use maple leaves for leaf litter? I dont have anything but maple in my area...

[@TedsFishroom]

Yes.. just use dry leaves.

[@weiji1380]

i wonder if the tetra appearing at 11:25 is young bentosi ?

[@kimmelsadat4343]

I had some like that in one of my nano tanks, no idea what the name was but they were super cool

[@GUYANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA]

Just Got my first spawn from some wild Peru cacatuoides I got from u awhile back

[@1deaver]

wheres the vid Rico? time for an update bud

[@GUYANAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA]

+1deaver got some problems in that tank right now Idk what it is but I think I got it under control

[@yunydias7911]

i actually keep once apistogramma and i try breending, i have a few pairs, ap. baenchi inka wild, macmateri wild, viejita wild, and trifasciata wild ... is so hard breending apisto , this video is very good, my firth try i had ap hongsloi but i dond have sucess, but this time i got breending macmasteri, my pairs is young but i have hope

[@nicholassolissolis77]

I love the Videos man has anybody ever told you your voice sounds kind of like Kevin Costner

[@tinadoyle3803]

Is it essential too have dither fish in the breeding tank with a pair who have yet too spawn?

[@huntergrad2073]

What tanks do you raise the fry in. What size

[@apistogrammacrat5542]

Hey up Ted love your channel I've got 4 females to 1 male I was just wondering if they will still breed with 2 bristlenose placos in the same tank

[@TedsFishroom]

They will breed, but will be more successful without the plecos. The opening to the spawning site needs to be too small for the plecos to enter. If they even try to get in the female will have to defend the cave, which would be stressful. Once any fry are free-swimming it is unlikely that the plecos will harm them

[@apistogrammacrat5542]

@@TedsFishroom Thanks for getting back to me Ted I've removed the placos and I thinking about replacing them with Otocinclus Catfish I've heard that these fish are harmless and they just get on with eating alge and wont even touch anything else

[@ichthy-o-mat3305]

Help please! What is the latin name of the Tetra at 7:42?

[@ichthy-o-mat3305]

Ahhh - I found it: Hemigrammus sp. “Morse Code”. Candelita Tetra

[@NiX_aKi]

Please give us an update on your apistos please...

[@TedsFishroom]

That fishroom came down in 2016. The replacement room was gutted a few weeks ago. I have no apistos at all right now.

[@BAcHIGU_]

Nice what type of sand do you use when you put in the tanks?

[@TedsFishroom]

+DJBAcHIGU I use a sand from a local quarry, but you can use rinsed play box or silica sand.

[@kyl3k91]

When you say “change things up”, what do you suggest? I have a pair of A. Agassizzi that just won’t get down to business.

[@TedsFishroom]

You can try several things. The easiest is to rearrange the decor and cave location. Sometimes all it takes is making the entrance to the cave less observable.

[@kyl3k91]

@@TedsFishroom thank you! I realized my female just miiight be a sub dominant sneaker male. Do you have any tips on identification? She has a purple stripe under her top fin.

[@tylers2102]

Do you have to pull the fry at some point? I want to put a pair in a ten g but don't have another tank to put the fry in.

[@pbaquatics94]

New subscriber this video came right on time this is my next breeding project do you sale and ship ??

[@TedsFishroom]

No... I have been out of the business for four years. I suggest www.tristanstropicalfish.com

[@lianasmulholland]

The fish store told me the pair I got was a putumaya, which is apparently pretty rare. New to apistos. Trying for a spawn. We'll see what happens

[@jimmcgoogan5110]

Where can I get the round "caves" that you use for breeding apistos?

[@TedsFishroom]

Unfortunately, those were a one-time deal for me. I found a ceramics artist making them for art pieces and convinced him to sell all the imperfect pieces he could not throw away.

[@mikeymouse1985]

Instead of reverse osmosis can i use distilled water

[@TedsFishroom]

yes

[@brefstank8398]

What was the dwarf peruvian tetras?

[@damionmarkham9835]

Ted do you collect the leaves from your yard?Do you know if California oak leaves would be good for leaf liter ?I just ordered some leaves and cones for my shrimp and it seems silly to me because I live in a forest and leaves are plentiful

[@SevernRunAquatics]

+Damion Markham As long as they are fully dried oak leaves they should be just fine. I boil mine for a few minutes just in case.

[@TedsFishroom]

+Damion Markham I think that any leaves will work, except for the species that are known to contain a lot of alkali compounds (which most leaves do, but some are worse than others). I stay away from hickory, walnut and chestnut. Just make sure the leaves are dry. You can boil them if you want, but I just put them in a sink overnight with hot water.

[@billy-uo9mb]

if i order 2 apistogramma off an online sight will they send a male and a female or should i just go to pet shop..

[@TedsFishroom]

A good, reputable fish seller will sell dwarf cichlids as pairs, or tell you if the fish are too small to sex. At a pet store you an pick the fish yourself. A couple good online apisto dealers are Tristan's Tropical Fish and Aquatic Clarity

[@billy-uo9mb]

Ted’s Fishroom thankyou :)

[@hichbreure2477]

Good video.. I was wondering if a double orange female will spawn with a double red male? The breeder I’ve visited today doesn’t had double red females.. it’s not for reselling or breeding purposes.. but would be fun if they would spawn in my tank..

[@TedsFishroom]

Yes... all A. cactuoides will spawn together, but if you mix strains that are very different the result will often be fish that are closer to wild type. Unless both genotypes are very recessive.

[@coachlewis5190]

Hi Ted, Great video .... I didn't catch it. Are you using 5g or 10g for your Apiso breeding tanks?

[@TedsFishroom]

10 g

[@shyampatel4820]

what are those tiny red eye fish 2:03 where u r talking about the substrate ??

[@ichthy-o-mat3305]

Hemigrammus sp. “Morse Code”. Candelita Tetra

[@woodentoadfish7898]

Where do you find the breeding caves that you have?

[@TedsFishroom]

The round ones? Those have from an artist who sold me all his 'imperfect' pieces several years ago.

[@tinadoyle3803]

Is it absolutely necessary to have dither fish to get your apistos to spawn?

[@TedsFishroom]

Hello Tina… dithers are not absolutely necessary for apostles to spawn, but if a pair is not spawning then dither fish would be a good starting point to solve the problem. Apistos need to feel comfortable and confident in their habitats. Dithers provide a sense of safety and security, especially if the surface of the water is not covered with plants. Dithers also help to reduce intra-species aggression by acting as targets for overly aggressive apistos. I do not check the comments on this channel very often. I apologize for not respond to your earlier comments. I no longer make videos.

[@tinadoyle3803]

@@TedsFishroom Thank you so much I'm sad to hear your not doing the videos. Would a few ottos be OK as dither fish?

[@tinadoyle3803]

Hi again. Iv just bought Apistos Borelii can you tell me the temperature I should have. Please.

[@alphamassage]

Hi, How many Apisto could have house comfortably in a 65cm cube with bog wood caves etc? Thanks.

[@18luizin]

Hello Ted, I'm from Brazil. Perhaps you know how to breed cardinal tetra? I would like very much to breed it, but here in my land we have so little information. If you know It, would you mind making a video about it? Sorry about my terrible English, hope you understand.

[@jamiebaker6516]

Have you ever bred Apisto Hongsloi? I'm trying them for the first time and could use your help.

[@TedsFishroom]

That is one of the macmasteri-group species, and is not considered to be very hard to breed. Your fish are probably captive bred (a few wild fish get in, but not many). The CB fish are more easier. Also, the habitat the species come from is not black water, so no need to drop the pH really low.

[@jamiebaker6516]

@@TedsFishroom I've got them in 7.5ph with a dKH of 5 and dGH of 12. There are 7 green neons in there as dither fish. The male chases the female around but doesn't appear to do any damage. They're both eating too. Once the female lays eggs, she chases the male around. Unfortunately, I haven't had eggs hatch yet. I'm feeding live grindal worms, freeze dried daphnia, and sinking hikari vibra bites. Also, for some reason they both sometimes flick themselves against the hardscape and leaves. I'm not sure what that is about. Neither appear to have parasites.

[@albertore1]

Nice dude, by the way, Which tetra species is the one at 13:21?

[@ichthy-o-mat3305]

Hemigrammus sp. “Morse Code”. Candelita Tetra

[@ryanwalter757]

I'm looking into getting a breeding pair of apistogramma triple reds next week

[@TedsFishroom]

Check out www.tristanstropicalfish.com ... not sure if he has any available, but Tristan raises nice fish.

[@markfranklin8831]

Do you need to pull out all of the apisto parents after the babies become free swimmers or is there any parents that can stay with the fry? TIA

[@TedsFishroom]

If the goal is to raise as many fry as possible either the parents or the fry need to be moved. Once the parents are no longer caring for the fry those juveniles will be seen as territorial threats... Maybe in large aquariums with a lot of cover a larger number of fry will grow up, and some species may be less prone to hurting juveniles than others... but in general we separate them.

[@markfranklin8831]

@@TedsFishroom ok thanks. Makes a lot of sense.👍

[@abelationgorgoro8310]

very nice video. do you know if apistogrammas could be kept in the same tank with pygmy sunfish(elassoma)?/ thanks

[@TedsFishroom]

I would not. I think that the apistos would kill them.

[@abelationgorgoro8310]

ok. thank you for your response

[@Rdgz702michoacan]

where do you buy your spawning caves

[@TedsFishroom]

www.plecocaves.com

[@COOPERSCICHILDS]

excellent video makes me wan't too get some, where cab I purchase some from the are beautiful

[@TedsFishroom]

www.tedsfishroom.com/catalog

[@walterotiepka1460]

Ted first bites are made by hikari says on package great for newborn fry can I siphon out and put them in a floating breeder in same tank and put some moss in breeder thanks walt

[@SevernRunAquatics]

+walter otiepka It's good to let the mother take care of the fry if possible.This helps them learn parental instincts, and reinforces parental instincts in your mother apisto.

[@TedsFishroom]

+walter otiepka To be honest, I am not a big fan of many of the packaged fry foods. Most of them are staple flake or pellet diets that have been ground very fine. Some are actually the 'fines' that are left over after a packaging run of staple foods. You can make the same thing by breaking up fish food in a coffee or spice mill. A couple brands that are different include the Sera fry foods, Repashy Spawn & Grow and my gel food Ted's Most Excellent (also made for me by Repashy). They are different because they do not contain nearly the amount of non-nutritional binder that flake and pellet foods do. Those binders run a lot of bulk through a fish, and this is not a problem (usually) in adult fish. But fry are more susceptible to digestive problems, and they have such a high energy need that I want all the food going through their gut to provide something. You can feed the gel foods as powder foods too... just sprinkle it with the fry instead of making it into a gel. A small block of gel will be foraged on as well.

[@SevernRunAquatics]

Ted Judy Well spoken Ted.

[@bennycastillomorenomysmall2417]

you are looking good for the fish tank

[@jonathane2545]

I have found a pair that appear to want to mate, she was showing her stomach and trying to lure him into a cave. Now, a day latter, she is showing aggression to the male and she is also guarding a small cave. All of this leads me to believe there are eggs, although I have not seen them with my own eyes. The leaf litter and coconut caves are showing some signs of fungus, I have been doing water changes every 2 days with straight RO to try and get it gone, I don't want that fungus to kill any eggs or worse infect the fish. Any tips on the fungus on the leaf litter and coconuts (it is the stuff that grows on the drift wood when you start a tank, but it never went away)? My next step will be to remove the male to a holding tank so he doesn't get too beat up. Right now there is a lot of leaf cover so he can get a break from her, but I know if there was a successful spawn she will only get more protective. If I don't see fry in a week perhaps because it wasn't a successful spawn, how long should I wait to reintroduce the male?

[@TedsFishroom]

Sorry for the slow response. I do not monitor the channel comments very frequently. There is not much you can do for fungus on the organic debris once it is established in the tank, but it is probably not the same fungus that will attack eggs. As for aggression, so long as the male has a place to hide from an aggressive female he will be fine. Most males are much larger than females anyway, and pose a greater threat to females than the other way around. If you do remove the male, I would wait for at least a week after any fry care by the female has ended before putting him back in. You can tell by her color. Once she is no longer in the gold fry-care color she is no longer caring for them.

[@anniesaito7882]

where do you get the caves?

[@TedsFishroom]

I get caves at plecocaves.com But not the shiny, flat round ones in my tanks. Those were a one-time deal from a local artist

[@anniesaito7882]

Darn, maybe I can find something similar. Can you please tell me what size to look for. Diameter of the cave and intrance hole...? Best regards Annie

[@walterotiepka1460]

Ted my a panduros have had 3 spawns should I separate fry from parents they never seem to make it I feed them first bites and there are 2 other panduros in tank with them also 5 cardinal tetras tank is a 20 long thanks very much

[@TedsFishroom]

+walter otiepka The cardinals may be picking the fry off, so I would try siphoning some fry out on the next spawn. I am not familiar with 'First Bites'. Can you see the fry eating it?

[@SevernRunAquatics]

+walter otiepka Hikari first bites is not a very nutrient dense food. I feed my fry a diet of live baby brine shrimp and microworms along with the occasional repashy soilent green gel food. Hikari first bites may sustain them somewhat but live foods are best in my opinion.

[@fortniteog3082]

how do i tell if my african cichled is a female or male ?

[@levilesnussa8006]

3:30 what species of hyphessobrycon is that?

[@TedsFishroom]

I do not know... back at the time of that video I was importing a lot of fish, and would frequently order small quantities of 'test fish' to see if they were interesting enough to order larger quantities of. That is probably a Peruvian species similar to a red phantom, but that dorsal pattern is pretty unique.

[@levilesnussa8006]

Thanks!

[@Dan_wiles]

Very helpful video, subscribed! Does anyone know if you can keep multiple types of apisto in the same tank? I wouldn't be looking at breeding, I just think they are interesting fish.

[@nicolasmoreira6275]

what tipe of tree leafs​ do you use?

[@TedsFishroom]

Mostly oak, catappa, magnolia and guava.

[@nicolasmoreira6275]

Ted Judy thanks!! and congrats for your great job with those beautiful fishes!

[@kaileaw666]

do dither fish eat apisto fry if the parents are careless?

[@TedsFishroom]

Maybe, if the dithers are to predatory. That is why pencil fish are good dithers. They are not very good fry predators. But the parents should be able to protect the fry. If they are that careless, then they are not good parents.

[@LittleLargeMouth]

Hey Ted, how forgiving are Apistogramma agassizi to nitrates? I want to breed these apistos in my heavily-planted/driftwood 75 gallon. That tank has 0 kh and has a ph of 6.0, but nitrates at 30/40 ppm. Thank you for any advice!

[@TedsFishroom]

30/40 ppm nitrate will not kill them, but it may stress them a bit. I would do water changes to get them done under 10 ppm.

[@JUNAID187]

Is there good money in this? I'm asking as I need to find a way to fund my fish keeping hobby thanks

[@SevernRunAquatics]

+JUNAID187 Apisto breeding can be quite lucrative. Not to toot my own horn but I get bulk orders of whole batches of fry from larger breeders and can make anywhere between $300.00-$800.00 sometimes. Check my videos out as well I'll be going into the logistics of sales soon.

[@JUNAID187]

+SevernRunAquatics Cool, I've subscribed. Have you ever imported fish before? There's a wholesaler in Taiwan selling adult Cuckatoo Apisto's for $2 each.

[@SevernRunAquatics]

+JUNAID187 are they unsexed juvies?

[@JUNAID187]

+SevernRunAquatics I haven't ordered them yet but it states they're 2". So either adult females or sub adult males. 1" ones are for $1.20 a piece so I'm assuming those are the juviis.

[@SevernRunAquatics]

If you can get them for that price good one ya! Only problem I'd foresee is just ending up with a weird distribution of sexes.

[@Nsatiro]

this is cience!

[@1deaver]

holy wow, cool.

[@1deaver]

check out my channel for my apistogramma macmasteri breeding project. its funny u mentioned pawning mops, just bought some acrylic wool to make my own a few days ago.

[@SevernRunAquatics]

+1deaver My leaves and wood tend to grow all the infusoria I could ever want. I do like the idea though especially for adding more beneficial bacteria to your system.

[@1deaver]

+SevernRunAquatics dont forget the added security feeling they get. that makes all the difference.

[@TedsFishroom]

+1deaver Go ahead and link the videos here..

[@TedsFishroom]

+Ted Judy kzbin.info/www/bejne/hoPZqJ2XhtqWeas

[@kurtjohnson667]

Currently keeping inirida and pantalone species of Apisto.

[@brian7203]

So, I was just wondering why you don't still use the same intro to your videos? I am guessing that was your son? And he has moved on to his interest not yours? LOL.

[@TedsFishroom]

+Brian's Opinion/Comments Matthew looks a lot different now... he is 8 years older! Plus, the fishroom is not in my basement anymore.

[@tombson11]

Apistogramma elizabethae A208 kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6KcmGabh5d0f7s

[@shyampatel4820]

what are those tiny red eye fish 2:03 where u r talking about the substrate ??