Tomoko, No problem. A. trifasciata is pretty tolerant of hard water. I have had them do it in water with TDS 160 GH 4 pH 6.5. I don't know about the loaches but I spawn them in a 29 gallon tank planted floor to ceiling with broad leaf amazon sword plants. The tank contains 10 cardinal tetras, 2 cory barbados and 1 big f*#@n pleco. Don't let the size of that little female fool ya. Mine drives off the 8 inch pleco to protect her young. I have been leaving the young with ma for about 10 days and then I siphon them off into grow out tanks. Leave the lights on after you know they have spawned until you pull the fry. Ain't that male a looker when he is in full spawning colors. trifasciata is a beautiful fish IMHO. Congrats on the spawn. Peace john On 26-Mar-01 Tomoko Schum wrote: > My very young trifasciata female turned yellow and > started dancing in front of a male this morning in 75 > gallon planted community tank. This was rather > unexpected since they are still pretty young. The > conductivity of the water is pretty high and there are > tons of rambunctious fish (crown loaches, congo tetras, > cory cats to name a few) in this tank. I can not catch > them without ripping out all the plants and turning > over a huge driftwood and rocks. So I am just hoping > that the pair can protect their eggs/fry in the thicket > of pearl grass they dove in. (There is a plant saucer > I gave them as a hiding place behind the thicket.) Do > you think there is a chance that the pair may be able > to raise a few fry in such a condition? I read > somewhere someone raises them in a planted community > tank. > > I am also worried about small ramshorn snails getting > their eggs. They often eat the eggs of my > anomalochromis thomashi in another tank. I am > surprised that the ferocious female do not seem to > attack the snails. Do small snails really eat viable > eggs? > > Tomoko > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@listbox.com. > For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help, > email apisto-request@listbox.com. > Search http://www.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"! ---------------------------------- E-Mail: John N. Alegre <listhub@libros.andante.mn.org> Date: 26-Mar-01 Time: 20:35:28 This message was sent by XFMail ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@listbox.com. For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help, email apisto-request@listbox.com. Search http://www.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!