Re: checkerboards & misc

[NaturalDTP@aol.com]

In a message dated 06/04/01 17:34:25 GMT Daylight Time, 
mdiller@mail.lawnet.fordham.edu writes:

> I picked up a few small checkerboard cichlids (filamentosus)  in  a local 
> fish store.......Linke & Staeck make them sound very delicate & 
challenging.  Are
> they really that difficult to keep ? Are they that hard to breed as well?  
I do not use  
> r/o water.  For the moment, they seem happy. 

I've found them fairly easy to keep, but they do need to be kept warm 80 F 
and in clean acidic water.  I had no problems breeding them (although many 
people say they do), the secret being RO or similar water.  Mine bred in 
water with a total hardness of  < 0.25 DH and a pH of 4.5-5.0.  Anything 
harder and the eggs fungus. 

Remove the male soon after spawning (unless they are in a really big tank) as 
the female will beat him up.  The fry are small, but microworm is OK as a 
first food followed by BBS.  I have to add that the fry grow slowly but 
evenly and to date I've never lost one.  The latest batch of 60 (laid 
september last year) are just starting to sex out.

Alan W


-------------------------------------------------------------------------
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"!