Apisto Pediatrics

[Erik Olson <eriko@wrq.com>]

Ray writes:
...
> With that in mind, are Apisto's generally good parents or should
> I prepare myself for egg snatching early on?

Folks take differing tacks on this... For instance, Local Dave (who got
the pandarini/panderini/pandarini? pair I brought up from TX) prefers to
remove both parents (or at least the dad) pretty soon after spawning.  On
the other hand, Dave Soares (a different Dave) told us he never removes
the parents except for a couple of species.  I currently have two spawns
of A. "rotpunkt" (or maybe catei or eunotus; still don't know... it's a
Apistogramma mac-mystery) in which I left the FATHER in with the young,
which are probably still small enough for him to eat.  They're doing
great.  I'm bouncing this to the apisto group, because I'm sure others
have varying stories!

>  Are the fry on the large
> side and, if so, can they eat BBS or am I better off going the infusoria
> route?  

We've also raised A. cacatuoides.  Both were big enough to quickly begin
on naplii, though it's recommended you have java moss or other places for
infusoria to collect.  Though it's been 3-4 months, the cacatuoides still
only eat naplii (occasionally they wrestle with smaller daphnia... it's
funny to watch).  On the other hand, the rotpunkt are already eating flake
food & they're less than 2 months old.  So it varies.  I'm guessing
pandarinis & nijsseni are slow-growers.

Scary.  Me, giving apisto advice. :)

  - Erik

---
Erik D. Olson					         amazingly, at home
eriko@wrq.com