Apisto environments

[Marco Lacerda <marcolacerda@ax.apc.org>]

Dear Frank,

First of all, my greetings to Apisto fanciers in Japan!
Are you living in Tokyo, or just visiting?

Now, to your question: "ŠWhich apistos in your experience *like* sunny
open areas with warm water?"

Frank, I've collected Apistogramma species extensivelly through Brazil
since 1989, and have found dwarf cichlids in a variety of biotopes, 
some really in sunny open areas with warm water.
For example, I would like to call your attention to big whitewater 
lakes riverside of Rio Amazonas, near the conjunction with Rio 
Tapajos. I have collected in three or four of these lakes, in the 
vicinity of Alenquer, and normally those lakes shelter a good variety 
of dwarf cichlids. At Lago Paracari, for example, I've found Laetacara 
sp. living in the shallowest water (and so warmer). Going a bit foward 
on same lake, you find A. geisleri (= 'emerald') and A. agassizii. 
Preferring the cooler water in the shores (I mean the areas closer to 
the bottom) you find Taeniacara candidi. So you find four different 
DCs species living in open sunny areas, but in different ranges of 
temperature.
In Lago Jacunda, another lake, but on the opposite shore of Rio 
Amazonas, you find Dicrossus maculatus and Apistogramma cf. pertensis 
(note that I used 'cf.' because I believe the fish is pertensis, but 
it needs more exact scientific determination) sharing the same 
biotope.

Normally species of the A. regani-group (ex: A. caetei, A. piauiensis, 
A. sp. 'Amapa', A. inconspicua, A. geisleri, A. resticulosa, etc.) are 
commonly found in sunny open areas.

But if you look in blackwater rivers, there are species living 
exclusively in the shaddy forest, like A. pulchra (Rio Madeira 
blackwater tributaries), A. paucisquamis (at Rio Negro), etc. Those 
fishes are normally more shy in aquarium, and don't like much water. 
Blackwater Apistogramma, specially those ones from Rio Negro, are more 
difficult to be bred in water with pH higher than 5.0. I had bad 
experiences of losing many eggs of species like A. elizabethae  and A. 
brevis with water when it is not very acid (4.0-4.5) and soft.
A. pulchra, in spite of beeing a blackwater species too, can be bred 
in water with pH above 5.0, but with less productivity.

All the best, Marco.