Re: apisto life spans

["A. Inniss" <andrewi@u.washington.edu>]

> I have never raised filamentosus fry, but I purchased some very young
> Dicrossus maculatus at last years ACA and they took for ever to grow out.
> Only in the last month or so (since July!) has one really started to show
> male sex characteristics and that is only the biggest one.  The Dicrossus
> are such a delicate fish, and especially the filamentosus.  I have heard of
> people saying that slightly harder (not hard, just not extremely soft)
> water during the grow out phase will help the growth rate, because the
> calcium in the water helps with bone growth.  Of course this applies only
> to fish that can handle that kind of water, and I wouldn't necessarily
> think that filamentosus fit into this group.  There's my two cents.
> 
> STeve

	Many, if not most Discus breeders agree that although soft water
is important for keeping and breeding Discus, the fry should have a higher
mineral content for just the reasons you suggest above.  If these breedrs
are right, it is not too much to extrapolate to Dicrossus spp.
fry-rearing.

			 Andrew