RE: Spawning Luelingi

["Mroz, Tom" <tmroz@art-inc.com>]

I found my luelingi to spawn in the exact same fashion as other apistos.
The female laid eggs on the top inside of a flowerpot on its side.  The
spawns were very viable, even though I used straight Buffalo tap water
(about 160-170 hardness and ~7.5 pH).  I was feeding mostly flake and
BBS, though they also got occasional feedings of whiteworms.  I had not
problems with them spawning about every 3 weeks, and neither was shy,
though the male would occasionally bully the female between spawning
events.  I don't necessarily suggest that these water conditions are
more appropriate for this species, but this happened to work for me.
And yes, these were definitely luelingi, and not a form of cacatuoides.

Of course, apistos act differently for different people.  I currently
have some rotpunct (sold as sp. "red point") that look fine, but just
won't spawn.  I have had them previously, with similar poor spawning
results.  Yet, most other aquarists in my area were spawning these like
crazy about 6 years ago.  You could not give them away back then.  So,
it could be the fickle-ness of the pair, or something peculiar in the
set-up relative to the species.

Unfortunately, I had an unexplained death with the female (no outward
signs of disease or wounds and no unusual behavior just prior to death),
so I am left only with a few fry.  Anybody have extra females?

Tom

> ----------
> From: 	swaldron@slip.net[SMTP:swaldron@slip.net]
> Reply To: 	apisto@majordomo.pobox.com
> Sent: 	Wednesday, May 13, 1998 2:20 AM
> To: 	apisto@majordomo.pobox.com
> Subject: 	Re: Spawning Luelingi
> 
> Doug,
> I would raise your pH (try 6) and also separate your pair for awhile.
> From
> what I can vaguely remember- luelingi have unusual reproductive habits
> for
> apistos -reported to spawn around depressions in the substrate at the
> base
> of plants. Perhaps add some find sand and some sword plants. Are you
> sure
> they are mature enough to spawn? Good luck
> - Steve
> 
> 
> 
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