Re: Mamore Blues

[Mike & Diane Wise <apistowise@bewellnet.com>]

plasticolor@guate.net wrote:

> I have a pair of A. sp. Mamore Blue in which, over the past two months, the
> female has acquired and lost her yellow spawning color four times.  She
> will guard her spawning site for two days, and on the third day return to
> her normal coloration.
> On each occasion I have successively removed Corydoras and Otocinclus, and
> lowered water values to the actual pH=5.8 dH=2.5  The pair now shares the
> tank with a group of Glowlights as dithers.  As the tank is heavily planted
> and she has been using the same deep crevice in a root, I can`t check for
> eggs without taking the tank apart.
> My questions are:
>
> 1)   Is it common for the male of this species to eat the eggs ?

No more so than the female.

>  If so,
> when should I remove him ?

I personally wouldn't.  I'd add another male apisto smaller than him to reinforce
his territorial drive.  Another female, if available, Mamoré Blue wouldn't hurt
either.

> 2)   Could she be spawning but the male is not fertilizing the eggs ?

That would be my first guess, if the male isn't 'bugging' the female.

> 3)   Does it make sense to move the pair to another tank with the same
> water parameters, some cover and a flowerpot, in order to check for the
> answers to 1) and 2), or should I keep on trying in the setup they are now ?

If you're not getting fry where they are, you certain can't do any worse moving
them to another tank where you have more control of the spawning site.  Bamboo
tubes buried in the gravel and facing toward the front of the tank make excellent
spawning caves that are easy to see into.

> I`d appreciate any help, as these are wild-collected adults of unknown age,
> and I don`t know how long I can still enjoy this gorgeous species.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Peter
> plasticolor@guate.net

good luck,

Mike Wise

>
>
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