Re: Bounce [Blue Apistogramma cacatuoides?]

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

All,

I am combining all of your questions into one.

Mike Wise

frank@algonet.se wrote:

> Mike & Diane Wise wrote:
> >
> > I have this fish now. It is a wild form of A. cacatuoides. I got mine because the
> > females has an interesting spattering of black spots all over the flanks and
> > head. These get darker when the females breed.
>
> Hi
>
> So then in is tru. It really is a wild form of cacatuoides. So now to
> the next problem: how to get them to sweden where I live ...

Surprisingly, they are not that uncommon in shipments of wild caught A. cacatuoides. I
have had this form a couple times before. It is difficult to see the blue fins without
using a flashlight/torch when in a dealer's tank - especially if they are very young. I
bought mine when they were about 3.5 cm (1 1/2 in) long. At this size there was only a
hint of blue in the fins. Avoid those that have large red or black ocelli on the caudal
fin. I've never seen a blue cacatuoides (wild) that had these.

> Is there anything you can tell me about them? Do they want the same kind
> of food/water etc as the other cacatuoides?

They live and behave like any other form of A. cacatuoides I've ever owned.

> Is it hard to get them to breed?

They breed like any other A. cacatuoides I've ever had. No problem at all.

> What size are them?

My male is about 3 1/2 in. (9 cm) TL, females 2 1/4 in (6 cm).

> Do you know their locations in the wild?
>
> Frank
>
> frank@algonet.se

No, but I once found a blue male in a shipment of Blue Tetras (Boehlkea fredcochui).
This tetra is reported to be collected around Leticia, Colombia on the upper Amazon

>       Date:
>             Sun, 22 Nov 1998 14:41:51 -0500
>       From:
>             Geo/Len <szucs@total.net>
>    > Hi Mike
>
> Are they as nice as the photo????

Yes, the blue fins are that blue, but the body of my male is a slightly more muddy
yellow, not the clean yellow shown in the photo. My male is more elongate, like a
normal A. cacatuoides. Its caudal has no red spots at all, just rows of fine blue dots
on it.

> George

>         Date:
>              Sun, 22 Nov 1998 11:56:08 -0800
>         From:
>              MICHAEL SERPA <mserpa@bayweb.net>
>  Organization:
>              Bay Island Orchids
>           To:
>              apistowise@bewellnet.com
>
> Mike, are any available?

>         Michael
> --
> Michael Serpa * Bay Island Orchids
> 2311 Pacific Avenue * Alameda, CA 94501
> Tel: (510) 521-8245 *  Fax: (510) 865-1787
> http://www.bayislandorchids.com

Not right now. Although they have spawned repeatedly, I've never tried to remove any of
the fry from the tank yet. They are in a 18X16 in. (48x40 cm) tank (1 m, 3 f) with some
dwarf Ancistrus catfish.  I don't expect to keep any fry alive for long in such a small
crowded tank. I am rearranging stands in my fish room and I'm not trying to breed fish
right now. When things get reorganized, then I'll start breeding again. Right now my
fish are lucky to get a water change each month and fed once a day. I didn't realize
that there was so much interest in non-red A. cacatuoides. I guess I'll have to start
breeding some.

> Subject:
>           Re: Bounce [Blue Apistogramma cacatuoides?] -Reply
>      Date:
>           Mon, 23 Nov 1998 08:06:00 -0600
>     From:
>           William Vannerson <William_Vannerson@ama-assn.org>
>
> The blue coloration is reminiscent of the infamous "U2" photo that has
> been discussed a while back.  It's still early so I can't recall what
> publication it appeared in>  I think it was in a pamphlet _know Your
> Cichlids._

The photo you remember is by Van den Nieuwenhuizen, found on page 27 of the booklet
Enjoy Your Cichlids by Rosario La Corte - one of America's best, but least known,
aquarium fish breeders. This book was also important because it had one of the very few
photos of Dicrossus maculatus (by Wolfsheimer) available until recently. This booklet
was published by The Pet Library Ltd. of London in the early 70s and later incorporated
into some TFH publications after it was bought out by TFH. Now, of course, it's
discontinued.

> The fish in the photo was completely blue.  It was also in an aggresive
> posture.  Could the body in the wild blue form turn blue during breeding?
> Mike?

> Bill Vannerson
> http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/william_vannerson

Well, they weren't completely blue. They had a yellowish gold body with metallic blue
spangles reflecting the light. They look more like mine than the web photo. A lot of
the color is the result of the flash used to photograph the fish. My male looks the
same when I shine a flashlight on him.

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