Re: The Apisto That Wasn't?

["David A. Youngker" <nestor10@mindspring.com>]

From: Mike & Diane Wise
Sent: Thursday, March 11, 1999 10:22 AM

>Well I guess that's why we were having such problem IDing this "Apisto".
I've had
>Badis badis several times. They are closely related to the Nanids (leaf
fish) and
>have a strong preference for live foods. They grudgingly take frozen foods,
but
>I've never seen the take to dry foods.

Yes, the first I'd ever seen or heard of this fish. I've noticed the decided
preference for live foods, and have been feeding them mostly juvenile and
adult artemia. I've been varying the artemia diet and using them as my usual
"delivery method" - sometimes spirulina, sometimes Selcon, but you get the
idea.

>They breed like "easy" apistos, except that the male does the brooding.

It was through Ole Larsen, who's been frequenting the UseNet groups lately,
that the final ID was made. I had also "talked" to Maaike Goodman (one of
the CCs when I announced the ID), who in turn passed the messages on to John
Wubbolt (whose name I should have recognized from the List here). Yesterday,
just a couple of hours before Ole contacted me with the good news, I had
sent this in a letter to John:

"These fish have completely reversed things, here. The two males have staked
out and are aggressively defending the two best cave sites in the tank,
while the females cruise around at their leisure. The females do separate
into specific areas of the tank when not actively feeding, but readily go to
wherever I place the food and don't mind grouping up to feed. The males all
but refuse to appear, waiting instead for the food to drift its way and
making a quick dash to grab a bite and return. If I didn't know better, I'd
swear that they were females guarding a brood..."

So at least I *can* tell the difference in genders ;-)

I also reckon my "artwork" was better than I'd thought, too. Ole said the
lad with the eye for detail jumped right out with the ID as soon as he saw
the picture.

At any rate, sorry to put all of you through the wringers needlessly, but I
can't say thanks often enough...

-Y-

David A. Youngker
http://www.mindspring.com/~nestor10
nestor10@mindspring.com





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