norberti sunset

["Dominic" <apisto@planeteer.com>]

hello all

i've been a lurker for quite some time now, and have gleaned much of
relevance. thanks! i have some questions:

about 6 months ago i purchased several apistos from a toronto area lfs.
they were labeled as a. norberti 'sunset'. at the time they simply looked
like juvie apistos. however, as they have matured, the male and female have
both developed a beautiful red edging on the caudal fins. the male does not
resemble the norberti in the aqualog (p53). i am quite sure these are
nijsseni. the female is a brilliant yellow with solid black cheek markings.
the male is a much more brilliant version of S03725-4. has anyone else come
across these norberti sunsets? or are they, as i am more convinced,
nijsseni?

whatever they are, they have spawned in the last 3-4 days. the eggs all
look hale and healthy. i am unsure of the water parameters, the pH was
about 7.5 and the GH was 7 before i started running the filter return over
peat last week. i've been feeding them on blackworms, frozen brine shrimp,
wardley flake and hikari baby cichlid pellets. the tank is 20 gals and is
stuffed with plant pots. (as a side-bar, the eggs were laid inside a very
small plant pot whose only access hole was the base - a hole far too small
for the male to enter. i am reasonably certain the eggs are fertile, so i
assume the male must have waved his sperm into the pot to fertilize them.
has anyone seen this behaviour?)

one other question that i have relates to dithers: i currently have a pair
of blue killies (aplocheilus panchax) in the tank. i raised rotpunkt
successfully through several broods with this pair. should i remove them?
they have been together with the apistos since i brought them home, and
almost never make their way below the top 3-5 cm of water.

any help you can provide would be extremely valuable.

thanks!

dominic stones

apisto@planeteer.com


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