10 Gallon Breeding project - Apistogramma

[DigDug]

Hello Everyone,

Due limiting room, i cant set up multiple tanks, and want to do a Apistogramma breeding project.

Can you raise the Fry in the same tank with the parents long enough to the period you can sell the fry? 

[TheSwissAquarist]

On 11/11/2022 at 7:57 PM, DigDug said:

Hello Everyone,

Due limiting room, i cant set up multiple tanks, and want to do a Apistogramma breeding project.

Can you raise the Fry in the same tank with the parents long enough to the period you can sell the fry? 

@tolstoy21 has done quite a bit of Apisto breeding, I've only done Cacatuoides!

[tolstoy21]

As long as the parents don't initially eat all the fry, you can keep the fry in with the parents and grow them out.

However, if the parents spawn a second time, there might be some aggression from the female to the last batch of fry.

To avoid this, you can always remove the breeding cave, or if you suspect she's spawned on driftwood or a leave or something, just pull the eggs. I've never had two consecutive spawns in the same tank at the same time, but I did have a female lay a second time about 2 months after she first spawned.  

Additionally, some females can become very aggressive and beat up the male if they are defending newborn fry. So, just make sure there is space and cover enough for the male to stay out of the female's sight.

All of the above also varies depending on tank size and setup.

Edited November 11, 2022 by tolstoy21

[Adam Swarbrick]

I agree with @tolstoy21 the mother will usually raise the fry happily. But will be aggressive to other adults especially the male. I have lost a male in the past from trying to leave him in without enough cover.

That does depend on what tank size you are going to use.
I haven’t tried it but Cory has recommended colony breeding apistos if you have enough space. (About 3min 40seconds)

 

Edited November 11, 2022 by Adam Swarbrick

[tolstoy21]

Oh, I forgot to look at the title of this thread. Hmmm . . . . 10 gallon aquarium?  Doable, but it will depend on the size of the spawn. I've had spawns range in size anywhere from a dozen to well over a hundred fry.

[anewbie]

Probably the only species you can safely breed in a 10 (without removing the male) are A. Pucallpaensis. These are small fish - where the female is not too aggressive towards the male when she has frys. Any of the true polygamous species you will likely suffer the loss of the male. There are quasi pair forming like nijsseni but they are a larger fish - not sure how they would do in a 10 and require soft acidic water for the eggs to hatch.

This is my 10 with A. Pucallpaensis:

 

And yes that is a breeding female with a fry just below her on the middle left. She is a most excellent mother.