The Krib
Apistogramma/Dwarf Cichlids
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The Krib
Apistogramma/Dwarf Cichlids
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Apistogramma steindachneriContents:
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Photos and video still by Erik Olson
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Photos by Ken Laidlaw
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Ken Laidlaw wrote: > Hi All, > > I have just obtained a pair of steindachneri from my > friend. They spawned once for him but unfortunately ate > the eggs. The male is about 2.5 " and the female 1.5. I > have seen in the books that the maximum total length for > these fish is 4", can anyone confirm this as I've never > seen an apisto this large. I'd say 3" is a good size for > any that I've kept seen in the past. > > They seem to be quite secretive and spend more time hiding > than other apistos e.g. nijsseni or cacatuiodes, is this > normal for them? > > Any tips on successful breeding (pH , temp etc)would be appreciated. > > Thanks, > Ken. Hi Ken Males do reach 10 cm, I've had one myself. A local store has some males and they're getting close to the 10 as well. They're beautiful so it's a species well worth keeping. I bred Ap. steindachneri in my ordinary tap water which is neutral and soft, 24-25 deg Celsius. I kept them in a 80 liter tank (which is too small, really) and it worked fine. They are _very_ productive (200 egss or more!). I don't remember them as being very shy or secretive, maybe they just need more time to settle down (my Ap. gephyra took almost 3 weeks to settle down again after their move 7 weeks ago. Fredrik L. -- Fredrik.Ljungberg-at-saab.se Saab Ab Flutter and Loads Department voice +46 13 18 54 60, fax +46 13 18 33 63 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto-at-majordomo.pobox.com. For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help, email apisto-request-at-majordomo.pobox.com. Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!
Jason, Look under A. steindachneri. A. ornatipinnis is a junior synonym of this species. In the 1970s A. macmasteri was commonly imported under this name. Mike Wise Mayalauren-at-aol.com wrote: > Has anyone heard of this fish- it's not in any of my books. > Jason > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto-at-majordomo.pobox.com. > For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help, > email apisto-request-at-majordomo.pobox.com. > Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto-at-majordomo.pobox.com. For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help, email apisto-request-at-majordomo.pobox.com. Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!
Gary, What have I been doing right?? I've never had problems with A. steindachneri (except once). I even had a pair breed and raise about 50 fry in a 5 gallon bare (small pot and sponge filter only) tank with about 25, 1-1/2 in. (35 mm) long red platy juveniles. The only problem I ever had with this species is with the yellow form that I haven't seen in about 15 years. This form had the nastiest males I ever saw. The dominant male would knock of the other males and then systematically go about doing the same with females not ready to spawn. Eventually only one male would be left. The all blue (Wickleri) form was the best. They'd grow to 4" (10 cm) and the males would display without damaging each other. I once kept 2 large males and 4 females in a 15 gallon tank that produced fry like guppies. This form was so common that most dwarf cichlid hobbyists thought that it was too common for them to keep. I personally haven't seen this form in over 10 years - a good reason for a species maintenance program. My experience with aggies, A. bitaeniata and other harem breeders is that females eat eggs if the males become "pushy", but are excellent mothers when left unharassed by the male and other larger fish, nor spooked by sudden lights and shadows. Perhaps another reason for continuous egg-eating by the female is due to the wrong water conditions that cause the eggs to die. If the eggs aren't viable, it's better for the female to get some nourishment out of them and clean up her breeding site in the process. Mike Wise. Frauley/Elson wrote: > Hello everyone, > I just recorded yet another eating of wrigglers by my Apisto agassizii > Alenquer. They are wonder to behold, but terrible parents, having > spawned and munched at least 15 times. The next time, I'll have to break > down and pilfer the eggs. > As I was contemplating this, I thought of something that could be useful > for the list archives in their various forms. I've seen references to > steindachneri as chronic egg and fry eaters, but I've only once seen the > species alive, and have not yet kept it. Agas have always been trouble > for me. > Most of my apistos eat their first spawn then settle down. I can say > this for mcmasteri, veijita, hongsloi, panduro, njisseni, sp rotpunkt, > caeti, cacatuoides and Apistogrammoides pucallpaensis. For me, agas, sp > breitbinden, and biteniatum have never raised their fry (like M. > ramirezi, they all come from blackwater. Hmm. However, I've kept them in > rainwater, in water values that had tough West African nanochromis > breeding like rats). Which species have been chronic eggeaters (more > than four spawns in apparently good conditions) for others on the list? > It might be something for us all to look at, especially since Apistos > are so hard to get, and that's a big limiting factor to our learning > about them species by species. > -Gary Elson > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@majordomo.pobox.com. > For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help, > email apisto-request@majordomo.pobox.com. > Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@majordomo.pobox.com. For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help, email apisto-request@majordomo.pobox.com. Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!
Gareth, Your apistos are behaving normally. In a species breeding tank, once the female has bred with the male she does not need the male in the tank. Just remove him or he may suffer a worse fate than a messed up tail. In my experience A. steindachneri females are excellent mothers and the fry are easy to raise. A. steindachneri has been in the hobby for almost 100 years under many names. A. ornatipinnis & A. wickleri are junior synonyms. A. ornatipinnis was described from material that had well developed lyre tails on the males (The original specimens of A. steindachneri had beat up tails and the lyrate extensions couldn't be seen, so they were thought to be a different species.). In the 70s, A. macmasteri also came in as A. ornatipinnis. A. wickleri was described from large, highly developed, domestic specimens. A. steindachneri (Wickleri) is a mostly blue fish (close to the body color of male A. nijsseni) with bright red-orange edging on the dorsal fin and top and bottom of the caudal fin. A. steindachneri also came in under the name A. ortmanni. A. ortmanni is a very different species. Get a good dwarf cichlid book and compare your fish to theirs. Mike Wise Gareth Bradbury wrote: > I have one male and one female which were sold to me under the above name. I have since had a lot of confusion over their identity as some dealers I have visited have had what can only be described as different fish under this name - one even trying to fob off what was obviously a RAM ! > However on investigating the Apistogramma mailing lists I have seen reference to the all blue Wickleri .. this would seem the most appropriate fish to the ones I have. Iam trying to source a digital camera to allow the sending of pictures. > > The problem.. the male displayed very well to the female when she was not in breeding colours, she then coloured up and laid a batch of eggs - the male lost interest - being chased and harried by the female. This pattern has repeated numerous times. The male has now taken to hiding almost constantly with the female in what seems permanent breeding colouration. I suspect he has damaged his tail area during this aggressive behaviour. To say I'm confused ! > > One thing I have thought about is introducing another female or females.. however it is the correct sourcing of the fish that is proving a problem > > Any advice would be gratefully received to enable the breeding of this most alluring and interesting fish. > > Gareth Bradbury > Bristol England > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@listbox.com. > For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help, > email apisto-request@listbox.com. > Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!
Derek, You and Gareth both appear to have A. steindachneri. A. steindachneri is characterized by its moderately sized quasi trapezoid flank patch resting on the lateral band. The flank patch doesn't quite reach the dorsal fin. The narrow lateral band ends in front of a small irregularly shaped caudal spot. Males develop a slightly serrated dorsal fin and a double tipped gyrate caudal fin, but this isn't usually visible until it reaches 2" (5 cm) long. There are at least 2 different color forms in the wild, a blue/yellow one and a more rare (and nasty) all yellow form. A domestic form with an entirely blue body and bright red orange dorsal and caudal edging was originally classified as A. wicker. This name is no longer scientifically valid. This is one of the BIG species. I've had males grow to more than 4" (10 cm). Females always stay smaller, about 2 1/2" (6.5 cm). This is one of the easy species to breed. They can have spawns of over 150 fry. This is one of my favorite apistos. Mike Wise Derek Derek Wingert wrote: > Hello all, as you may know, I recently wrote a report on some fish > that spawned for me, but which I have not ID'd yet. I have constructed > a simple but useful web page with pictures to help in visually > identifying this fish. Everything is exlpained on the page, > so here we go... another ID contest! Your prize.... the honor of... > your own knowledge? Yeah I know, that's stupid. But PLEASE, > help me ID this apisto! > > The website is at: > > http://members.tripod.com/dwingert/apisto.html > > Take a look (and a guess!). Ignore that darn pop up window. > > Thanks all! > > -- Derek Wingert > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@listbox.com. > For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help, > email apisto-request@listbox.com. > Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"! >
Derek, In my exprerince with A.steindachneri they are a very tolerant species as far as water parameters are concerned. A big plus is they are excellent parents capable of raising several broods in the same tank at the same time, this of course depends on the size of the breeding tank. The fry are one of the fastest growing that I have had experience with. You mention Rotpunkt and Puerto Narino, I also have both species at the present time and I would rate sp.Rotpunkt in the same category as Steindachneri as far as water tollerance and the care of fry. I have three spawnings of Rotpunkt being raised by both parents in the same tank at the moment. My advice to you is remove the outcast male now before the female emerges with her fry. Things certainly won't improve for the excess male in fact it will get worse and now is the easiest time to remove him from the tank. Good luck. Helen >link is below. >http://www.thekrib.com/Apisto/A-steindachneri-fem.jpg >It may as well be a carbon copy of my specimen. Also, the pictures of males >were pretty much similar. In fact, the picture at TheKrib of the male with a >distinctly dark suborbital stripe looks nearly identical to my male, BUT, my >male has kept a single darkish spot in the middle of his body. The caudal >spot was also identical. Therefore, I have figured that my fish are indeed >young steindachneri specimens. >As for the outcast male, he is confined to hiding near the top of the tank >in the plants. He is attacked by both the female (if he goes near the cave) >and the breeding male (if he happens to be in his sight). I fear for his >health right now, but at least he is eating. He doesn't seem to be in >immediate danger at least. >-- Derek Wingert ------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@listbox.com. For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help, email apisto-request@listbox.com. Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!
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This page was last updated 26 December 1999 | ||
