by Frauley/Elson <fraulels/minet.ca>
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 1997
To: apisto/majordomo.pobox.com
Phillip J Ryti wrote:
>
> To all,
> I recently purchased 5 Adult Anomalochromis thomasi.
> I am no quite sure of the sex of the fish I have.
> The dorsal fin on the fish all go to a point.
> One of the five is somewhat smaller then the other 4.
> They all are at least 3 inches or more.
> I would like to separate a possible "pair" into their
> own tank. Currently, all five are in a 15 gallon tank until my
> 45 is setup. Are there any distinct features to look for
> when trying to sex them like spots or body size??? What
> I have read is somewhat vague. Anyone with some
> suggetions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Phillip,
I think the published info's vague because this is a widely distributed
species, and local forms seem to vary a bit. It's the 'uncommon cichlid"
problem, we can get them commercially, but without locations to tell us
which geographic form we have.
Thomasi's do vary.
That being said, size is what I've used. It's an intangible - once you
have a pair, it's obvious they were a potential pair all along. I find
males bigger with longer extensions on the dorsal. I know that doesn't
help much.
Mine spawned in soft water only (20-30 ppm). In a 10 gallon of soft
water, they spawned every 3 weeks. Back in 140 ppm tapwater, they shut
down completely. A slightly different looking thomasi belonging to a
friend spawns in tapwater, but has fewer fry. It's a complicated little
cichlid that deserves more attention.
Oh yeah, I hope others have had a different experience, but of the 30
or so thomasi from 3 different sources I kept before I got breeding
pairs, I could never get a spawn from big ones. Once I got them going,
it seemed only medium sized adults were productive. Good breeding medium
sized females, paired with big males, never spawned. Back with fish
their own size, they never stopped.
-Gary
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by Mike & Diane Wise <apistowise/bewellnet.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1998
To: apisto/majordomo.pobox.com
Ade K. Lau wrote:
> I got 6 Anomalochromis sp. Guninea from Mike. By the way, what is the size that
> this dwarf will breed?
Under 2" (5 cm) when my pair first spawned.
Mike Wise
>
>
> Ade Lau
> Laramie, WY
>
> djhanson@calweb.com wrote:
>
> > I was really surprised that at the PCCA meeting in San Jose, Ca. this
> > past Saturday they had a wide variety of apistos and other dwarfs on the
> > auction table.
> >
> > I'm just mentioning this so others will go to their local club meetings
> > because one never knows when one will find a good selection for low
> > prices!
> >
> > Kaycy
> >
> > http://www.calweb.com/users/d/djhanson/index.htm
> >
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by BigJohnW/webtv.net (John Wubbolt)
Date: Mon, 8 Nov 1999
To: apisto/admin.listbox.com
Hello Jerry
I wanted to give you some of my experiences with A Thomasi. I had a
nice trio of them for around 2 years. Grew up a bunch of fry to adult
size and kept the best looking trio.
Anyways I tried them in a ten gallon tank set up like you have, Nothing
for over 3 months ( once they were spawning size) Then I figured this
wasn't enough room as the male chased the females alot. So into a 20
high they went with a couple of flower pots and all bare bottom like the
ten gallon tank. No luck there for 3 months. So into a 20 long with
gravel and a couple of flower pots. Figured they needed more room to
establish a territory for each female, nothing happens here for months
again. Now I moved them into a well planted 20 long tank. It had
several crypts, some hygro species, a few swords ( dwarf types) and one
large Anubius Barteri on one end of the tank. With in 3 days of being
in there they spawned on the top side of the anubias leaf near the water
surface. Now all the set ups were just the trio and no dither fish.
They successfully spawned and had wigglers and all then ate them once
they were free swimming. 2 weeks later they spawn again in the same
place. Once the eggs hatched and I had wigglers, I removed the fry and
reared them seperately. Each spawn after that came in the same
location and they proceeded to eat each batch of fry unless I removed
some to rear away from the parents. I don't know why they chose to eat
the fry each time, but they did. I had no problem raising the fry up
away from the parents. I eventually gave the trio to a friend who
spawned them in a tank set up like mine and he got the same results.
Go figure out why. Just know that my experience with Thomasi was that
they were picky spawners and terrible fry eaters. Maybe others have
better luck, maybe they need like a 33 long or 40 breeder or even a 55
to raise their own fry in but I didn't have those larger tanks available
at the time to try it in. Hope you have better luck then I did. They
really are a neat little fish.
John Wubbolt
by Mike & Diane Wise <apistowise/bewellnet.com>
Date: Tue, 09 Nov 1999
To: apisto/admin.listbox.com
John Wubbolt wrote:
> Just know that my experience with Thomasi was that
> they were picky spawners and terrible fry eaters. Maybe others have
> better luck, maybe they need like a 33 long or 40 breeder or even a 55
> to raise their own fry in but I didn't have those larger tanks available
> at the time to try it in. Hope you have better luck then I did. They
> really are a neat little fish.
>
> John Wubbolt
John,
My experience is very different. My A. thomasi were F100 or something like that.
They lived in an 18x16x10h in. (45x40x25h cm) tank with a coarse sand bottom and
a few rocks and plants. After the first 3 or 4 tries of spawning and eating fry,
they started pumping out fry until I had to separate them. I was flooding the
market with them! Now I have the same problem with Anomalochromis sp. Guinea! Go
figure.
Mike Wise
>
>
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by Mike & Diane Wise <apistowise/bewellnet.com>
Date: Sun, 05 Mar 2000
To: apisto/majordomo.pobox.com
Michael,
A. thomasi is a wonderful little cichlid worthy of keeping & breeding. Like the
related jewel cichlids they are difficult to sex, especially when not fully
mature (>2.25 in/6 cm). When fully mature the females are "chunkier" in the body
and usually don't have as many blue spangles on the flanks. At < 2 in./5 cm sexes
look very much the same to anyone who hasn't kept & bred them before. There is a
very good possibility that the 2 larger, territorial, fish are males. If I were
to choose, I would buy 1 territorial fish and one of the smaller fish. Then I
would buy 2 more intermediate size fish, preferably some less dominant ones. That
way you would have a pretty good chance of getting at least a pair and the others
could be used as target fish of the parents while they are tending their eggs.
I've found this species needs something to distract them from thinking about
eating their eggs, but once they become freeswimming fry the adults are very good
parents.
Mike Wise
Michael Brock wrote:
> My local Petsmart has A. thomasi (which, besides kribs, are the only
> dwarf cichlids they've ever had). From what I find out, sexing them
> is a little "indefinite". The fish in the aquariums at the store
> have set up something of a territorial arrangement. Two of the
> slightly larger fish, which also have darker coloration, have
> established territories on opposite ends of the tank. Is it safe to
> assume that these two are males? I'd like to purchase at least a
> pair and try to breed them in a well planted 10G. Should I take a
> chance and buy only 2, hoping that I get a pair. Or could I purchase
> one of the "males" and 2 or 3 of the other smaller, lesser colored
> individuals and safely keep them in such a small tank?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Michael Brock
>
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The Krib
Apistogramma/Dwarf Cichlids
The Krib
