Apisto breeding

I always use Air powered filters for Apistos, something like the Algarde 200s in 2ft tanks are great. Substrate? - Many recommend sand, but my preference is for very fine Aquarium gravel, I find that the female seems to like 'barricading' herself in her cave by piling up gravel around and over the entrance, often not removing this until the fry are free-swimming. Sand does not seem to 'pile up' in such a successful way as does gravel, I've found.

Obviously if you want to run three filters from your Air Pump it will totally depend on the amount of air it will emit but a twin-outlet pump will give you more than enough air for the three - remember to have a 'release valve' to let off the spare unwanted air, you will not need very much flow through the filters as you really don't want to create too much of a flow in the Apistos' tanks.

You can use Aquarium Peat to help lower your pH (I prefer the peat 'pellets' as they're less messy than other peat) - but if you can, consider collecting rainwater and filter it firstly through filter floss and then through fresh Aquarium grade filter carbon then use this to gradually both lower the pH and soften the water as well.
Purchased RO water is also an option but would really need some attention to renew the desirable removed organics which the membrane has taken from the water, something like RO-Right I'm told is very good.
IMO the Cacs, as I suggested previously, will breed successfully in almost any water other than liquid cement - mine do and my untreated water is over pH8!!! The Viejetas will benefit from a lower pH and lastly...yes, your female Opal and male Borelli will breed, they are only different cultivars of the original wild Borelli.

John

ps,
As Derek says, the modern Cacatuoides do definitely suffer from deformed mouths and I can agree with this as it's a problem I have been trying to selectively breed out of the two strains of them I have - both Sunrise and Double Reds (unsuccessfully so far, I'm afraid).

But in my opinion, despite this, they still remain probably the best 'starter' Apisto, pretty hardy and adaptable to many conditions.
The wild fish don't display the fine colours of the domesticated, but seemingly very inbred, ones but still have a charm of their own - sadly they appear impossible to find any more. I remember very many years ago they were still an undescribed species - going under the description of "Apistogramma U2".

Good luck to you both.

John

That's a good idea with the wheelie bin - just make certain (by some sort of trial of the water before using it 'in anger') that it isn't made of the sort of plastic which leaches toxins into the water.

I know one (at least) Forum member who uses a wheelie bin for his water storage and he has never had any problems - anyone else use one? (I will add that I'm considering getting one myself, when finances permit).

John

i have seen bad cacs thats why i never went near them but the ones in fintastic aquatics were lovely.

ps, I will just add that all my males are fine up to around six months - it's around then that they develop the deformed mouths...I wish I could get some "fs" - wild fish - to strengthen the genes in these fish.

I always think the more densely planted a tank is (within reason) the more successful the Apisto breeding will be. Amazon Swords, though, will grow a bit too big for a 2ft tank and ultimately you will end up with them growing up to the water surface and across it, with very little growth under water (at least that's been my experience with them.
There are smaller Echinodoras Sword species (not the pygmy one) which might be better, but I cannot remember the name of them offhand. Personally I use that very hard-to-grow stuff, Java Moss - for the very reason that it isn't (hard to grow, that is...). It seems to do the trick very nicely.

John
ps, Check out Woodies for the bins, I think I saw them a bit less expensive there.

I'll stick my neck out and say possibly yes.
You could gently lift the cave for a peek - I know lots of breeders who do...but I'm not one of them.

She should have become a vivid yellow and the black markings around the gill area should have become really black, but this can only mean she is in breeding condition.
The symptoms you describe certainly sound promising though.

Watch points and see.

Hope all goes well.

John

I just noticed the unintended pun there and it raised a smile...

"...in a coconut shell and when any other fish comes near the shell so goes nuts"

I'm just wondering how many other fish you have in the tank?
Although a female Apisto will display amazing aggression in defending her offspring, she wouldn't be a match for an 'all-out' attack from the other occupants. There comes a limit to what - with even the most furious defence she can muster - she will be able to fend off. If she appears to be defending eggs you might want to think about removing some of the other occupants. This might also include the male - some can be a useful ally for the poor female but I have found that a larger percentage of Apisto males do not share the strong parental 'urge' and dispose of as many fry they can whilst the poor female is engaged in defensive duties elsewhere!

Don't scrimp on the Brineshrimp either - the female will take them eagerly too, which will be a good source of nourishment for her, especially if (which doesn't seem the case here) she has barricaded herself in and doesn't appear until she removes the defences when her fry are free-swimming.

Just a few more thoughts there...hope you're successful, but do bear in mind that not every brood will provide young fish - the earlier breeding attempts, like with many other SA Cichlids, can often come to nought (but for your sake I hope this proves not to be the case).

Good luck,

John