Apistogramma Macmasteri

My Macmasteri have been in their two foot tank for about six weeks now and I think there might be a spawning soon, or it has already happened. Maybe some of the guys that have more experience with Apistos can give me some info.
The female have moved into the coconut hut in the tank 2 days ago, and moved some of the substrate to close the opening. She does come out every now and again, and closes the opening as soon as she is back inside. I have not seen the male go inside, but he could have while is was not watching.
Is this a sign that she is ready to spawn, or should I be getting ready to feed babies?
I will take some photos tonight and try and post them tomorrow.

 

In my experience with other Apistos, you should have some fry food ready! Almost all of my apiso females will disappear into their cave like this just before, and after spawning... Generally, the female will remain in the cave for about 5 -6 days. Then she will come out with a school of fry.

I have had some success feeding dry powdered food, but I think brine shrimp is the way to go. Either start a hatchery or get Dolphin to supply some of his decapsulated brine shrimp eggs which he has started using successfully.

Nice one dude... When the fry are big enough, I'd love to buy some off you!! Pretty please!!

 

shew, those fish landed on the 1st of December so its been only about 5 weeks and they have or will be spawning already excellent :bigsmile:

 

Pics

Like is said, I would take some pics, so here they are. Not the best quality, but hopefully you will be able to see how the opening of the coconut hut has been closed with substrate. You can also see the Macmasteri male hovering above the coconut. Could not get a shot of the female, as she was inside the coconut at the time.
I have also included some pics of the Hongsloi male, but could not get one of the female. Maybe next time.

 

Nice pics Kuhli! looking to get some Apistos myself... just on quick Q abit off topic - What substrate are using, looks like quite a nice texture and shape?

 

Very nice dude... She definitely has eggs in there!! Keep the baby food handy!!

 

Substrate

KiazerG - Substrate is pool filter sand.

 

Eggs or no eggs ????

I wonder if they have actually laid eggs. Watching them last night, the female would come out of the coconut and display in front of the male, almost lying on her side with lots of tail slapping from both of them. Then she would go back into the coconut again. This process repeated itself a few time before the light were switched off.

So what do you guys think, eggs or no eggs.

 

Give it some time dude... Don't rush things... Nine out of ten times, if she's closed up the hole, there are eggs. I got a pair of these beauties last night. They are stunners! So bright and colourful!

 

Pic splease Slagter!

Big G!

 

I'll take some snappers when they are nice and settled in.

 

Alas

Alas – she has come out of the coconut alone. I have not gone digging to find out if there were any eggs, but I assume if there were any, they have either been eaten or were not fertilized by the male. Maybe that is why the female was zipping in and out of the coconut and displaying to the male to try and get him to play his part in the procreation story.
Hopefully I will have better luck next time. If there are any new developments on this front I will let you all know.

 

Question is it a normal coconut that you have cut in half as cave ?
Pity about the eggs

 

Help

Maybe someone will be able to give me some advice on this matter. My A. macmasteri have been showing breeding behavior a number of times but so far there has been no successful spawns to talk about. The female moves gravel to close the opening of the coconut hut that I have placed in the tank and will spend a couple of day there, sometimes coming out at feeding time for a quick bite. After a few days she will be out and about again, roaming the tank with no sign of any fry, just to repeat the process again in about a 10 days time. I have not looked inside the coconut hut to see if they have actually spawned while she is in there. There has been quite a lot of tail slapping, and I have seen the female display infront of the male, so all the signs are there, but still no fry. What could be the problem?

 

Either the Male isn't doing his part, or fungus is killing the eggs, or the males sperm isn't reaching the eggs inside the coconut, or even the female hasn't yet learned not to eat the eggs? Its a hard one to say!!

Keep persisting, and maybe add a half terracotta plant pot in to the tank as well as the coconut?? Maybe the lining of the Coconut is not so clean and is promoting the Fungus??

Cheers
G!

 

!Bump!