Apistogramma Vielfleck
Apistogramma sp. "Vielfleck" is naturally found in the Amazon, Orinoco and Paraguay rivers. These fish can be found in almost any water - crystal clear, white or black. The bottoms of the rivers are lined with a thick layer of fallen tree leaves. There is still confusion about naming these fish among aquarists, due to the great similarity in appearance to many related fish. As a result, different species of fish are referred to by the same name.
Apistogramma sp. "Vielfleck" has a greyish colouration with rows of longitudinal lines of dark brown. The dorsal and anal fins are elongated. The pelvic fins are almost transparent, relatively large, and their ends sometimes reach the root of the caudal plumage. Males have distinctive spots on the head and upper body. Males are larger than females, measuring up to 7 cm, while females are no longer than 4-5 cm.
Apistogramma sp. "Vielfleck" is recommended to keep a small group consisting of 1 male and 3-4 females. An aquarium of at least 100 liters is required for this number of fish. Coarse-grained river sand can be used as a substrate. A large number of different shelters should be placed on the bottom. Each female should be able to choose her favourite shelter. All hiding places with females should be separated from each other by bushes, snags and large stones.
Water parameters: temperature 23-27° C, hardness dH 1-5°, pH 5,5-7,2. Requires strong filtration with biological filter, aeration and a weekly change of ¼ of the aquarium water with fresh. It should be noted that their lifespan is considerably reduced by keeping fish in hard water.
The diet of fish in the wild consists of insect larvae, zooplankton and detritus. In aquariums, fish are fed with frozen and live food: artemia, chironomid. The fish do not refuse sinking flakes and pellets. Feed the fish twice a day.
Reproduction
Apistogramma sp. "Vielfleck" reaches sexual maturity at around 4-5 months of age. At this time, the fish reach a size of 4 cm.
A pair of producers are placed in a spawning aquarium of about 50 liters, with lots of shelters in the form of caves. The female lays eggs on the inner wall of the cave. In total, the female hatches up to 200 eggs during the whole spawning process, depending on her physiological condition. Depending on the water temperature, the eggs incubate for 36-60 hours, after which the larvae hatch out. After 1-1.5 weeks, the fry begin to swim and feed.
The fry are fed Artemia nauplii 4 times a day.
Apistogramma sp. "Vielfleck" has a life span of 4-5 years in an aquarium.
