Apistogramma iniridae
The Apistogramma iniridae naturally inhabits the headwaters of the Rio Negro and Rio Orinoco rivers. These fish are not widely distributed among aquarists. The fish takes its name from the Rio Iniridae, where it was first caught.
Apistogramma iniridae has an elongated body. Males are larger than females, their fins are elongated and pointed at the ends, while females are rounded. The dorsal plumage of the males is sailshaped. The caudal plumage of males is decorated with faintly contrasting dots, while the caudal fin of females is transparent. The sex of young fish is almost impossible to distinguish. The basic coloration of males is light brown with a greenish back. On the sides, just below the middle part of the body is a band consisting of fairly large spots, which change their coloration depending on the emotional state of fish. The coloration of the males is considerably brighter than the females. The size of the fish is 4-7 cm.
Apistogramma iniridae are moderately aggressive fish. When keeping them in a common aquarium with other fish species should be as large as possible, in this case, all fish coexist quite peacefully. In small aquariums, the aggressiveness of the Inirida apistogramma is simply off the scale, and it becomes a very big problem for aquarists. Therefore, if you have a small aquarium, these fish are not for you.
Keep the fish can be in pairs, as well as a small group consisting of 1 male and 4-5 females. The optimum volume of the aquarium for this number of fish 100-150 liters. At the bottom of the aquarium should be placed large stones, snags, ceramic pots, coconut shells. The perimeter of the aquarium should be densely planted with aquarium plants.
The fish have high requirements for water quality. Water parameters: temperature 24-27° C, hardness dH 1-20°, pH 6,7-7,0. Necessary filtration, aeration and weekly replacement of ¼ of the aquarium water with fresh. It should be noted that fish do not tolerate water temperatures below 23 ° C and if not bring it in time to normal, it may lead to dire consequences.
The diet of the fish consists of a variety of live, frozen and dried flakes and pellets. Daphnia, artemia and bloodworms are given to the fish. Feed the fish twice a day.
Reproduction
Apistogramma iniridae reaches sexual maturity at the age of 7-9 months.
Fish spawn in shelters. Stimulate spawning by reducing the pH to 4.0. During the spawning period, the male contains a harem of 3-4 females. Each of the females is in its own shelter. The female hatches up to 120 eggs. The female takes care of the eggs and the male is the guardian of the nest. When the fry swim, both producers take care of them.
The fry are fed with Artemia 4 times a day. The fry grow quickly and reach a size of 3 cm already at about 4 months of age.
