Keeping and caring for Apistogramma.
Aquarium setup. The size of the aquarium depends on how Apistogramma will be kept – in pairs or in a group. Obviously, the larger the aquarium, the better. As with most bottom-dwelling fish, the most important parameter is the bottom area and the availability of hiding places. It is desirable that a pair has at least 1200 cm2 of bottom area. If the species is polygamous, each female should have at least 400 cm2 of bottom area.
Hiding places are mandatory – driftwood, ceramic and clay pots, coconut shells. Females mostly use hiding places, so the number of shelters in the aquarium should be greater than the number of females, and it is advisable to arrange the shelters so that they are separated from each other by natural or artificial boundaries. It is worth noting that in natural biotopes, there is always a large amount of sunken tree leaves at the bottom, forming numerous shelters.
Apistogramma really love heavily planted aquariums, where they feel at ease and show their full beauty. The fish do not touch the plants at all and practically do not dig the sand even during spawning. The presence and size of the substrate are not important. Small characins can be added as neighbors, to which Apistogramma are neutral. Bottom-dwelling fish should preferably not be added – although they do not threaten Apistogramma, they keep them in tension, especially during the spawning period.
Water parameters. In nature, most Apistogramma species inhabit very soft (0-3°dH) and acidic (pH 4.5-6.5) waters. In an aquarium, everything depends on the goals of keeping the fish. For simple maintenance of most Apistogramma species, water of any parameters is suitable, up to very hard (15-20°dH) and alkaline (pH 7.0-8.0). For breeding most species, especially wild-caught ones, very soft and, more importantly, acidic water is necessary. It should be noted that Apistogramma are generally very sensitive to the level of nitrogen compounds in the water and feel much better with regular water changes (20-25% per week). The addition of humic acids (e.g., peat filtration) has a very positive effect on the fish’s well-being and coloration.
The optimal water temperature is 24-27°C. They easily tolerate short-term drops to 14-16°C or rises to 30-34°C. It is not recommended to keep Apistogramma at a constant temperature all year round. Seasonal fluctuations from 23-24°C to 26-27°C are desirable. This improves the fish’s well-being, immunity, and lifespan.
Feeding. They eat all types of food, preferring live food, of course. Very often, the coloration of males (especially in species with red shades in their coloration) depends on quality feeding. When fed bloodworms, cyclops, and daphnia, the fish usually become much brighter. Like many other predatory fish, Apistogramma can easily be overfed. They quickly become fat, reaching sizes in the aquarium 1.5-2.0 times larger than in nature. Feeding once or twice a day with one fasting day per week is preferred. Healthy adult Apistogramma can withstand relatively long periods of starvation (3-4 weeks) without any consequences.
Breeding. Most Apistogramma species form polygamous families. In many species considered monogamous, under suitable conditions, the male can spawn simultaneously with several females. Polygamous species are usually much easier to breed than monogamous ones. Also, species that inhabit so-called blackwaters in nature are much more difficult both to keep and to breed. The stimulus for spawning is more frequent water changes, a slight increase in temperature, and more frequent and diverse feeding. The female’s readiness for spawning is immediately visible – she turns yellow. Spawning usually takes place in a hiding place. 20-150 eggs are almost always laid on the ceiling or walls of the shelter.
In cases where the entrance to the shelter is narrow for the male and he cannot penetrate inside, during spawning he ejects milt near the entrance, and the female uses her fins to push it inside, fertilizing the eggs. Externally, the eggs can be completely different – transparent, matte, white, red. Do not be alarmed if you see white eggs. In Apistogramma, this is not always unfertilized eggs. Moreover, the same female spawns eggs of different colors in different spawnings. Apparently, this depends on water parameters and food. Only the female cares for and guards the eggs. The male usually patrols around, and no one is allowed near the spawning site.
During this period, the female becomes very territorial and aggressive and often attacks the male. In small aquariums, this can lead to his death. In such cases, it is advisable to remove the male. She becomes even more aggressive towards other females (if present in the aquarium). It is worth noting that other females often try to take the place of the spawning female and continue to care for the eggs or simply “steal” the free-swimming fry. At a temperature of 25-26°C, the eggs usually develop for 3-5 days, and the larval stage lasts 4-7 days.
As a first food for free-swimming fry, Artemia nauplii, infusoria, or any other natural or artificial food of suitable size are used. In some Apistogramma species, the fry are detritivores and grow much faster if there is detritus at the bottom of the aquarium. Sometimes males begin to eat the fry. This most often happens in polygamous species when there is only one female in the aquarium. Most likely, the male wants to spawn again and eats the fry to free the female for spawning. They reach maturity at 4-8 months of age.
Distribution of the genus Apistogramma into groups.
Aquarium with African cichlids from the Utaka group. 
