Apistogrammes good or bad for discus

[neon]

Has anyone ever kept apisto dwarf cichlids in with discus? If so how did they get along?:smiley:

[philip69285]

Any particular kind at all that you are looking at? I have kept many different kinds with discus and had them breed as well and never had any problems... they leave the discus alone (unless they get near the babies) and the discus leave them alone.

[neon]

Any particular kind at all that you are looking at? I have kept many different kinds with discus and had them breed as well and never had any problems... they leave the discus alone (unless they get near the babies) and the discus leave them alone.

Yes out these 4 agassizii, borellii, cacatuoides, hongsloi. I want one pair.

[philip69285]

How big of a fish tank is it? I dont see any problem with any of those :).

[neon]

How big of a fish tank is it? I dont see any problem with any of those :).
My tank is a 55gal :cool:

[pcsb23]

I've kept hongsloi and am keeping agassizi's with discus, great tank mates imo and beautiful fish too.

[Gordon C. Snelling]

My experience with Apistos and discus is mixed. I have found that they do not do well long term at the temps discus like.In addition if you feed a diet heavy in black worms the apistos fair poorly.

[zamboniMan]

My experience with Apistos and discus is mixed. I have found that they do not do well long term at the temps discus like.In addition if you feed a diet heavy in black worms the apistos fair poorly.

Haven't had that problem. I only keep apistos in tanks with adult discus where the temp is around 82 and have never had any problems.

[bs6749]

I agree that apistos would be fine in a tank with adult discus, and that for the longevity of the apistos to be there they should be kept in temps closer to 76-78.

Also, apistos are harem spawners and the male will work between several females. I suggest getting a trio (1M, 2F) at a minimum to spread out the males aggression towards the females when it comes to breeding time. They are cave spawners as well and you sohuld get some clay pot caves for them. I'd recommend at least 1 for every apisto in your tank, and maybe 1 extra. I like to use a Dremel and cut a hole in the side of a 3" (I think that size) clay pot and then stand it with the large part on the substrate/glass of the tank. That way they will feel more comfortable. They like when no other fish can get in and they only have a small hole to defend.

[Eddie]

I've kept hongsloi and am keeping agassizi's with discus, great tank mates imo and beautiful fish too.

I really like the hongsloi, easily one I wouldn't mind keeping on its own.

Eddie

[KEWX]

I've kept Rams with Discus and they have done very well. My Discus aren't adult size but they did eat most of the spawns from a pair of Rams. The tank is 55 gal planted with driftwood. 5 med discus, 4 Rams, 3 corys, and 9 neons. They have all been in the tank for 7 months. I keep it at around 83degrees. I was thinking about adding some apistos or starting another tank with dwarfs.

[pcsb23]

I really like the hongsloi, easily one I wouldn't mind keeping on its own.

Eddiethey are really nice Eddie and worthy of their own tank imo, could be a nice little planted tank some hongsloi and some shrimp, be really cool.


I've kept Rams with Discus and they have done very well. My Discus aren't adult size but they did eat most of the spawns from a pair of Rams. The tank is 55 gal planted with driftwood. 5 med discus, 4 Rams, 3 corys, and 9 neons. They have all been in the tank for 7 months. I keep it at around 83degrees. I was thinking about adding some apistos or starting another tank with dwarfs.
I think I'd start another tank, your 55 is well stocked :)

[onurnokay]

I tried Apistogrammes with discus. Apistogrammes can disturb small size discus (5-10 cm). no problem with bigger discus.

[KEWX]

they are really nice Eddie and worthy of their own tank imo, could be a nice little planted tank some hongsloi and some shrimp, be really cool.


I think I'd start another tank, your 55 is well stocked :)


Sounds like a good idea to me!:):):)

[poconoboss]

I have kept many Apisto's with Discus, they do quite well together.

Some of the Apisto's I used to have:

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG3725/463315069_9e3XQ-S.jpg

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG2644/372724523_YwAPb-S.jpg

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/DSC0152/300330752_shWpz-S.jpg

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG1767/306274977_CA22g-S.jpg

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG30081/386763863_Mwepp-S.jpg

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG0890/457009881_Z6hUg-S.jpg

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG09111/463348193_FMB7N-S.jpg

[Bilbo_wh]

I have kept apisto's with discus also or more correctly because I have way more apisto’s than discus so I should say I kept some discus with my apisto's.

Be careful of some of the nastier females like agassizi because if they have young they will attack anything of almost any size. I had one that would bite larger fish in the gills under the gill plate and attack from underneath.

[zamboniMan]

I have kept many Apisto's with Discus, they do quite well together.

Some of the Apisto's I used to have:



http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG09111/463348193_FMB7N-S.jpg

What type of apisto is this?

[bs6749]

Judging from the mouth, it is an Apistogramma cacatuoides, AKA the "big mouth apisto". There are at least 20 color variations of this particular species. It is also a male.

[poconoboss]

What type of apisto is this?

That is the front view of this fish:

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG3725/463315069_9e3XQ-S.jpg

Which is an Apistogramma Agazzi

bs6749: The second and third pics I posted were of the Cacatuoides genus.

[zamboniMan]

Thanks!

Probably some of the nicest Apistos I've seen.

[bs6749]

That is the front view of this fish:

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG3725/463315069_9e3XQ-S.jpg

Which is an Apistogramma Agazzi

bs6749: The second and third pics I posted were of the Cacatuoides genus.

I will agree that it is a male agasizzi. I didn't realize that they too had larger mouths than most other apistos. The flame shape of the tail is a dead give away to it being an agasizzi though.

[akumastew]

My experience , apistogramma caucatiodes.

Spawned, Adult Discus interested in Spawn.

Apisto, attacked, got bitten a few times, resulting in Apisto dying.

Only one pair of Apistos and one pair Discus owned, so maybe it wouldn't happen every time.

[KEWX]

Great Pics!

[danyal2]

My female caucatiodes went MIA the other day so I took back my male and got a new pair of hongsloi today :)

Overall they get along fairly well.

[TankWatcher]

poconoboss, those are beautiful apistos. One of the nicest male aggies I've ever seen

[poconoboss]

poconoboss, those are beautiful apistos. One of the nicest male aggies I've ever seen


Thanks, I really liked having the Apistos, but I'm a Discus guy now. ;)

It was fun watching them grow and see their colors develope.

Here are pics from how he colored up:

Before:

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG28911/386763795_c7xKv-S.jpg

During:

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG30211/386763898_XT7kL-S.jpg

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG0886/463315060_bfW3r-S.jpg

After:

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG3725/463315069_9e3XQ-S.jpg

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG09111/463348193_FMB7N-S.jpg

When he was getting agressive, he would darken up like this:

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG3751/463348175_AkJns-S.jpg

[Apistomaster]

Many Apistogramma species are best kept in pairs not harems. You need to learn that not all Apistogramma species are the same. many are best kept in harems. Some thrive in warm water some do better in cool water. They aren't like Discus species where there is more overlapping of acceptable conditions even then, each species of Discus has a preferred environment. Heckels need very soft acid water but Brown/Blues do better at a higher pH and a bit more mineral content. Still similar; the differences are relatively small.
The A.hongsloi, viejita and macmasteri do best in pairs.
And A.borelli, agassizi and trifasciata do better in trios.
These are just a small set of examples.
None of the Apistogramma live much more than one year in the wild so anything more than that in captivity is just extra mileage. Most should be bred in their first year of life.
No Apistogramma is going to over power and intimidate a Discus anymore than a fly buzzing around your head. So what if a brooding female pecks at a discus that dares to intrude into their space? Like a Discus cares.

One of the best SA Dwarf Cichlids to keep with Discus is not an Apistogramma species but is Dicrossus filamentosus, Checkerboard Cichlids. They will live for several years in a planted Discus tank and they also spend more time off the bottom out of hiding than the majority of the Apistogramma species.

Rams are often picked but they can be boring when compared to the behavior of many other dwarf Cichlids. They are mass produced and are a naturally short lived fish. They are very common. Too common.

Apistogramma species and Dicrossus filamentosus have more interesting behavior. Checkeboad Cichlids in good conditions can be incredibly beautiful and they thrive in warm water. Virtually all Dicrossus filamentosus are wild caught imports and do not have the weaknesses many of the more highly bred color varieties of Apistogramma species exhibit
They are perhaps the best bargains out their among the SA dwarf Cichlids. You can often find them on line for as little as $4.00 each and to me a high price in a fish shop would be $8.00 each. They do well in harems or one male with 3 females. If your tank wasn't already so crowded you could keep 2 trios along with a variety of small tetras, Pencilfish and Hatchetfish. All dwarf Cichlids are going to be at their best when they are kept as the center pieces of a display rather than as an adjunct to a discus tank although I am fond of keeping D. filamentosus along with Heckel Discus. They both need the same conditions to be at their best. Photo of breeding pair of Checkerboard Cichlids in black water.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/D-3.jpg
Photo of the female with new spawn on the clay pot.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/P5230009.jpg

I feed my Apistogramma and other SA dwarf Cichlids live blackworms and do not associate the practice with any negative outcomes. I use them as a conditioning food. My only frustration is that sometimes a female will decide to treat escaped blackworms waving their tails out of a patch of sand as if they were brooding fry. Dwarf Cichlids are strange but interesting little fish. I now condition them on blackworms but only prior to setting them up to spawn to avoid the faux brood care behavior. Then I feed them mainly newly hatched brine shrimp, Grindal worms and frozen blood worms although they also like a beef heart blend as well.

[poconoboss]

Nice post AM.

Another dwarf cichlid that I used to keep with my Apisto's that I like very much was Laetacara dorsigerus. Some call it "Smiling Acara"

They are very peaceful, nice color/shape and was very interesting watching my pair interact.

Here is a pic of the ones I had:

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG1038/457004125_8oT9E-S.jpg

http://poconoboss.smugmug.com/Hobbies/Fish-Tank-Setup/IMG1047/457004105_LTRTd-S.jpg

[David Rose]

I've never seen either before this thread...very cool looking, but I have to wonder if any LFS here stocks them.:(

[poconoboss]

I've never seen either before this thread...very cool looking, but I have to wonder if any LFS here stocks them.:(

I always bought mine from David P. Soares: http://apistogrammaidiots.com/David_P__Soares/david_p__soares.html

He goes by ApistoDave on Aquabid and other fish sites.

Here is another place with a decent variety:

http://www.cichlids.net/pages/fish.php?gid=4&t=South+America+and+West+Africa

[DiscusFreakaZoid]

.

[zamboniMan]

Freakazoid... Species?

[bs6749]

Checkeboad Cichlids in good conditions can be incredibly beautiful and they thrive in warm water. Virtually all Dicrossus filamentosus are wild caught imports and do not have the weaknesses many of the more highly bred color varieties of Apistogramma species exhibit
They are perhaps the best bargains out their among the SA dwarf Cichlids. You can often find them on line for as little as $4.00 each and to me a high price in a fish shop would be $8.00 each.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/D-3.jpg
Photo of the female with new spawn on the clay pot.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/P5230009.jpg



Pretty plain and ugly if you ask me. Not worth $4 for sure.


I always bought mine from David P. Soares: http://apistogrammaidiots.com/David_P__Soares/david_p__soares.html

He goes by ApistoDave on Aquabid and other fish sites.

Here is another place with a decent variety:

http://www.cichlids.net/pages/fish.php?gid=4&t=South+America+and+West+Africa

Stay away from ApistoDave. I ordered nearly $120 worth of apistos from him several years ago describing exactly what I wanted. I gave him a list of the species, and sex ratios and verified what I wanted several times with him in emails as I had heard that his communication was pretty bad. He ships me a box with my order completely screwed up, missing about 6 fish, far more males and not enough females from what I had hordered, and a handful of them died in shipping. He says he will replace them and reship. I again tell him
what to send me. Second order arrives....all dead. He says he will send them a third time. He does, and a couple die in shipping. I more or less get what I had wanted in the first place but was lacking females of a couple of species and had way too many fish of another species. I decided that it wasn't worth going back for more fish and instead I would inform others to stay away from him as my experience was pretty poor overall. His fish are okay at best, certainly not breeding quality in my opinion. I won't do business with him again and there are others that have had similar experiences with him.

I suggest that if you do want to go through ApistoDave, that you make sure to inform him of EXACTLY what you are looking for. Also, this guy doesn't seem to be capable of doing math as he lists certain prices on his AquaBid auctions and then jacks up the prices in emails. Watch out for that!

[Apistomaster]

Among Dwarf Cichlid specialists, Dicrossus filamentosus are a popular species and are considered to be among the most graceful looking and colorful of the SA Dwarf Cichlids/ They are a very challenging specie to breed and raise. It isn't too hard to spawn them but getting the eggs to hatch and having the females care for the brood is hard. Unless water quality is perfect and extremely soft and acid their eggs will not hatch. They have a well developed lyre tail which is not matched by any other species. Those who do not like them are a small minority but to each his/her own. Dicrossus filamentosus are much more difficult to breed than domestic Discus.

I have been buying fish from Dave Soares for many years and I have always received what I ordered and I have never had any fish arrive DOA.
Many people want to buy trios or even more females but if he sold his Dwarf Cichlids that way he would end up with a surplus of males which no one would buy.
I only sell Apistogramma in pairs. If you want a trio, most dwarf Cichlids breeders will sell only pairs so you would have to buy at least 2 pairs to get your trio. Furthermore, the Apistogramma tend to have sex ratios skewed in favor of the males so females are at a premium.
Not all Apistogramma should be set up in trios. It is an over generalization to say that they are harem spawners. Apistogramma species which are best set up as pairs include A. hongsloi, A.macmasteri, A, viejia and A. cacatuoides. The males of these species participate in the brood care once the fry have become free swimming.

Some of the Apistogramma which will spawn in harems well include A. borelli, A. trifasciata,
A. agassizi. Since there are over 100 Apistogramma species with new species being discovered and imported all the time one has to research the particular needs of a given species. Apistogramma barlowi is a true mouth brooder which is unique among the
Apistogramma. If anyone is serious about keeping and breeding Apistogramma and any other Dwarf Cichlids I recommend they register on www.apistogramma.com.
There is a great deal of information available as well as an active forum for discussions.

[waters10]

Let me bring back an "old" thread here.

I saw some dicrossus maculatus on my LFS today. Owner was telling me how it's one of his favorite fish. Pretty pricey at $25, I thought! Why is it so much more than filamentosus? From pictures, they look pretty much the same to me!

Can anyone (hint: Apistomaster, cause his name was the only one that showed up on a search :D) tell me more about this guy? Does he need to be in a group? Can he get along with blue rams? He seems out of my price range for a discus tankmate, but I thought it was an intriguing little fish!

[whitedevil]

I got a well maybe a few questions here


you all say they do well together, how do dwarfs do with other dwarfs? like the smiling acara and rams ect?

what dwarfs do well together and with discus? and if so what dwarfs(so I can research their native environments to decide if they go in the 210 or 45.)

water is RO sourced

Ph is 6.8-7.0 controlled via pressurized Co2 never gets above 7.0
all other parameters are fine.

How hard are apisto's to keep in relation to other SA cich's?


Thanks


THe pics in this thread are stunning, very nice fish!

[Apistomaster]

There are so many species of Apistogramma, a hand full of Dicrossus and Nannacara species that it isn't possible to generalize.
Research the species which interest you, be honest with yourself about your willingness to provide what the more demanding species require.

I often keep some SA Dwarf Cichlids in wild Discus display tanks but it is best to set up a tank for only one species of dwarf Cichlid with perhaps a few dither fish like small pencilfish and/or Hatchetfish. Most of these will stay near the surface and not bother any fry with the exception of the commonly available Pencilfish, Nannostomus beckfordi. This one is more predatory and frequents all zones of the water column.

I have kept and bred both Dicrossus maculatus and Dicrossus filamentosus. Both are very pretty Dwarf Cichlids. Dicrossus maculatus is rarely imported and only bred by a few people in the USA so they tend to be expensive. they grow to a larger size than D. filamentosus and the males develop a spade shaped tail. Dicrossus filamentosus are imported in fairly large numbers as they are often part of the by-catch when fishing for Cardinal Tetras. Since they sell for as little as $4 to $7 each not many people breed them for resale but because they are so inexpensive and beautiful they are a real bargain. Adult males are covered with silver-blue spangles and develop very nice lyre tails. To the one poster who described them derisively, all I can say is there is no accounting for tastes. I'll take some adult wild Dicrossus filamentosus over bubblegum machine colored domestic discus any day. To each his/her own. If they were rarer than they are and we were dependent on tank bred specimens they too would cost $25 each. Not an easily bred and raised fish.
They are a very challenging fish to breed and raise the fry. Their low price and similar water and food requirements make them one of the better choices among the SA Dwarf cichlids to use as Discus tank mates. You can get 6 or 10 of them for a large Discus tank and they will be noticed.

Most Apistogramma prefer to stay close to or on the bottom and are more reclusive. You should gain experience with keeping and breeding a few different species and be familiar with Discus keeping before you try keeping them together. I know what I can mix and how to accommodate the needs of both Apistogramma and Discus but I usually only keep one species of Apistogramma per tank and in a large tanks I may keep a couple of trios. I normally only do that if I have raised a few spawns of an Apistogramma and have some extra fish to experiment with in with the Discus. I would not recommend buying a pair then tossing them into a Discus tank.
When I am advising experienced aquarists just getting into Discus I often tell them that if they treat their Discus like big Apistogramma they will not make many mistakes.
I have already mentioned this but in case it didn't sink in, please join www.apistogramma.com. You will learn from a broad base of expert Dwarf Cichlid breeders about how to take care of these fish in general and the specifics that apply to individual species. Apistogramma species are not ideal tank mates for Discus but it can be done.

[whitedevil]

Ok with that being said, I will join up and read the post word for word, what I get is either have them with more aggressive SA cichlids then discus or just straight dwarfs.

I am not interested in breeding them yet due to no knowledge of shipping but I do know locally there is a market for them, they are not a common fish around me, atleast within 25 miles.

I do have a tank of more aggressive then usual angels in it with a pair of rams, they dont bother eachother and for some reason the angels make way for the rams to cruise thru their school.

[Apistomaster]

Apistogramma are shy and peaceful fish. They should be the most dominant species in the tank but they do fine with most of the popular small Tetras and other small Characins.
Don't try to keep them with larger more aggressive Cichlids.
Discus are one of the exception of a larger Cichlid which can often be kept with some Apistogramma spp. I just think you should learn some more about them before you mix them with discus.
I can give you a short list of Apistogramma I know can coexist with Discus which are not too hard to find.
A. borelli, A. trifasciata, A. cacatuoides, A. agassizi. A. macmasteri, A. hongsloi and A. viejita.
I already recommended Dicrossus filamentosus.
That is enough species to try and also become more familiar with their needs and behaviors.

[ste12000]

Im with Apistomaster on this one, Dicrossus filamentosus is a truely stunning fish when kept correctly, its true that the females are not overly colourful but wait until the male is fully adult and showing off, a nicer fish you could not wish to see...

Here are some pics from the UK of the Orinoco form of D.filamentosus.
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z215/ste12000/DSCF1761-1.jpg
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z215/ste12000/DSCF1921.jpg
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z215/ste12000/DSCF2333.jpg

[vera]

Nice shots guys!!
in my Discus planted i keep Apistos and Rams
my absolute fav are Hongsloi and Orange Cacas

My Rams

http://i120.photobucket.com/albums/o192/vera80/DSC_0014.jpg

[Eddie]

Nice shots guys!!
in my Discus planted i keep Apistos and Rams
my absolute fav are Hongsloi and Orange Cacas


Beautiful fish Vera! I also like Hongloi, never owned them but hope to in the future. Paul posted one a while back and I was really taken by them. I believe this link was the picture he referenced. Amazing coloration! Same one in post #31

http://www.mariozanolli.it/contenuti/ciclidi_nani/content/bin/images/large/Apistogramma_hongsloi_II.jpg

Eddie

[vera]

Beautiful fish Vera! I also like Hongloi, never owned them but hope to in the future. Paul posted one a while back and I was really taken by them. I believe this link was the picture he referenced. Amazing coloration! Same one in post #31

http://www.mariozanolli.it/contenuti/ciclidi_nani/content/bin/images/large/Apistogramma_hongsloi_II.jpg

Eddie

Thank u Eddie!
WOW what a beautiful sp on link u provided, tnx :)
Their interaction in the community tank is fascinating , completely dif from other cichlids

[whitedevil]

NICE ram, vera.


Well the discus arent going to be their tank mates, possibly other rams ,maybe a pair of angels quite a few small tetras.

The discus are my dad's (I am 30) and I was looking into it for him, but now I am looking for me, he said he will find species he likes then pass them onto me to do the homework on. The discus arent in question anymore, sorry guys but if you arent racist towards angels that info will help me greatly.

Or a tank of their own. I am on that site not apistomaster doing alot of reading.

I appreciate the help, I think I am going to post over there if I dont find anything out on the angels compatibility I am more then likely going to do a tank of apistos or rams.( I absolutely love the EB male I got from windycity, female passed but got a GB ram replacement female and well lets jsut say the mourning period is long gone for him.)

Thanks fin addicts, we all gotta stick together.

[Apistomaster]

NICE ram, vera.

Or a tank of their own. I am on that site not apistomaster doing alot of reading.

Which site? apistogramma.com or finarama.com.
I post a lot on both. apistogramma.com calls me an expert.(I did not get that designation by asking for it.)
Finarama.com I am a global moderator but I do not write much on topics which are not my strengths but others do. We have several moderators and administrators and each has complementary expertise in different areas. Both these forums are smaller and less active than simplydiscus.com. There will be a spike of activity on finarama.com as soon as the first small P. altums become available.

I do maintain a presence on both sites since I have been involved with SA Dwarf Cichlids as long as i have been involved with Discus which is now well over 4 decades.
I know a lot about wild Angelfish but I actually sold my last, a group of 8 Peruvian Scalares which included 3 breeding pairs and all my 10 adult Heckel Discus just to make room for more wild Symphysodon haraldi now and S. aequifasciata in the near future.
I'm glad to assist you in answering any questions you have about Apistogramma and wild Angels any time but probably best to do so on the most appropriate forum.

[whitedevil]

Im on the apistogramma site.

same name as there? I will look you up over there.

I appreciate the help also my angels arent wild strain wise but they are wild behavioral wise.

[Apistomaster]

I use the same username as I do here on both apistogramma.com and finarama.com.
As soon as the new baby P. altums come in the site will become very busy but we don't discriminate between the wilds and domestics. It's just that there is more information available about domestic Angels so the wild species get more activity on the forum.
My personal favorite is the smallest wild species, P. leopoldi. They are the species closest to their shared ancestor which split into the Pterophyllum and Mesonauta and leos, as we affectionately call them, show that relationship more obviously in their morphology. One of our members has some breeding and I plan to get some of his F1 P. leopoldi and keep them as tank mates with some of my F1 Blue Discus. Being tank raised they don't have the parasite issues that wild imports do. I plan to keep A. borelli, A. trifasciata and A. hongsloi Super Rostriche going. These three are all pretty easily bred and raised and sometimes it is enjoyable to work with less demanding species. I have bred plenty of the more difficult Apistogramma species but for now I am happy to work with these easy species. The A. hongsloi strain, Super Rostriche, is one of the most beautiful Apistos. I borrowed this photo from Google images so I could show what a superior specimen of A. hongsloi Super Rostriche can look like. It's a hard act to follow.
http://apistogramma.benchi.fr/wp-content/gallery/a-hongsloi/hongsloi-ii-apistoworld.jpg
The last time I raised a batch of Apistogramma cacatuoides I got 174 fry which I raised to maturity before I offered them for sale. That was the single largest batch of Apistogramma I had ever raised from just one spawn. They are among one of the best beginners' Apistograma species. Here are what they looked like.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t41/apistomaster/Acacatuoides002.jpg