Apistogramma bitaeniata "Tefe"

[benny]

Hi guys,

Was looking at this picture from a Hong Kong forum and it's WOW!!!



Picture was from http://www.aqugrass.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=53863 and there's more from where this came from.

It's a shame that we hardly see fishes like these on our shores. Aren't there any interest in these beauties locally at all?

Cheers,

[benetay]

Yes it's a wow!! Very nice finage all evenly spread, even the patterns on the tail (caudal) are symmetrical at lease to me. People rather pay 8888 for a louhan . Theres nothing i can say about the apisto market over here.


I guess why we don't see so many nice apisto here is due to the number of fanatics over it. How many are willing to pay 300-1k for a pair?

If only those people who are crazy with LH are crazy with apisto.

[Justikanz]

Err... Because they are small and hide often? ... How to win? LHs so BIG... Value for money mah, pound for pound...

Try selling them as lucky fish, known to pick numbers and show off numbers on their (often tiny) flanks when stared hard enough and with good imagination... *Poof* You have mini luohan and people will find all means to buy and pray them...

But seriously, the beauty of these little fish outshines and outweighs those LHs anytime!... Now if only they dun love shrimps...

[benetay]

My bet is thats almost not possible. With limited sources here, we can't get good and very nice apisto but to purchase them from overseas. If we have all the nice speciments readily in the market i think it's going to be good.

Keeping life stock in an LFS is actually assents which might turn into liabilities, given the high cost of apisto, it's really not ideal to lose either the male or female .

Therefore with the risk factor so great, we can see that there are always very low volume of apisto.

Getting apisto from overseas isn't cheap either, the air ticket there and back which incurs to the price of apisto. Luckily there are a few people here who travels frequently overseas on working trips, therefore we get a few pcs here and there of some proud owners.

It can't seems to help much as we don't have the market for them and the risk factor too great for LFS to stock them .

[Justikanz]

Oh, forgot to mention the short lifespan...

[Wackytpt]

Oh, forgot to mention the short lifespan...

Thomas,

Apisto life span isn't too short.

Keep a pair and you will know

[yorky]

Benny,
I think the guy that posted this is from Taiwan.
You know what i mean?? hehe..

Its an excellent specimen of the Tefe but do remember that this picture was taken when it is flaring.. not when its in neutral mood..

Also, why do we need people from the LH craze?
Are they really fish hobbyists? nah...
Anyhow, Benetay, I agree with your view about the deterrent for LFS to bring them in.
Its an expensive fish and unfortunately/fortunately would remain so.

[Wackytpt]

Benny,
I think the guy that posted this is from Taiwan.
You know what i mean?? hehe..

Its an excellent specimen of the Tefe but do remember that this picture was taken when it is flaring.. not when its in neutral mood..

Also, why do we need people from the LH craze?
Are they really fish hobbyists? nah...
Anyhow, Benetay, I agree with your view about the deterrent for LFS to bring them in.
Its an expensive fish and unfortunately/fortunately would remain so.

Taiwan.. hehe.. Nice fish. The apsito book got nicer fishes..

[yorky]

hmm.. this is already one of the best looking ones leh..

Individual taste lah.. you like the 'ang-ang' type mah.. hehe

Super Red also very nice what.. Benny's favourite!

[stormhawk]

Very beautiful bitaeniata, just as beautiful as the Mamuri that Biotope brought in ages ago and is currently belonging to someone on Petfrd.

[benny]

I think the guy that posted this is from Taiwan.
You know what i mean?? hehe..

Its an excellent specimen of the Tefe but do remember that this picture was taken when it is flaring.. not when its in neutral mood..

Indeed. I'll check out the new Apisto shipment in Taipei tomorrow when I have the time. Pehaps I'll find something similar.

Actually, I recall that you have a pair of A. bitaeniata "Tefe" earlier that was much superior to the one pictured here. That was such a rare beauty. Too bad you don't even take a picture for a keepsake.

On a separate note, can anyone list down the known variants of this species in the market?

Cheers,

p.s. I have not forgotten that Fei Miao and Wackytpt wants apisto from Taipei.

[stormhawk]

Benny, that would be a long list of bitaeniata variants. I think the RVA website has a comprehensive listing of known imported variants, including the geographic location name, in their gallery page.

While you're at Taipei, can keep a lookout for killies too?

[yorky]

shhh.... don't embarass me lah
Yes it was indeed very beautiful.. the difference in the Bit 'Tefe' is that when it flares, it finnage becomes purplish red..
What do you mean other variants?

Other variants of Bitaeniata or Bitaeniata 'Tefe'?

Taipei ya?
Here's a list for you to consider.

S.A.Dwarf Cichlid ---- B: Breeding form W: Wild caught fish

Ap.agassizi " Rio Tefe Cacadola " 3--6 W Ap.panduro 3--5 W
Ap.agassizi " Tefe " 3--6 B Ap.paucisquamis " Santo antonio " 3--6 W
Ap.agassizi Super red -- from Mr.Wilhelm / Germany 3--5 B Ap.paucisquamis " Barcelos " 3--5 W
Ap.agassizi " Manaquiri " 3--6 W Ap.sp.algodon I 3--4 W
Ap.agassizi " Puru Puru " 3--6 W Ap.sp. Chingarno " Novo Aripuanan " XL W
Ap.baenschi 3--4 W Ap.sp.Jura II -- from Mr.Wilhelm / Germany 3--5 B
Ap.bitaeniata " Mamuri " 3--5 W Ap.sp.Marmore red tail 3--5 W
Ap.bitaeniata " Curutu " 3--5 W A.trifasciata " Guapore super red " XL W
Ap.biteaniata " Shishita " 3--6 W Dicrossus maculata 4--7 B
Ap.bitaeniata " Nanay yellow " 3--5 W Dicrossus maculata " Rio Manicore " 3--5 W
Ap.bitaeniata " Putumayo " 3--6 W Microgeophagus ramirezi SM B
Ap.cacatuoides yellow 3--5 B Microgeophagus ramirezi XL B
Ap.diplotaenia " Rio Negro " 2--4 B Nannacara anomala 2--4 B
Ap.gephyra 2--4 W Nannacara taenia 2--3 W
Ap.juruense Rio Jura -- from Mr.Wilhelm / Germany 3--5 B Taenicara candidi 2--4 B
Ap.norberti 3--5 W Taenicara candidi " Uatuma " 1--3 W

Indeed. I'll check out the new Apisto shipment in Taipei tomorrow when I have the time. Pehaps I'll find something similar.

Actually, I recall that you have a pair of A. bitaeniata "Tefe" earlier that was much superior to the one pictured here. That was such a rare beauty. Too bad you don't even take a picture for a keepsake.

On a separate note, can anyone list down the known variants of this species in the market?

Cheers,

p.s. I have not forgotten that Fei Miao and Wackytpt wants apisto from Taipei.

[benny]

Here's another A. bitaeniata from peru...



Resized image from http://www.aqugrass.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=56722. Posted by a fellow HK forumer 'Dummy' from aquagrass

Did we previously see this from Gan's Fish Farm going for a song? I remember the yellowish finnage.

Cheers,

[benny]

shhh.... don't embarass me lah
Yes it was indeed very beautiful.. the difference in the Bit 'Tefe' is that when it flares, it finnage becomes purplish red..
What do you mean other variants?

Other variants of Bitaeniata or Bitaeniata 'Tefe'?

I am refering to other variants of A. bitaeniata. Perhaps I'll follow Stormhawk's recommendation and check out the RVA site later.

As for your A. bitaeniata 'tefe', I distinctively remember the purplish red finnage. Stunning!!

Cheers,

[benny]

Here's another A. bitaeniata 'tefe'



Resized image by manch from http://www.aqugrass.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=56648

Interesting that the dorsal lacks the purplish red hue that we see from the usual "tefe" variants. Comments?

Cheers,

[Wackytpt]

Indeed. I'll check out the new Apisto shipment in Taipei tomorrow when I have the time. Pehaps I'll find something similar.

Actually, I recall that you have a pair of A. bitaeniata "Tefe" earlier that was much superior to the one pictured here. That was such a rare beauty. Too bad you don't even take a picture for a keepsake.

On a separate note, can anyone list down the known variants of this species in the market?

Cheers,

p.s. I have not forgotten that Fei Miao and Wackytpt wants apisto from Taipei.

Haha... thanxs man... wonder if there is nicer apisto then caca super red

[benny]

Haha... thanxs man... wonder if there is nicer apisto then caca super red

Goodness! Where do we begin? Perhaps yorky can list them all down.

Cheers,

[yorky]

Goodness! Where do we begin? Perhaps yorky can list them all down.

Cheers,

Aiya, like they say, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".
Some folks like the 'big-mouth type' - Caca, Juru, Jurua II(which is available in Taiwan/HK now as per my list above).
Others prefer the slim-body type, like the Mendezi, Paucisquamis, Eliz 'Super Red', Diplotaenias.. it just doesn't end...

And in my unrelentless pursuit, I've come across some very beautiful Regani body type as well..

What I'm trying to put across is that for every type, there are tip top specimens which will bedazzle you!
So either you get lucky or be prepared to pay top price..

[Fei Miao]

Indeed. I'll check out the new Apisto shipment in Taipei tomorrow when I have the time. Pehaps I'll find something similar.

Actually, I recall that you have a pair of A. bitaeniata "Tefe" earlier that was much superior to the one pictured here. That was such a rare beauty. Too bad you don't even take a picture for a keepsake.

On a separate note, can anyone list down the known variants of this species in the market?

Cheers,

p.s. I have not forgotten that Fei Miao and Wackytpt wants apisto from Taipei.

Thanks! Your my man!


After going through discus, wild bettas, guppies.. APISTOS is still one hella of a fish, some comes and go, but apistos are forever