Apistogramma panduro

**Mez** · 21st Dec 2008, 02:32

Yesterday i got two of these fish to complete my 27x15x18 inch aquarium.
Unfortunatly they are still not coloured up at all, i think perhaps it will take time.
They were quite well coloured in the tank at the LFS, female was very yellow and the male very blue.
I will try to get some better photos up but in the meantime here are a photo of each, i hope, male and female.
Female

Male

Its also hard to catch the males colouration on the camera..
Thanks
James

**joopsg** · 21st Dec 2008, 08:10

They are a good looking pair.
Long time no see panduro in the market.
or maybe i long time never go see fishes.
But i would like to see them in a dark gravel tank,
that why they are not color up as nicely as in the LFS.

**Mez** · 21st Dec 2008, 10:48

Male has started to colour up a bit more, and they are starting to pair, well, at least the male is trying. He never stays still!

Will try to get some better photos, his colours are quite nice when he flares.

**joopsg** · 21st Dec 2008, 11:33

Use a mirror.
He will stay still.
haha!

**Mez** · 22nd Dec 2008, 07:01

These guys are still being a bit picky eating. They take food in and spit it out a lot of time. Only sometimes do they eat it. I have tried brine shrimp (live, they ate that), frozen brine, bloodworm, daphnia and flake foods. I think they are used to sinking pellet foods, so will try some of those.

James

**joopsg** · 22nd Dec 2008, 20:17

it is harder to wean them off live food.
they will eat the meaty food you are providing

**Mez** · 25th Dec 2008, 09:44

So they are starting to take bloodworms now..

**Mez** · 28th Dec 2008, 06:06

Hmm, i havent seen any aggression between the two.
They have paired up and chosen an area inbetween 2 peices of drifwood to hang out in, they are always together and the male chases anything off that comes into their territory. She is also starting to colour up some, going a much more yellow colour. Is it normal for her to have no black markins on her body?
Thanks
James

**DCguy** · 30th Dec 2008, 00:53

It is not uncommon for the females to lose their black markings at times. It seems that both fish are a little washed out in color. Is the lighting of the tank very bright? I have found that in bright light on light sand they will often look pale in color.

If your tank is very bright consider adding some floating plants or reduce the light in other ways. That might help get better colors.

http://www.dwarfcichlid.com/Apistogramma_panduro.php

DC

**Mez** · 30th Dec 2008, 11:13

The tank is not bright at all, however, there was very light coloured sand. That, and the shop the fish came from are the makers of the faded colours, however, i just added a thin layer of peat/sand mix to the substrate to darken it, and the colours have already become more intesne.
James

**delta3** · 20th Feb 2009, 00:38

it looks like you have two males ,

this is a female a.panduro.

this is a male , they are nice fish tho,

**joopsg** · 20th Feb 2009, 08:19

delta3, some species had been so commercialise to the market. Interbreeding have led to some species losing their characteristic traits. the female may indeed be a female, i used to have a female with the center black blotch. but the black blotch is prominent on the njisenni female.

**delta3** · 20th Feb 2009, 09:05

wow i never knew that, interbreeding had lead to a package of wired things,

**genes** · 20th Feb 2009, 20:22

That is why farm breds are considerably cheaper in price as compared to wild caught Apistos. For wild caughts, you get the real deal and really good quality F1s. However, sometimes, bred specimens can be of top quality too. You just have to know what to look for to determine if the quality is worth the price.

Here's another excellent male A. panduro.

This would be a female. Notice the short and round ventral and anal fins. James, i believe you do have a pair of A. panduro and not 2 males.