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Ivanacara Bimaculata

13K views 65 replies 11 participants last post by  anewbie 
#1 · (Edited)
I’ve sourced a pair of supposed Bimaculata.
i understand they’re extremely rare, this man said that he traveled to Guyana and captured the parents himself.

anyone aware of care requirements? Any special treatment? I understand they prefer very soft water but there’s not much info online
 
#44 ·
I think you are doing everything right, but I am not very experienced at this, I do have very soft water with almost no KH, but the pH out of the tap is about 6.8. I have always added almond leaves to some tanks but the pH has never dropped significantly despite the low KH, probably as I do regular water changes. That said I have never put 70 leaves in at once, that might make a difference.
 
#45 ·
Do you think almond leaves would be more effective in RODI water? In an apistogramma forum I’m being told I need RODI for the Bimaculata and I’m not fully understanding why low TDS is needed for some soft waters while it isn’t really suggested for others, such as my cacatuoides. I’ve got the RODI unit for my reef tank so I’ve been doing RODI as about 70% of my WC make-up
 
#47 ·
Little update
theyve been improving their color daily. I feed them frozen food nearly every day and they seem to love it.
the supposed male seems to be displaying a breeding tube for the last week or so.
the first pic is the one I think is male. The suspected female is looking noticeably better with a hint of yellow
i’ve noticed the female chasing the male around much more than usual they usually end up dancing.
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#51 · (Edited)
I agree clearer pics would be helpful.

I've not seen a breeding tube that large before, are you sure it's not swollen tissue?
No, I am not sure. I have some concern about this because it’s on what I suspect to be the MALE. It was my impression that acara tubes are significantly smaller than this anyways. it’s extremely hard to capture in a photo. He pooped a few minutes after those last pictures, which may be contributing to the size. Even when not preparing to deficate, I feel the tube is larger than it should be. i Am at work right now but will get better pics tonight And post them immediately.

appetite is FEROCIOUS
if this was your fish, how would you treat swollen tissue in the anus? Treat the food with something like Metro? Epsom? Peas? I tried a pea last night but no luck. I picked up some garlic additive to try again tonight. My other cause for concern is that this particular fish has been showing this tube thing for nearly a week, I haven’t seen it retract.

here’s the only crappy pics I have on me. The first pic is from the same night, the second pic is what it usually looks like
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#52 ·
Hmm yes, a male breeding tube should be much smaller, thinner and pointed. I believe Epsom salts can be used to treat an anal prolapse but I have never experienced this and have no idea of the dosage or how to go about treating it. Hopefully someone else can help
 
#54 ·
Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) is a good option to help reduce swelling and the suggested dosage is 1 tablespoon Epsom salt per 5 gallon of aquarium water, added slowly to the aquarium over a couple hours and watch the fish for any adverse reactions.

You can also use the bath method and adjust dosage to the size of the container and I think the suggestion is a maximum of 30 minutes but again watch for adverse reactions.

You may be better off dosing the bath method as I think you are running a low pH and alkalinity tank? I'm not sure of your tank water parameters so it may be helpful to post them up.
I reached out to the breeder and shared all of these pictures. This morning, he responded:
Nothing to be concerned about. This is completely normal for this species. The females always look like this, sometimes it even becomes red, looking very much like the fish would be ill, but all the females look like this, also in the wild.
this brings me relief, I had become more and more sure of prolapse as I read online. I still find it very odd and peculiar
i am also surprised, because this fish was the one I suspected to be male. It’s been showing the darker colors lately.
 
#53 ·
Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) is a good option to help reduce swelling and the suggested dosage is 1 tablespoon Epsom salt per 5 gallon of aquarium water, added slowly to the aquarium over a couple hours and watch the fish for any adverse reactions.

You can also use the bath method and adjust dosage to the size of the container and I think the suggestion is a maximum of 30 minutes but again watch for adverse reactions.

You may be better off dosing the bath method as I think you are running a low pH and alkalinity tank? I'm not sure of your tank water parameters so it may be helpful to post them up.
 
#57 ·
The Cacatuoides laid eggs on the underside of a leaf :whistle:
cute little fish. They try to act tough to the bimaculatas but they can’t even phase them. The female seems to do all the legwork but the male will come flare up quite often. Her defensive instincts are so beautiful to observe. I appreciate they they rely on intimidation instead of fin tearing. I put a ton of almond leaves piled around the nest so she stays hidden and it’s worked well to lower stress, she just hangs out in the leaf pile now. Doubt the babies will make it too long in here though
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#58 ·
My Cacatuoides hatched their eggs and my bimaculata ate a decent number of them as expected. Within two days, my female Bimaculata began exhibiting defensive tendencies and staying near her nest. No visible eggs yet but it’s within a huge cluster of almond leaves so I can’t get a good view.
they are like puppies. If I tap the aquarium they swim to the surface to beg. they follow my whenever I walk past the aquarium little hogs!
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#60 ·
thank you! They have more color every week. The blue is starting to show nicely
I continue to use RODI for their water changes.
I’m obsessed with these fish. They’re fearless but they don’t instigate and I love that. The Cacatuoides continue to breed and they can do nothing to dissuade these Bimac (who aren’t genuinely interested in the first place) it’s like watching a fly try to kill a horse 😂
They Aren’t side by side all of the time, but any time the female starts working on a nest, the male guards closely.
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#61 ·
I came across a group of four adults someone had traded in at a local shop, but I was totally not ready to pull the trigger on that. I had these on my fishkeeping bucket list, and after seeing them in person, I have to say these are really special. Just watching them interact with each other even in a totally sub-optimal environment was really cool. I'd love to hear more about how this is all going for you.
 
#62 ·
These ARE super cool little Cichlids. :cool:
But be advised: They are totally BLACK WATER in nature, and probably have zero to almost no resistance to bacteria infections occurring in alkaline water. People start sweating it when the PH gets up past 6.4 in the aquarium with these guys!
So, it's a full-on Reverse Osmosis system to supply your tank, or you're blessed with water that is naturally soft and acidic for keeping these guys (the soap NEVER rinses off in the shower with tap water like that).
 
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#63 ·
Yeah, I was totally not ready to take these on yet, it’s more of a bucket list idea. My tap is very low tds with PH about 6.8. I will do my homework on black water before ever getting into these.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#64 ·
Yeah, I was totally not ready to take these on yet, it’s more of a bucket list idea. My tap is very low tds with PH about 6.8. I will do my homework on black water before ever getting into these. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I got a pair last autumn, from sweden, and keep them in ph 5,3-27 degrees and just Osmose-water. They have laid eggs now for the 4.th time. But my experiences is that they are not so good parents. So the 3. time, after one week free swimming fryes, I took them up because the number of fry got lower. Now I have 12 fry and the female is guarding a lot of newly hatched fryes. I think I will try to take the fries away a little bit sooner this time. Anyway, I love these, beautiful colors, but very shy.
 
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