Aphyosemion Amieti

[lcoates]

Hi, I just came home from the auction, wow it was great, we  had a lot fun!!!
I bought some Aphysoemion Amieti and Aphyosemion Gardneri, Help !!! What do I feed them, they would'nt eat regular fish food, I tried last night. What do I feed them?I know they like a low PH , but how low?  Also I think Dave gave me some suggestions  as to lowering it with a product sold at the Natural Food store?  I would appreciate any help you can give me!!!
They are awesome fish, my daughter and I are enjoying them. Any help I can get would be appreciated!!! Thanks Lynn

[dpatte]

http://homepages.tesco.net/~davyreynolds/fishindex/fish/A/aphyosemion_amieti.htm

It says it likes live foods, though I fed my gardneri flake food.

[dpatte]

you can lower pH with an acid, such as citric acid that you can buy at a health food store, or wherever they sell products for food preserving and canning.

Artw on this board knows how much to use per gallon

[artw]

Oh I wouldn't recommend using citric acid.    I only used it because I had to set up 200 gallons worth of quarantine tanks in under an hour... for my african shipment...  
if you mis-dose citric acid you could have literally an aquarium full of vinegar.. I've seen PH down around 2  (oops).

if you really want to lower PH make a Co2 yeast generator and inject it to your filter.

[dpatte]

Thanks art.

Another idea.. There is a product sold in fish sotres called pH down. I think it is phosphoric acid.

I'd normallly never recommend adding something like this to get low pH, because in doing so you make the water harder. But in this case its for killies, which like low pH but hard water, adding pH down to lower your pH might be a good thing.

In the case of amazon tanks where you want low ph, but soft water, i use CO2.

[artw]

Co2 softens water?

[zapisto]

wow

killie hate new water, and chemical

if you want lower you PH safely :
- use RO water (from RO system or from shop)
- Use peat moss
- use Oak leaves
- use rain water


Amieti will eat anything.
yesterday that normal they didn't eat , they got a great stress , coming from montreal and stay the whole day on a bag , give them time.

in you need live food , take a look at : http://www.aquanourriplus.com

Amieti like spawn in sand or peat  , mine doesn't like at all moppes
gardneri will spawn on moppes very easy

[dpatte]

No - salts harden water. but CO2 is not a salt, so it will lower pH without hardening the water.

And zapito. You certainly know more about amieti killies than i do, but lynn is using RO water to start with and I had read that amieti like hard water. Is this not true?

[zapisto]

No - salts harden water. but CO2 is not a salt, so it will lower pH without hardening the water.

And zapito. You certainly know more about amieti killies than i do, but lynn is using RO water to start with and I had read that amieti like hard water. Is this not true?

i just answer to lcoates who want some way to softer hos water ...

and concerning amieti , mine spawn and doing well in soft and acid water , like 6.5/6.8.

amieti coming from cameroun

[lcoates]

Thank you very much, I can't believe how helpful everyone is, I really appreciate it.
I have a water softer set up in the house, and I also have a reverse osmosis system , it's a separte tap in my kitchen.
So I definitely have soft water, therefore all I need to do is lower my PH safely. I may be able to get some peat moss, it's a bad time of year. How do I introduce this to my tank, should I wrap up in a cheese cloth? I don't want it to cloud my water.

Art, my Cichilds I bought from you are amazing I love them, I am very upset with myself for not getting the orange / brown adults ( sorry can't remeber what they where), I don't know what I was thinking. The aquarium is my hobby , but my husband enjoys it, when I came home without those fish, he was  alittle disappointed after seeing them at your apt.
I bought the Acei's and White tops, right now I love the Acei's, I had to share them so I only have 2, I would love more, even my 5 yr old looked at the tank this morning ( which is pretty full now) and picked them out, she loves them.  Anyway thank you very much.

Dave, Thank you very much for your advice , you really helped me yestersday, I hope I didn't  drive you crazy!!! Don't forget to bring some Java Ferns, next meeting.

[artw]

Lynn if you are interested in some adult estherae I could possibly arrange something. pm me.
I also have some peat moss in my closet.  I could have given you the whole bag when you were over.  Canadian tire has it in their indoor garden  centre over on Carling/Woodrofe.

Art

[zapisto]

Thank you very much, I can't believe how helpful everyone is, I really appreciate it.
I have a water softer set up in the house, and I also have a reverse osmosis system , it's a separte tap in my kitchen.
So I definitely have soft water, therefore all I need to do is lower my PH safely. I may be able to get some peat moss, it's a bad time of year. How do I introduce this to my tank, should I wrap up in a cheese cloth? I don't want it to cloud my water.

if you have RO , you dont need peat.
i have tanks at home with PH close to 4 last time i check with ph meter.
i dont need to tell you that low and ths water is soft, but it is not for killies this one.

[lcoates]

Okay ..... THANK YOU.... just tested my reverse osomis tap, your right PH is 6, now I don't have to worry about peat moss, or chemicals. That goodness.
Art I will cal you tonight. Thanks Lynn