So I've got this pair of Xingu 1's. Male is pushing 14", female is around 11".
Here's the happy girl parked next to a 13"x13" piece of slate tile.
Here's her with the old man...
Anyway, I have had these about 9 months. When I got them they were in decent shape but the male had started pitting a little around his face. Last summer I feel like they were really close to spawning... the female got a red splotch on her side and harrassed the male quite a bit. Then I went on vacation and they didnt get fed much.
Leading up to that non-event, they were eating crayfish, sunfish (rather large ones), and bait fish, as well as bloodworms, earthworms, 2" synspilum. Water is straight RO, its a 90% rejection membrane so roughly 40-60 TDS when my tap water is good (~150-200 TDS out of the pipe after carbon block).
After that they were moved to another, more community tank with a ton of oak leaves and hiding places and left to their own devices... Basically giving them room to get away from each other. Now they are back in a soft water tank with HOT water (86F), plain RO, 8 sets of knee-high panty hose filled with peat moss, pH is <6.0, hardness not measurable, TDS runs about 40-50.
Cover is 3 X 3" PVC pipes under a tile and some half flower pots. I tried a big chiminea type pot like that guy on youtube with the nice red Xingu had, which didnt work out.
I'm looking for accounts and advice on possible things to try to get these guys triggered.
Here's a vid of when they were in top shape... this was RO with no peat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdonQzLMnBg
Here's the happy girl parked next to a 13"x13" piece of slate tile.
Here's her with the old man...
Anyway, I have had these about 9 months. When I got them they were in decent shape but the male had started pitting a little around his face. Last summer I feel like they were really close to spawning... the female got a red splotch on her side and harrassed the male quite a bit. Then I went on vacation and they didnt get fed much.
Leading up to that non-event, they were eating crayfish, sunfish (rather large ones), and bait fish, as well as bloodworms, earthworms, 2" synspilum. Water is straight RO, its a 90% rejection membrane so roughly 40-60 TDS when my tap water is good (~150-200 TDS out of the pipe after carbon block).
After that they were moved to another, more community tank with a ton of oak leaves and hiding places and left to their own devices... Basically giving them room to get away from each other. Now they are back in a soft water tank with HOT water (86F), plain RO, 8 sets of knee-high panty hose filled with peat moss, pH is <6.0, hardness not measurable, TDS runs about 40-50.
Cover is 3 X 3" PVC pipes under a tile and some half flower pots. I tried a big chiminea type pot like that guy on youtube with the nice red Xingu had, which didnt work out.
I'm looking for accounts and advice on possible things to try to get these guys triggered.
Here's a vid of when they were in top shape... this was RO with no peat.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdonQzLMnBg
