# Glutaraldehyde getting my apistos to spawn?



## geeks_15 (Dec 9, 2006)

So I bought a gallon of glutaraldehyde to use as an excel substitute. I bought it mostly to use for algae control, but something interesting has happened.

Since I started adding it to my tanks I've had 3 apisto spawnings (2 apisto agassizi and 1 apisto bitaeniata). These tanks were set up to get these fish to spawn and I have spawned apistos before, but it seems like the spawns coincided with the start of the glutaraldehyde. I am dosing 2 to 3 times the recommended dose from the excel label. 

Just thought that was interesting and wanted to share.


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## firefiend (Aug 17, 2009)

Grats, on the spawn!

It's entirely possible that the Glut aided in this but not directly. Also, the algal control properties of Glut are mostly in-direct (when used at standard 1 mL per 10 gal of 1.5% Glut). The main benefit of Glut is to support your plants. healthy plants out-compete algae which is the main form of algae control. Also healthier plants mean better water quality which in turn promotes spawning.



But really, the end result is what matters and I'd love to see pics of the spawn!


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## geeks_15 (Dec 9, 2006)

Well, that is true, but that isn't how I have used glutaraldehyde. 

I've been over dosing and the black beard algae turns gray and dissappears in about 48 hours. For example, I have a rock that has BBA growing on it. During a water change the rock is above water. I squirt glutaraldehyde on the rock and the algae goes away. It isn't out competing. The glutaraldehyde kills it. Glutaraldehyde is a disinfectant. It will also kill fish if you dose too much. Ask me how I know.

Also, I'm not talking about glutaraldehyde indirectly improving water condition. The spawns ocurred 1 to 2 days after starting the glutaraldehyde, too soon for such a dramatic change via plant growth. I'm thinking there may have been a pH change, but I'm not sure. I'm not a tester type so I don't know the pre glutaraldehyde pH.


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## firefiend (Aug 17, 2009)

ah, yes... I must have missed how you were using the glut. I agree that it is strange but again, if it produces healthy spawns then Whatever it takes, haha.

Still want to see some pics, though!


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## geeks_15 (Dec 9, 2006)

Just found another new spawn. Nannacara anomala.

Sorry, but my phone is my only camera and you can't even see the fry in the pics.


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## TAB (Feb 7, 2009)

was the water temp cooler for the water change?


That always got my apistos to spawn.


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## geeks_15 (Dec 9, 2006)

The new water may be a bit cooler for water changes, but I've had my setup pretty stable for a few years now. I keep RO water in a garbage can with a heater and use a pump to pump it into tanks after siphoning out the water. The spawns didn't seem to correspond to water changes either.

The apisto agassizi spawns were in a 20 long with 2 females and one male. Both females spawned a few days apart. I change water every 2 weeks on this tank. I'm not sure how the water change coincided with the spawn.

The apisto bitaeniata spawn was in a 30 gallon. The tank was due for a water change a few days after the spawn (I change water in this one once per month).

The nannacara spawn was in a 150 gallon NPT. I change water in this one every six months and the next water change is due in December.

I've spawned many dwarf cichlids with my current setup, so a spawn isn't unusual. Its just that these 3 have been in the current setups for a while with no action. I started adding glutaraldehyde to the tanks and all 3 spawn. That is the only recent change that is under my control. The other thing I thought of was a weather front passing through, but I have 14 other tanks and no other new spawns.

I'm not sure the glutaraldehyde is causing the spawns, but it sure seems that way. I'll keep experimenting. I have a tank of gymnogeophagus that I've had for maybe a year. I've started adding the glutaraldehyde to their tank to see if anything happens.


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## geeks_15 (Dec 9, 2006)

Here's an update.

I kept dosing the glutaraldehyde in the spawn tanks. My agassizi fry count was pretty low (about half normal). My first a. bitaeniata spawn all died. So now I'm worried that the continued dosing may have been too much and harmed the fry.

The bitaeniata spawned again (a different female) and I stopped dosing and I have many little ones doing well.

The nannacara seem unaffected, but I have stopped dosing as often as before. They are in a much larger tank 150g compared to the apistos (20 and 30g)

Still no action from the gymnogeophagus, but since the apisto fry didn't do so well, I have backed off on the dosing for all tanks.


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