# Apistogramma Steel blue?



## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

I like how they look and want some, but I haven't seen them in petstores. Are they rare?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I saw them twice in club auctions. I think there was one person in S.C. breeding them. All of the apistos have small spawns, so they never get to be common or cheap pet store fish. Fish come in, either from the wild or from Europe (where they are more popular), get bred and available for a few years and then get replaced by the next new fish. Suddenly, a once available fish is rare or gone. They call it "extinct in the hobby". If you see something you love, jump on it and get enough to keep a colony going. Sometimes you can a 'lost' fish back from a breeder in Europe. But don't count on wild collections to replenish stock. Just about all fish are threatened by something and fish with small ranges are especially vulnerable. Sometimes a vanished fish has just got a new name since it was finally described. And sometimes, it wasn't a 'real' fish, just a hybrid that didn't breed true and got ugly in a few generations.


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## lohachata (Jan 27, 2006)

never heard of a "steel blue" apistogramma....how about putting a proper scientific name with it....


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

It's from Germany. The website I looked at said it was Blaukopf, but sold as agassizii or A. borellii. Here's a link! http://dwarfcichlid.com/Apistogramma_sp_Steel_blue.php


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

There are a lot Apistogramma sp. "made-up German name" in the hobby. Most are new species that were imported into Germany and bred there that will eventually get species names as they are described. But some are existing species line-bred to emphasis one color or hybrids that are sold as 'new fish' in the hopes of getting more money. But you will often find the fish sold both by the German word and the English translation of the German.


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

Did you check out the link? If I can find them under a different name, I'll buy them!


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

They're very pretty. I hope they come to my club auctions...


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Haven't seen any for years. **** luck


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## Betta man (Mar 25, 2011)

When did you see it? Do you know if medium water hardness will do for keeping them and maybe spawning them?


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