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In addition, 2 foot tanks are great as it makes the job of netting the males after they have fertilised the eggs EASY. If you want the Bitaeniata to breed you may need to add 70-80% RO water and hopefully achieve a TDS value of about 100-120. Bits are easier to breed compared to Baenschi for example. Its all a matter of trial and error till you get reddish eggs which most likely mean they are viable. Driftwood may not be enough to breed the Bits as softer water will aid in spawning the fish - which is why a Shield Aquarium RO system from eBay works wonders, it really is a game changer for Apistogramma keepers.

A pair would probably work for Bitaeniata because they are not very choosy when it comes to pairing up. I use driftwood (3 pieces as a minimum - I use Malaysian) BUT I let them choose where they want to lay their eggs by also placing the smallest terracotta pot sawn in half(soak the pots overnight in some water) that you get at nurseries in the tank. 60 litre tank / 2 footer would be more than enough for a pair to spawn in and raise the babies.

My tap water comes out at 27 TDS, so most of my tanks sit around 100 anyway. Interestingly, on another forum, someone said they bred bits in 7.5pH, 3KH, so I guess there’s potentially a range to it. I’d still aim for what you recommended because that’s pretty easy for me to replicate I reckon. That’s some awesome advice, thanks a load. If I end up going ahead with this sometime in the next few months, I’ll start a new thread and tag you. Cheers!

I like the look of the Bitaeniata, that species is really piquing my interest. Rare enough that it feels special, common enough that they’ll still sell, nice colouration, very different body and pattern to my Nijsseni, and it sounds like they are definitely breedeable but more of a challenge. So (questions incoming), if I were to get a pair and attempt to breed them, where would I differ in treatment from my Nijsseni? You mentioned soft water, but I’ve got some special driftwood that keeps pH below 6 so that would probably be fine. Would I be okay to just buy a pair and assume they’ll pair up? What kind of caves do they breed best in? I’ve only bred mine in a cavity of my driftwood. Also, I know the general consensus is always “get the biggest tank you can”, and that’s my opinion too generally, but if I get another tank I’ll definitely be limited in space, so what’s the minimum you would comfortably do a breeding pair of apistos in? Assuming I pull the fry after a month or two, let’s say, and I plant it heavily and provide lots of line-of-sight blocks. Would you say 10 gallons? 15? Sorry for the barrage of questions, you just seem pretty knowledgeable about these guys and I’m having trouble finding good hobbyist info. Cheers!