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Exchanging stocking

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
Hello everybody!

I need some input. I just made a deal with my LFS about them taking in 3 of my male Dicrossus filamentosus.
Problem: They won't give me money (not a problem actually, I'm glad the fish go into their big Rio Negro display tank), but also not general store credit. I only get to exchange them for other live fish. At least I don't have to decide immediately, they will give me a gift certificate so I can take my time to choose.

I could get some females, eventually, but they have and can get them only really small (3cm, wild caught) and I'm a bit hesitant if they would do okay with double to triple sized males. I have neither space nor money for a growout, I can only quarantine for some weeks and that's it.

Any ideas for other fish I could add?

Stocking will be (as of coming friday afternoon):
- 2 male Dicrossus filamentosus
- 10 Nannostomus eques

Tank size: 80x35x40cm
Parameters: TDS 40mg/l, EC 75µSi/cm, pH roughly 5

They have several species of Apistogramma and Nannacara in stock, named A. bitaeniata, A. panduro and N. anomala on the phone. Also different twig and whip catfish and blackwater suitable tetras. The tank is in my opinion not suitable for Corydoras, so those are out. The store can order directly from Ruinemans, so availability is not a huge problem. EU import laws have more impact.

It's not about compatability, I just need some ideas because I simply cannot decide.
 

Mazan

Active Member
Messages
281
You are lucky to have so much choice! I would ideally want to have the female Dicrossus but appreciate the issues. I also wouldn't be 100% sure they could tell which are female at 3cm? I don't think the Nannacara is really a blackwater species? I like A. bitaeniata a lot, but how would they get on with the Dicrossus I don't know. Blackwater suitable tetras (which ones?) would look very attractive in your tank. I am not sure if you would see the catfish often but they are interesting....sorry this is not much help, just initial thoughts...
 

anewbie

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,365
Hello everybody!

I need some input. I just made a deal with my LFS about them taking in 3 of my male Dicrossus filamentosus.
Problem: They won't give me money (not a problem actually, I'm glad the fish go into their big Rio Negro display tank), but also not general store credit. I only get to exchange them for other live fish. At least I don't have to decide immediately, they will give me a gift certificate so I can take my time to choose.

I could get some females, eventually, but they have and can get them only really small (3cm, wild caught) and I'm a bit hesitant if they would do okay with double to triple sized males. I have neither space nor money for a growout, I can only quarantine for some weeks and that's it.

Any ideas for other fish I could add?

Stocking will be (as of coming friday afternoon):
- 2 male Dicrossus filamentosus
- 10 Nannostomus eques

Tank size: 80x35x40cm
Parameters: TDS 40mg/l, EC 75µSi/cm, pH roughly 5

They have several species of Apistogramma and Nannacara in stock, named A. bitaeniata, A. panduro and N. anomala on the phone. Also different twig and whip catfish and blackwater suitable tetras. The tank is in my opinion not suitable for Corydoras, so those are out. The store can order directly from Ruinemans, so availability is not a huge problem. EU import laws have more impact.

It's not about compatability, I just need some ideas because I simply cannot decide.
I have a extremely pleasure with N. anomala. I've trouble with females but my male is 4 years old now and he is a great pleasure. I have him with borelli and he is always of an extreme gentleness during feeding time; never snapping up food like most dwarf cichlid but taking great consideration and politeness. He does diligiantly hunt pleco frys and i am unsure how he would act around a breeding pair of apisto. I had him a 20 long and now a 40 breeder (you can convert geometry to metrics). He is a sample of one and I cannot say if all male member of the species would be of similar behavior. The only fish he was extremely aggressive towards was when i had him with kribs. They would fight every day and he showed an extreme hate towards them for a year until I finally removed the kribs. Eventually the kribs paired up and ganged up on him and he decided to stay in his 1/2 of the aquarium but always waited to extract revenge on them. He is a fish with a long memory and extreme patience.
-
My water condition are white water with tds 120 gh 7 kh 3 and ph 7 so i cannot say how he would do in nicer/purer water but i woudl naively think it is closer to his natural condition.If you were to go with apisto i would look for something a bit more interesting than the species you listed but perhaps those are the only options as the two species listed do not seem that interesting.
-
As for cory - you said they were out but I would still consider pygmy which do respect aggression and are not tied to the bottom. I think they could be mixed with breeding apisto and would understand if they go in certian areas there will be aggression and avoid those areas.
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
Mike: You know my stance by now - display all the way. Breeding would be nice with the species I have. But let's face it: I have to rehome surplus males. There is no feasable way I could really breed. If I get other cichlids I'd only take males. Female Dicrossus not for breeding purposes. At least not for the next 6-10 months.

@Mazan: I also think Nannacara are out. Concerning the tetras: They had Tucanos and Trochilocharax among the specialties and like 2 dozen different Hyphessobrycons.

@newbie:
Nannacara are not my preferred choice. I would also not take a pair of apistos. And C. pygmaeus... I was considering them, but then realized the size they sell them at. I don't want to buy that expensive live food tbh.
 

Mazan

Active Member
Messages
281
The tucanos or the Trochilocharax then, I would not know which of those to choose, would jump at the chance of either!
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
I'll probably go for the Trochilocharax then. Tucanos are too expensive, I might only get 4-5 if I went for them, while the others are "cheap" enough to be a good deal for 8-10.
 

Wazaaaa

Active Member
Messages
106
Location
France
"Tucanos are too expensive" I was curious, I looked at the price on the shop where I took my apistogramma, 13€ for 1 Tucanoichthys tucano, it's very expensive.. knowing that it is a fish that lives in schools of 10 - 15 minimum
 

Mazan

Active Member
Messages
281
Then you will have 2 sets of hummingbirds in your tank (you have said the pencilfish are like hummingbirds)!
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
"Tucanos are too expensive" I was curious, I looked at the price on the shop where I took my apistogramma, 13€ for 1 Tucanoichthys tucano, it's very expensive.. knowing that it is a fish that lives in schools of 10 - 15 minimum
Tucanos go for 9.99€, Hummingbirds for 5,99€. We calculated the deal with roughly 20-25,- per Dicrossus.

Then you will have 2 sets of hummingbirds in your tank (you have said the pencilfish are like hummingbirds)!
Yep, the Nannostomus move like hummingbirds and the Trochilocharax sparkle like hummingbirds. :D

Could you temporarily restructure your tank to accommodate a divider, so that the females can grow out in the display tank?
Honestly, I have a lot of stuff on my agenda, I dropped all plans of breeding for a while and it already disrupts a lot to have to rehome the fish right now.
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
Considering I raised the Dicrossus from tiny juveniles it's rather a "meh" deal. I probably invested more in food and water than I'm getting out now. But I won't complain, if they took them off my hands for wholesale the deal would not work out.

Anyhow, I might go with completely different tetras in the end, it's also possible I get a single Apistogramma if they have something like A. gephyra or A. elizabethae. I don't know and will ultimately just browse their sales tanks and see what they got.

In any case thanks for your input everyone, I'll still take other ideas. :)
 
Last edited:

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
Dang... I jinxed it. Just came home from work, only to find the smallest of the Dicrossus floating dead among the Pennywort.

*sigh* For sure it's time to move the others within this week.
 

rasmusW

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
455
What about hemigrammus stictus, ruby tetras or p. Simulans?
Colorwise they would look great in your tank, imo.
Probally also a fraction of the cost compared to the others.

Ps.. sorry to hear of the dead one.

-r
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
Hemigrammus stictus are rarely available, interestingly. Axelrodia riesi are not out. I just didn't mention them. As I said, I'll be browsing.

P. simulans, though... I don't want any Paracheirodon. More of a taste thing. I had P. axelrodi until about a year ago and I never could stand P. innesi.

I'm actually kinda leaning towards Hyphessobrycon sweglesi.

Ps.. sorry to hear of the dead one.
Thanks. The little guy sitting in the upper corner on saturday was the reason I decided to rehome in the first place.
 

MacZ

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,958
Location
Germany
Ruinemans have h. Stictus on their list.
I don't really find them fitting. The tank has little free swimming space and even if I reconfigure the driftwood and stuff it will stay rather densely decorated.

Anybody ideas about Poecilocharax weitzmani? It would fit the tank and the biotope.

Anyhow, my list of possibilities right now:

- 2-3 female dicrossus in case they are not that tiny anymore. Not for breeding purposes at the moment but if I decide to set up a breeding tank, I'd not have to search for them.
OR
- 1 male dwarf cichlid of another genus. Maybe a fitting species of Apistogramma, Taeniacara, Ivanacara or Nannacara.
OR
- 2-6 smaller Loricarid catfish (definitely no Otos, although they would fit the biotope.)
OR
a group of 6/8/10 tetras up to a size of 3-4cm
 

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