Hi - I’m getting back into fish keeping

[Tautog]

I’m sure this is very common intro post

I live in Connecticut, USA (a small state in the Northeast).

I just bought a 40 gallon breeder and a 6 gallon rimless cube for an empty room in my basement. My hope for the 40 is to do a South American inspired community aquarium and I’m thinking about a pair (maybe even trio?) of apistos for my centerpiece fish in the 40. Thinking maybe panduro or nijsseni (both are available through a local shop), and then some tetras, cory cats, and maybe a small pleco to round things out.

Not looking for any specific guidance at this time but definitely appreciate any helpful tips, comments, or concerns about my plan.

Nice community you have here - a wealth of information and a wonderful resource for me to stumble upon online. Thanks!

 

[MacZ]

Can't copy you the link.right now, as I'm on my phone, but search for catfish in Apisto tanks here on the forum, you will find a thread from some months ago with answers by me, where I did a comprehensive list. I'd not recommend Corydoras and Plecos with any dwarf cichlids. In a tank of less than 120cm length.

 

[Mike Wise]

Welcome. I'd also do a search here on apistos in community tanks. You'll find that most apistophiles consider keeping pairs/trios in community tanks a bad idea.

 

[Tautog]

Thank you both for replying. I found the relevant threads and I see what you mean. I’m glad I posted, I definitely have to rethink things. It’s easy to go down the apisto rabbit hole on YouTube without hearing any of this. I appreciate you taking the time to comment on an uneducated idea.

 

[anewbie]

If your community consists of top schooling fishes like kubotai rasbora or nannostomus marilynae then you can have a pair or trio of apisto at the bottom. Some might argue this is not a community but those are just words after all what is a community. A well laid out 40B is more likely to handle a trio better than a 29 but of course a. panduro aren't the right species for a trio. Conversely if you have no interest in breeding the fishes there is no reason to obtain females.... so... it all comes down to what you consider a community.

cory cats and pleco don't seem to get along with most dwarf cichild. So if you want those i'd avoid pretty much all cichild that hang near the bottom.

 

[MacZ]

Conversely if you have no interest in breeding the fishes there is no reason to obtain females..

Or males for that matter. I've seen a lot tanks with females only by now, that have a whole group of them working astonishingly well. But not fish from the A. nijsseni-Group (includes also A. panduro and A. atahualpa) they can be furies.

 

[anewbie]

Or males for that matter. I've seen a lot tanks with females only by now, that have a whole group of them working astonishingly well. But not fish from the A. nijsseni-Group (includes also A. panduro and A. atahualpa) they can be furies.

all of my orphaned females have been stuffed into my cupido aquarium; I can't say they are totally at peace but there is no open wars.

 

[MacZ]

Pretty much what I meant. No complete peace, but it works.