New to Apistogrammas

[julsnealey]

Hello,

I am learning as much as I can about Apistogrammas and am currently looking at a single pair of Hongsloi. I have never had them, but have heard that they are a great fish to have. I have three tanks. a 45G that is stocked and not looking to add any fish. But I have an established 20G long with 8 Cherry Barbs and a single Bolivian Ram and a 10G established with 6 neon tetras. I was thinking of moving the ram to the 10G and putting the hongsloi into the 20G long. Is this possible? There are three "caves" it isn't heavily planted. I want to do what is best for the fish. I love my Bolivian, Eugene, but he is young and does not like having anything but dither fish with him.

 

[MacZ]

Leave things as they are. Mikrogeophagus altispinous like you have one already ultimately grow bigger than Apistogramma hongsloi and a 60 Liter tank will become much too small for it soon.
And if you wanted to put more than one Apistogramma hongsloi in the bigger tank you will have to rescape completely. Apistogramma are very territorial and until the female is willing to breed the male will chase her relentlessly until she either turns yellow (sign of being ready to breed) or drop dead. It will take sight barriers, many from glass to glass from the sand up to 15cm above the ground, so they can evade each other. And once they have spawned the female turns the direction of aggression and will push all the other fish including the male into a corner until she stops caring for the young.

As Mike Wise says: A Community tank is not a breeding tank. So what will it be?

Also: Before you ask, no, adding a single A. hongsloi to that tank as is will not end well for your M. altispinosus.

Sorry to burst your bubble.

 

[julsnealey]

Leave things as they are. Mikrogeophagus altispinous like you have one already ultimately grow bigger than Apistogramma hongsloi and a 60 Liter tank will become much too small for it soon.
And if you wanted to put more than one Apistogramma hongsloi in the bigger tank you will have to rescape completely. Apistogramma are very territorial and until the female is willing to breed the male will chase her relentlessly until she either turns yellow (sign of being ready to breed) or drop dead. It will take sight barriers, many from glass to glass from the sand up to 15cm above the ground, so they can evade each other. And once they have spawned the female turns the direction of aggression and will push all the other fish including the male into a corner until she stops caring for the young.

As Mike Wise says: A Community tank is not a breeding tank. So what will it be?

Also: Before you ask, no, adding a single A. hongsloi to that tank as is will not end well for your M. altispinosus.

Sorry to burst your bubble.

No bubble burst, this is exactly what I needed to know. I never want to have fish in situations that are a negative, and being unfamiliar with them, I wanted to ask people that know. I really appreciate your help. I will look in another direction.

 

[MacZ]

Then good luck moving on, I hope you find something else you are interested in..

 

[julsnealey]

Then good luck moving on, I hope you find something else you are interested in..

Thank you! I am an avid researcher, so I will keep searching.