Hello from Wirral England

[Apissedoffgramma]

Hi my names Marie-Claire, I currently have Apistogramma Agassizii in a 210 litre with 2 Otos, 6 cherry barb, 6 black neon tetra and 1 female endler all are very happy living together I would like to put another pair of dwarf cichlids in and would like your thoughts and opinions on which would be the best? I also want to add a school of dwarf neon rainbows and a school of blue eye fork tails giving the tank that South American vibe thanks xx

 

[gerald]

S.Amer vibe? The dude in the center looks Chinese to me.
How about dorsigera, checkerboards, or rams - something that's not a cave-spawner - less competition with Apistos.

 

[Apissedoffgramma]

I mean fish wise haha yeah that's my buddah head, he's getting replaced as soon as I find a nice big rock to replace him, the fish like hiding in there. I like the rams just not sure if my Apisto would fight with one is it best to get them smaller or bigger than him? I put a gourami in that was bigger and they fought a lot.

 

[rr16]

My Dicrossus filamentosus have no issues with my Apistogramma, but then they're in a 5 foot tank. My rams that I used to have regularly had territroial disputes with the A. agassizi. Also, aren't dwarf neon rainbows and blue-eyed forktails both from New Guinea in South East Asia, or do you mean different fish to these?

 

[Mol_PMB]

I kept some Dicrossus filamentosus with 5 Biotodoma cupido for some months with no problems at all in a 240L tank. I've moved the Cupids into a bigger tank now.
I love the Dicrossus, very pretty and entertaining. I got them as wild-caught juveniles about a year ago, they matured and spawned and I currently have a brood of babies growing up

 

[Apissedoffgramma]

Yeah I really like them, I haven't seen any around tho I may ask at lfs and see if he can order some in thanks

 

[rr16]

Peter Clarke who is on here and has a business from home called apisto aquatics (group on FB) in Chesterfield has just received some D. filamentosus wild caught juveniles. Not sure if Peter is posting yet, but I think he intends to. I'd like to get some more I think as one of my females seems to have disappeared, but would also love a few more.

 

[Mol_PMB]

Closer than Chesterfield, Aqualife Leyland usually have them in stock, and Pier Aquatics in Wigan had some last time I was there.
I'm not too far away in Urmston if you want to look at my breeding adults

 

[rr16]

Urmston eh, I'm from Stretford originally!

 

[rr16]

How is the shop on Lostock Roundabout these days? Not been for a few years. Live in Stockport now. Got my Dicrossus from the Abyss

 

[Mol_PMB]

It's a small world
This is my thread on the Dicrossus with some photos showing them growing up, and of the new babies:
http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/threads/dicrossus-filamentosus-sexing-and-advice.17631/

Cheers,
Paul

 

[Mol_PMB]

How is the shop on Lostock Roundabout these days? Not been for a few years. Live in Stockport now. Got my Dicrossus from the Abyss

That's Urmston Aquatics, which is my LFS and only a short walk away. They're above average for an LFS but not in the same league as Pier, Aqualife, or Abyss. Most of my fish come from Pier these days, but I go to Abyss about once a month. I'm currently thinking about a marine tank and will probably stock that from Abyss.
Urmston is cheap for dry goods as they have a thriving internet business too, and prices are the same in the shop. They're also currently selling my BN fry and I hope to take them some ocellated kribs in a couple of months!

 

[rr16]

Cool, I used to go in before the two shops merged and used to go to the one on Flixton Road. Not been to Pier or Aqualife as don't drive but may get the train there sometime. Don't suppose you want a wild caught male A. nijsseni do you?

 

[Mol_PMB]

I don't drive either. Pier is 5 minutes walk from either Wigan station while Aqualife is a 20-minute walk from Croston station. They gave me a lift back to the station last time I went
My tanks are rather full at the moment to be thinking about more fish - everyone seems to be breeding at the moment!
Cheers,
Paul

 

[rr16]

Mine's just surplus as his mate mysteriously vanished and left him with two tiny fry, but they perished so he's in my bigger tank that I just relaid and want to add more barlowi to!

 

[Apissedoffgramma]

My Apisto has spawned, is there anything I need to do?

 

[rr16]

What are your water parameters like? Really just a case of leaving her to it and see if any survive. Normally takes 1 week from spawning to fry being brought out free swimming. I would not do any water changes and provide some leaf litter for cover, the fry feed off the microorganisms that are on the leaves. You could also hatch baby brine shrimp in about a week or so

 

[Apissedoffgramma]

Thanks. My water is soft ph 6.8 80f I have almond leaves in all the time. Someone was saying that I need something to keep the eggs from getting fungus, I've never really heard of this

 

[rr16]

The female will usually remove any that fungus so you probably don't need to bother.

 

[Apissedoffgramma]

Oh that's good cheers