Apisto grouping when not breeding

[MarkPT]

Hi all!

First post and new to dwarf cichlids so be kind!

Tank is 145litre, 90cm with lots of live plants, bogwood and a single half coconut.

I have 10 rummy nose tetra and 5 panda cory's.

I'd like to have an Apistogramma Cockatoo (or more, or possibly tempted by Rams) but my thoughts/concerns are;

- I don't 'really' want to breed them, if it happens it happens, but don't really want my tank over run!
Considered a single male, but I hear and appreciate you won't really see their character as a lone.

If I paired him, would I need 2 females as opposed to a single, and I presume this increases the chance of breeding (how often can they breed btw?!!)

- Lastly are they going to get on ok with the Cory's in one of the formations above?

Many thanks in advance!

 

[Mike Wise]

I see problems with adding a breeding group of apistos to such a community. Do a search here about breeding apisos with corys. Also Rummys are notorious fry predators. Not good for breeding apistos or the tetras if caught. My advise is get 2 male apistos of different species with different body shapes and fins - similar temperaments. They will show their territorial behavior through thread displays but generally it's all show and no blows.

 

[MarkPT]

Excellent thanks Mike, appreciate your input.

As we all do, before buying, I've been looking closer today and 'may' be further swayed towards Rams of some nature. Can you enlighten me (pushing it on the same thread!!) on them and their best 'groupings' in such a tank? By the looks of it maybe just 1 male and female, if of course I can successfully source the exact sex?!

 

[Norman Fenske]

If your referring to Rams the male is going to have a longer Dorsal fin then the female plus his body will be more robust and have more color. This also depends on the size when they are young there is still differences but its not as easy. As Mike put it with the fish you have the odds of having any fry surviving are slim at best. I have 55g its full of fish everytime the pair of Kribesies I have have young ( usually 40 or 50 ) maybe 1 or 2 survive. I also have cory's 6 of them along with lots of other tetras gouramis etc. If your looking at apisto's the male depending on the type will have a much longer dorsal fin and in general the other fins are much longer and more brightly colored

 

[MarkPT]

Thanks appreciate your response --- from a fry perspective I wouldn't be 'ideally' looking to breed, so if they want some/it happened in a safe way then fair enough!

 

[Mike Wise]

If you're not interested in breeding, why put a potential breeding pair of cichlds into a community tank?? Breeding in such tanks just leads to aggression and stress for all of the fish. Anyone who has been on this forum for any length of time knows my mantra: "A community tank is not a breeding tank".

 

[MarkPT]

Totally get that point, think it was just to have them in their 'natural' environment or paired characteristics, if it happens it happens, just not setup as a 'breeding tank' I guess

 

[Mike Wise]

Unless your tank is super-large, your fish are in nothing like their natural environment where they can simply swim away from aggression. Do what you want. I hope you are luckier than most who try this.

 

[Norman Fenske]

From what I have read you really need to make sure there is no clear line of sight in the tank meaning lots of leaves ( Catappa or others like Oak ) this will give the apisto's a place to hide adding drift wood will also help you really need to try a recreate the environment from where they came. Mike is correct with his comments I have seen the aggression these fish have which has caused me to isolate the prs to their own separate tank.

 

[MarkPT]

Thanks guys - I truly appreciate your words --- I ended up with 2 female German RAMS, an apisto Cockatoo male, and male (young/small) agassizi fire red.
There's about 5 pieces of decent sized bogwood with nooks and caves, lots of java fern and cover - and all seems good .... the agassizi has certainly come in to make areas his own!

Almond leaves on order