Looking For Advice (A. Borelli)

[Frogbytez]

another tetra i've very found of are ruby tetra

I actually saw these recently and was rather intrigued.
Thanks for the recommendations!
The morse code is nice too, but I don't want to spend too much on schooling fish

 

[MacZ]

@anewbie have you kept any of these at room temp?

 

[anewbie]

@anewbie have you kept any of these at room temp?

Well my room is 78 as i live in a warm climate - at least during the summer. I think perhaps a specific temperture - my coolest aquarium runs 73-74 during the winter and i have n. marylin and morse code tetra in that one along with tucano.

hum op said 72 should work for morse code; marilynae; ruby tetra want warmer temps (just looking up temps also ruby are a blackwater fish; so you might want to skip ruby unless you want to warm your aquarium a few degrees. I keep mine at 76 in two different aquariums. The blur out fish with the morse code are hummingbird which would work but they run near the same price as morse code - the different is hummingbird make a lot of motion without going anywhere while the morse code are stationary like ember.

Oh well pity about temp range for ruby tetra.

 

[Frogbytez]

Ah, I see. I'm not necessarily against heating it, I do have a heater in there currently and it would certainly give me more options fish wise. I thought it would be interesting to try an unheated tank, so I'd still like to find fish that are suitable. If I just can't find anything that fits what I'm looking for then I'll probably resort to the heater :/

 

[anewbie]

Well n. marilyn are a nice fish if you can get them - they are very peaceful and while a bit difficult to see their detail up close due to size if one takes the time they are pretty nice. They tend to cluster in an area and stay in a tight ball - for example when i do water changes they will move as a group from one side to the other side very calmly as i work on the tank (bit different some other fishes the scramble in panic).

 

[Mike Wise]

Leaf litter and fine sand, yes. I'd never keep an Apisto tank without these.

You don't really need either. It just makes apisto keeping a slight bit easier. I use leaf litter rarely, using other structures for them in which to hide. I also have never used fine sand. My way may be a bit more labor intensive, but the fish live long happy lives and regularly breed. This is my hobby after all - not work.

I personally would indeed keep them in an unheated tank. But not with whiteclouds or medaka. Simply because both breed like Guppy and there will be little food left that reaches the bottom where Apistos like to feed.

Feeding is not a problem if you feed properly. You just need to make sure some food gets to the bottom.

 

[Frogbytez]

Feeding is not a problem if you feed properly. You just need to make sure some food gets to the bottom.

I had already ordered some White Clouds from an LFS and if all goes well should be picking them up next Thursday, so this is encouraging to hear! I had already ordered them about halfway through this thread so it was too late to cancel lol. To make sure food gets to the bottom I was thinking of pre-sinking some food for him and also feeding them in separate areas of the tank. If it doesn't work out I'll just rehome the minnows and figure something else out, but I thought it might be worth a try seeing as how they're already on their way.
As for the rest of your reply with regards to the leaves and such, yeah. I figured that it probably wasn't strictly necessary per se, but I'll probably keep a few in there anyway. (better to be safe than sorry) My young shrimp would probably appreciate some extra grazing grounds too.
Speaking of somewhat plant related things, has anyone had issues with plants getting uprooted from sifting behavior? I'm a little worried that some of my stem plants and smaller crypts might experience some suffering lol

And once again, truly thank you to everyone who has replied and suggested things or added input! I'll try to remember to post some photos of the tank (and the apisto) once it's all set up.

 

[Mike Wise]

When I feed frozen foods (I hope you don't plan on feeding exclusively flakes; most apistos ignore them) I use a kitchen baster and put some on 1 side and shoot some on the other side close to the bottom.

 

[Frogbytez]

When I feed frozen foods (I hope you don't plan on feeding exclusively flakes; most apistos ignore them) I use a kitchen baster and put some on 1 side and shoot some on the other side close to the bottom.

Oh no, I don't do flakes. Haven't had a flake in the house since my mom kept tanks when I was younger. I do feed a majority of dry stuff to my current fish and some various supplemental freeze dried worms/brine shrimp. I wouldn't be able to feed entirely frozen foods (cost is ouchy) but I should be able to give some fairly regularly. The dry stuff I do have currently is a decent portion of the Aquarium Co-op nano fish foods as well as some Fluval bug bites, but I'd get something specific for the apisto. I saw somewhere else that they will usually take well to Hikari micro pellets so I'd probably try those first.
Hopefully the food options would be ok? That variety seemed to do quite well for the other fish I have/had but I know apistos are quite different.

Kitchen baster is such a good idea, I'll have to get one.

 

[Frogbytez]

Just wanted to add an update on the tank. I got the majority of my rocks sorted, so most of the plant chaos has been situated now lol. I'm just waiting for fish that should hopefully come in to my LFS next week

I've made a cave with 2 entrances in the larger rock pile that should hopefully suffice if the apisto wants to hide.

(Side note, why exactly must 20 lbs of rocks be 62 dollars?!)

Edit: Frogbit removed for photos, the roots were making it hard to get clear pictures

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
You probably know what I'm going to say, but can you wait longer before the fish arrive? Your tank is still much, much too open.

The fish don't need (or want) large open areas. If you can see the fish easily, you won't see the fish, if that makes sense?

It doesn't have to be plants, but they are very beneficial for water quality. My tanks are never emptier than this, and often much fuller.

Cheers Darrel

 

[Frogbytez]

Hi all,
You probably know what I'm going to say, but can you wait longer before the fish arrive? Your tank is still much, much too open.

I can get more stem plants and fill it out more before the fish come in. I'm not sure if they'll get those fish in next/this week either, that's just the earliest possible date I also have an absolutely massive amount of frogbit in there that I removed to scoop some random bits of moss out, as well as take pictures. (A lot of the roots reach to the substrate, not sure that counts though) Appreciate the input, also, nice tank!
The fish in question are a small group of White Clouds, which may or may not change the way you view it
And yes, I do know that they help with water quality. I do want far more plants in there, and eventually most of the substrate will be covered. I was sick for almost a month straight earlier this year and didn't do enough maintenance on my tank/forgot to fertilize, so the majority of my stem plants melted. It was a lot more lush before that point, so I'm having to start over from basically zero lol

 

[RotGoblin]

I currently have a Borelli in a 40g long in with a lot of White Clouds, the apisto doesn't struggle to grab some flake but I also feed sinking bug bites which are way too big for the WCMM (which doesn't stop them trying) that the apisto and shrimp get to sort through.

For me, its just a case of watching behavioural patterns and making suer everyone is getting their fair share.

 

[Frogbytez]

sinking bug bites

Are these the standard Fluval Bug Bites or they a different type? I have the black soldier fry larvae ones which would probably work? Good to know that it can work out though!
Also, welcome to the forum!

 

[RotGoblin]

Are these the standard Fluval Bug Bites or they a different type? I have the black soldier fry larvae ones which would probably work? Good to know that it can work out though!
Also, welcome to the forum!

Mine are the Cichlid Formula ones, I need to pick where I drop them though as they need to soften up before the Apisto will take them.

I may try presoaking a couple.

I'd give the soldier fly ones a go, can always fish them out with a net if they pass up on it.

This is why I have shrimp and snails in my tank so that anything uneaten, well, isn't.

 

[Frogbytez]

Mine are the Cichlid Formula ones, I need to pick where I drop them though as they need to soften up before the Apisto will take them.

I may try presoaking a couple.

I'd give the soldier fly ones a go, can always fish them out with a net if they pass up on it.

This is why I have shrimp and snails in my tank so that anything uneaten, well, isn't.

Ah ok, thanks! Yeah, shrimp make for great clean up crew

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Are these the standard Fluval Bug Bites or they a different type? I have the black soldier fry larvae ones which would probably work?

I have these and all the fish eat them. My fish get a lot of live food - <"https://apistogramma.com/forum/threads/panduro-pairing-wait-or-give-up.30039/page-2#post-136747">
so tend to be less keen on most dry food -
<"https://apistogramma.com/forum/threads/how-to-train-apistogramma-to-eat-pellet.30005/#post-136256">

Cheers Darrel

 

[anewbie]

I grind up my pellets - all my dwarf cichild will eat them - i have a couple that seem to go a bit more bonkers on frozen brine-shrimp day but in truth it is only a little. I find grinding it up makes it easier esp for smaller fishes.

In truth i read about how fishes are 'picky' but ever dwarf icchild i've owned seem just as content to eat dry food as live food as frozen food. There might be health advantages of one over the other or there might be even more picky fishes out there (i've heard dario dario and some of the more exotic gourami was going to demand live food) but i've not seen it in a dwarf icchild either from west africa or south america.

I just don't know. Maybe if i learn how to always feed them live food they might thumb their nose up at the dry stuff but i just can't produce enough.

Now if we want to talk about wc discus - that is another matter - two years and i can't get them off of freeze dried black worms; of course i also can't get them to frozen foods either.

 

[Mike Wise]

I have a coffee grinder that I use to grind large pellets (Bug Bites) to finer grain. I even grind it powder-like for smaller juveniles after weaning them off bbs. My philosophy is if fish eat it, whatever it is, then great. But if it is ignored (as is most dry foods by my apistos) then it is a waste of money, time (cleaning it up), and nutrition.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I have a coffee grinder that I use to grind large pellets (Bug Bites) to finer grain. I even grind it powder-like for smaller juveniles after weaning them off bbs.

I have the low tech equivalent, a pestle and mortar - <"https://apistogramma.com/forum/threads/new-life-spectrum-fry-starter.23903/#post-112446">.

Cheers Darrel