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Acaras and Rams Suitable Tankmates?

Vyvid

New Member
Messages
14
Hi everyone. I sorta skipped the introduction post. I figure most people here probably care more about the fish than the "about me" lol.

I'm new to cichlids but have kind of fallen in love. My current stock is as follows:

2 Electric Blue Acaras (pair about 2")
3 GBRs (1 pair and one male 1.25")
1 Golden Ram (male 1.25)
8 Lemon Tetras
1 Albino Bristlenose Pleco (1")

In about a month I will be upgrading to a 75gal. I'd like to know if adding 1 or 2 Apistogramma would be compatible with my current stock. Specifically, I like the cockatoos, agassizi, and erythrura. I'd like either a single or pair of either of the 3 (whichever is best for the fish).

I apologize ahead of time for my ignorance if this is a ridiculously unsuitable stock, I just haven't been able to find the information on apistos like I was able to with the others.

Current parameters are:

0,0,20
79.9°
Ph= 6.5
I haven't tested gh/kh in a while but it was always very low. 0 on the gh and kh just barely tinted on the strips. I've never had liquid tests for these but am happy to pick one up if necessary.
 

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
The blue acaras will get up around 5" within a year or so. While they are generally "peaceful" by cichlid standards, they may prevent your rams and apistos from defending territories. If breeding is not a goal, you may want to put in all male Apistos of various species. More likely to avoid aggression among the males if there's no females around. However, if the acaras breed they will likely chase off all other fish (especially cichlids) to the far end of the tank. If the blues get too big and cause trouble, consider a small acara like dorsiger, curviceps, keyholes ... and BTW welcome!
 

Vyvid

New Member
Messages
14
Currently my Rams are far more outgoing and agressive than my acaras despite the acaras being bigger.

Granted I know this can change once they spawn. They've spawned once before that I know of (in a tiny petsmart tank of all places) but not in my tank. Currently they hang out in a little pot in one corner of the aquarium and the ram pair hang out in a cave at the other end. The two "stray" males are all over the place.

Right now the acaras are my favorite and I would definitely remove the Rams before the acara (the two males will prob stay in my 25 that I will be giving to my daughter).

So if keeping the acaras is a must, would you say apistos is a no go? Or would single males of different types possibly be okay?

Sorry, I'm not trying to sound like that "well maybe mine will be an exception" person. If it's not a good idea I won't introduce them, but if it could work out, I really do like the way apistos look and would be interested in keeping some. :)
 

Vyvid

New Member
Messages
14
image.jpg
image.jpg
image.jpg

My Acaras near their pot and one of my GBRs hangin out in their pot. They look better with the tank lights on but these shots are clearer :)
 

Mike Wise

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,202
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Sorry to say, I see 2 problems with your community. Your Electric Blue Acara are one of the 'smaller' Andinoacara species, probably Andinoacara (formerly Aequidens) pulchra. It's really hard to say which small Andi it is, due to all that darn beautiful metallic blue hiding everything!;) That being said, Andinoacara pulchra has been recorded in the wild to reach 16 cm (6"+) in length in the wild. Having judged ACA fish shows, I've seen specimens even larger. Like their larger cousins - in the aptly named Green Terror complex - they can get very aggressive when breeding. They are not a good choice for a dwarf cichlid community. Better community members would be species of Geophagus and Satanoperca eartheaters. Second, Rams are a warm water species that inhabits the open plains (Llanos) of Colombia and Venezuela. As such they are better adapted to high water temperatures 84°F/30°C. At lower temperatures their metabolism is lower and they are more susceptible to catching diseases.

I'd suggest that you remove the Rams to their own, warmer tank. Then replace them with some peaceful, but larger fish in the 75. Uh oh, TBA (Tank Buying Addiction) is rearing its ugly head!:eek:
 

Vyvid

New Member
Messages
14
Sorry to say, I see 2 problems with your community. Your Electric Blue Acara are one of the 'smaller' Andinoacara species, probably Andinoacara (formerly Aequidens) pulchra. It's really hard to say which small Andi it is, due to all that darn beautiful metallic blue hiding everything!;) That being said, Andinoacara pulchra has been recorded in the wild to reach 16 cm (6"+) in length in the wild. Having judged ACA fish shows, I've seen specimens even larger. Like their larger cousins - in the aptly named Green Terror complex - they can get very aggressive when breeding. They are not a good choice for a dwarf cichlid community. Better community members would be species of Geophagus and Satanoperca eartheaters. Second, Rams are a warm water species that inhabits the open plains (Llanos) of Colombia and Venezuela. As such they are better adapted to high water temperatures 84°F/30°C. At lower temperatures their metabolism is lower and they are more susceptible to catching diseases.

I'd suggest that you remove the Rams to their own, warmer tank. Then replace them with some peaceful, but larger fish in the 75. Uh oh, TBA (Tank Buying Addiction) is rearing its ugly head!:eek:


Hey thanks! I appreciate it! That probably explains why the Rams' personalities and color came out during the 3 weeks I heat treated my tank for ich at 86°. As soon as I decreased temp they went pale again but I assumed it was because I redecorated. It's been about a week and they are still pale and kind of slow, the males aren't getting into their occasional little flare and charge bouts like before and they aren't ravenously practically jumping and taking food from my fingers like before lol. And to think, I was worried they wouldn't handle the high temp for the heat treat well lol.

I'll leave the pair of GBRs in the 25gal. And as they grow/breed if there is too much aggression or not enough room I'll rehome my male GBR and Golden.

Oh boy now I get to plan a whole new stock around my acaras. Do you think the lemon tetras are still a good dither school for the "acara tank" or should I leave them as well and select a new school?

My 25 will also be home to a couple platies, a balloon molly, and a blackskirt tetra that I bacame a "proud" owner of when my daughter told me her friends mom said she had to flush them because they were moving . May have been better anyway, when I got there she had them living in drinking glasses . Hopefully I can eventually find homes for the platies before they start making acara food (babies).

Also, would more or different types of pics of my acaras help, or is it just the coloring in general. Funny how I ended up with them as well. They were at petsmart being ignored because they looked dull for quite sometime. I was hesitant to pull the trigger because I couldn't tell what gender and I was hoping for a pair. Then I go in one day to an employee scooping out eggs. She told me she was hesitant to sell because they were "wiggling strangely and pooping out white stuff" so might be sick.
 

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
That's hilarious. At least she noticed something was going on - that's a good sign she may have some interest and potential to learn! Not every big-box store is so lucky. The electric blue is probably a multi-generation hybrid of several species in the "blue acara complex" - we'll probably never know its exact parentage, and more photos won't really help in that respect.

Then I go in one day to an employee scooping out eggs. She told me she was hesitant to sell because they were "wiggling strangely and pooping out white stuff" so might be sick.
 

Vyvid

New Member
Messages
14
This is true! I talk to her and try to share my very limited knowledge when I see her now lol. She now tries to get people buying cories to take at least six or not mix match species, so there's that lol!!

As to my tanks, do you guys think if I removed my 2 male Rams and just kept my pair of GBRs in my 25 it would be appropriate for a couple apistos? (Again either pair or singles)
 

Vyvid

New Member
Messages
14
Sorry for the additional post, I didn't see the option to edit on my phone like I did before.

Would firemouths or elliotis be good tankmates for the Acaras? (Sorry if this is an inappropriate question because this is an apisto forum).

Also, would a pair or even a single cockatoo cichlid be good in the warm water ram tank that Mike mentioned? The few sources I've read briefly give a temp range of 78°-86°

I'm sure you guys are shaking your head at my noobness "can I stick this pretty one with that pretty one" questions lol
 

Mike Wise

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,202
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
In a 75 gallon tank, your Lemon Tetras should be fine with your acaras. Firemouth and other small-medium size Central American cichlids should be fine, too.

As for mixing Orinoco Rams with apistos, I generally don't recommend it. Most apisto can handle higher temperatures for long periods, but it ages them very quickly. That being said, A. hongsloi is reported to be collected together with Rams in the wild.
 

Vyvid

New Member
Messages
14
Well darn! Maybe down the line I'll swap my rams for some apistos then.

I'm getting my 75 set up tomorrow as follows:

AquaTop CF500 UV filter
Tahitian Moon Sand substrate
Undecided lighting (prob finnex planted plus)
A few hearty plants
Big granite rocks I pulled from a river near a quarry and sanitized.

Stock will currently be:
2 Elec. Blue Acara
15 Cardinal tetras
8 Lemon Tetras
6 Sterbai Cories (I know Acaras may get aggressive with eggs and cories may eat eggs)
1 Pleco (undecided on what kind)

What do you guys think about adding a Heros sp. Rotkeil (red shoulder severum) to this tank?

I know eventually it may see the cardinals as a snack, at which time I would remove and replace with something else.

Thanks guys!
 

Mike Wise

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,202
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Rotkeil Severums should be fine with your other fish. If the tank is to be newly set up, then you know you can't put everything in together all at once, don't you? Just asking.
 

Vyvid

New Member
Messages
14
Yes. :). I'm going to put some of the bio media from my current tank into my new filter and use SeaChem Stability and im only going to start out with a few cories and some of my daughters Platies then incorporate new fish over time assuming I have agreeable water parameters. :)
 

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
The "common severum" (whatever its called now) often eats plants, so I'm guessing the rest of the severum clan does too. Festivum, rainbow cichlids, red-hump Geophagus, Acarichthys, B. cupido, might be some good alternatives that are more plant-safe. Pleco: Ancistrus (bushynose) are probably the most hardy, cheap, and pretty good algae eaters. If there's an aquarium club near you then somebody local probably has tank-bred ones. Many of the newer fancy plecos really dont eat much algae, and wild-caught ones often come in starved and/or sick.
 

Vyvid

New Member
Messages
14
I only plan on getting a few hearty plants like Java fern and marimo balls as I read that acara are plant destroyers. I'll probabky supplement with some fake plants or stick to mostly rocks. I have a bunch of big pieces of Quartz rocks I pulled from a river near a quarry that I've sanitized. I have an albino Bristlenose pleco but my LFS gets some pretty big healthy ones or can find me one. I'm also going to add some adolfoi or Duplicareus cories.

Here's one of the rocks I have in my 25. I have about 20 others (mostly bigger)
image.jpg
 

Vyvid

New Member
Messages
14
haha I actually have no idea why I said Quartz. I've always thought it was some kind of gneiss (my post about it on another forum)

can you tell me what these rocks my daughters found for me are??
image.jpg
image.jpg
image.jpg

That last round one looks very iridescent at certain angles.
 

Vyvid

New Member
Messages
14
Do you guys think a convict or 2, possibly female would work with the acaras?

What about Angels?


I kind of like the orange shoulder severum and Orange head earth eater too but I'm not sure where to find them
 

Mike Wise

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,202
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Not a big fan of Convicts because a breeding pair can be very aggressive and overwhelm a tank with offspring. A couple of females probably OK; 1 would be better. Angelfish if the same size or larger should be OK with the Acaras - if the acaras don't breed.
 

Vyvid

New Member
Messages
14
They spawned in a cramped petsmart tank, I think they probably will breed, so no go on the Angels? And yeah I don't want a breeding pair of convicts.
 

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