Another New Guy With Questions

[Webfeet]

While I am not new to aquariums or aquaculture, I am new to this Genus, and this forum. I've gleaned a lot of information over the past 2 days, but I have some questions that I'm sure have been asked before. So please forgive the newbie syndrome. I've done the community, breeding, species, salt, biotype, reef, rearing and just about every other kind of tank and husbandry. After being out of the hobby for several years, I am now setting up a community tank that that will house just my favorite fish. It is a 44 gal corner tank. The one with the 3 flat panels across the front. I have some peat and Laterite covered by black sand. There is a rock ledge dividing the tank through the middle and a tree root suspended over this. It is fairly heavily planted, but I am still looking for a couple more plant species I want to add. I am planning on having 2-3 species of killi's, a pair of pearl gourami's, maybe 3-4 threadfin rainbows, and of course Apisto's. I've had Krib's and had them breed with no problems at all. (It seems with them, it is just add water! :redface: ) I am not concerned if the apisto's breed or not. I have always been enamored with pictures of agassizi, but now have discovered cacatuoides. So, question 1] do you advise a pair of each in the same tank of this size? 2] if not, which would you advise based on above information? 3] My foremost concern is aggresion towards the other tank members. I would not hesitate to put Kribs in this mix, and my understanding is that the apisto's are of an even milder temperment. Correct or incorrect? 4] Any other comments or advice you would offer?
Thanks for a great site!

 

[Apistt_ed]

welcome webfeet!

1]Your tank should be able to hold at least a pair if not a trio of cacatuoides fairly comfortably. As long as it's just one species of apistos, you'll be fine. 2] As long as breeding isn't a concern, they should be a great addition to your tank. 3]They are "milder", in a sense compared to kribs, but I've seen some nasty female apistos do their share of terror on tankmates, but all the fish you've listed aren't bottom dwelling fish, so they should be fine. 4] The water demands of cacatuoides aren't that demanding and they can do fine in soft acidic water to moderately even hard water and breed fine also. If you keep your water in those temperate ranges, you'll be fine.

Well, I hope this has helped alittle. and welcome again! I hope you get pictures up! john

 

[Mike Wise]

Since you are not interested in breeding the apistos, you might want to think about housing only males.

 

[curviceps]

Hi Mike

Would keeping males only also enable a higher number of different Apisto species to be kept together? Or would this not help and they would be just as territorial and fight with each other anyway, thus limiting the number of different Apisto species that can be kept together, given a particular surface area?

Cheers

 

[Mike Wise]

Apistos are cichlids and territorial. Males without females usually are not as territorial, but still display to each other. Expect each successful male to claim an area of about 1 - 2 square feet.

 

[wasabi8888]

I am keeping different types of male apistos in my tank. So far ok. My tank is a 2 ft tank BTW.... as long as you give lots of hiding places, it's all right

 

[AdamT]

What kind of killifish? I had a fundulopanchex gardneri in with some apistos for a while. Nothing bad happened, but I eventually moved the killifish out, cause he always seemed to be looking to scrap with the dominant apisto male. Over a month or 6 weeks I didn't spot any damage, but there always seemed to be something going on. The FG's had tons of charecter, so maybe they were just having fun, but I moved him to a different tank anyway.

A

 

[Webfeet]

Probably going to put in some A. bitaeniatum's, if I can find a supply, maybe A. australe, and probably Fundlopanchax sjoestedti. Nothing too big or that would pick a fight.