Apisto questions

[dogginfox]

Im in the process of setting up another tank (37g) Im not sure if im going to make it an apisto tank or a west african but im leaning towards apisto since ive never kept them before. i have a few questions though.

Can i use sand as a substrate? or do i need somthing like flourite?

How strong of a current should i have?

Can they be housed with Syno. Ocifeller?

Can they be housed with Buffalo heads?

What makes good tankmates for them?

thanks,
Dogginfox

 

[Mike Wise]

Can i use sand as a substrate? or do i need somthing like flourite?

Yes, you can use sand, or even a bare tank bottom. Flourite is there for the plants, not the fish.

How strong of a current should i have?

Most apistos come from slowly flowing or stagnent parts of streams & pools. They do best without a very strong current.

Can they be housed with Syno. Ocifeller?

I guess that you mean Synodontis ocellifer. This is a pretty large fish for a 37 gallon community tank, getting over 25 cm/10 inches in length. Any but the largest apisto could end up as expensive food for such a fish. Any fry would be easy prey, so don't expect any to survive in the same tank.

[/QUOTE] Can they be housed with Buffalo heads?[/QUOTE]

Buffalo Heads, Steatocranus casuarius, are wonderful fish that I've kept & reproduced several times. I believe that they are too large for the same 37 gallon tank with apistos. They would out-compete every apisto for the same territory.

What makes good tankmates for them?

Depending on the species I would keep them with small peaceful community fish like small tetras, small barbs, small Rasboras, small Loricarids & Callichthyids, & an open breeding dwarf cichlid (like Laetacara or Mikrogeophagus) that have the same preferences for water values. If you want to reproduce them, I would keep them with non-preditory (to fry) species like pencilfishes & hatchetfishes.

 

[inexorable]

flourite

I am new to keeping apistos and I was curious from this thread how well suited flourite is for them. My substrate is exclusively flourite. I have noted in my reading on the web as well as Romer and Linke & Staeck, in various passages, sand is a frequently recommended substrate for various species because of their foraging by masticating through sand. I understand that flourite is designed with only the benefit of plants in mind. Does anyone have experience with their apistos being kept with flourite? Does it present any problems or is it no problem at all?
Thanks
Dave

 

[fishboy20]

The flourite won't be a problem for your Apistos. Just make sure the tank is heavily planted so the plants can utilize the flourite. I have seen many Apisto tanks with flourite used. Most often these are for community tanks with various characins and small catfish, where there isn't a lot of water flow. If you want a true river tank, your best bet may be to keep hardier plants like java fern, java moss, anubias, african fern, etc. that can take more of a current. Bunched plants are likely to be all over the place if the current is too strong.