Apistogramma Baenschi and Panda Garra

[Kazarak]

Do any of you have experience with this combination of fish. I have had the two for a little over a week. They are in with a shoal harlequin Rasboras and 6 Nerite snails. It’s a 16 gallon planted tank. I had two mystery snails in there until the Apisto started nipping at their feelers. The problem is the Garra just hides all day and is very inactive. Everyone else seems happy as can be. I have spotted the Apisto chasing the Garra once and I wonder if the Apisto is the reason he is always hiding.

water parameters are:
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0 (weird I know I think it’s the plants)
PH: 7.4

I guess I’m just wondering if anybody else has experienced this. Thanks!

 

[Rklein99]

I‘m new to this, but I’ve had a pair of A. Baenschi together with 7 small garra in a 20 gal tank, and they all appear to be doing very well. The garra seem to enjoy the company of their own kind a lot, so maybe buy a couple more. I think more than 4 would be too much in a 16 gallon.

 

[Kazarak]

Yeah I’d love to have more and I got only one on advice from the LFS. I’m worried the tank doesn’t have enough space for more than a couple or three but I’d really like to help liven this guy up. He was SO active in the first 16 hours and now he just seems depressed or scared. I attached a photo of the set up for the sake of seeing my situation. Any further thoughts?

 

[Rklein99]

I was told not to get more than four. But they are only about one inch or less now. If they get too big, I’ll give some away. They really do seem to enjoy the company and are not shy at all. I first had four Otocinclus, but two of them died and I couldn’t find any more to replace. The remaining two were very reclusive until I added the garra, and now they are also much more active. I know they are from different parts of the world, but maybe if you can get some Oto’s which stay small and are from S. America like the Apisto are, maybe the garra will come out more. Perhaps the competition for food will motivate him. They all get along well in my tank. Good luck.

 

[Mike Wise]

I feel that your tank needs more structure. It's just too bare. Apistos are visually oriented fish, as well as being territorial. If your A. baenschi can see across the tank easily, then he considers the entire bottom of the tank his territory. Other fish in his territory are not usually welcome.

 

[Kazarak]

Alright fair enough. Any good reference pictures on how to accomplish that? Or any advice on good ways to break it up?

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Alright fair enough. Any good reference pictures on how to accomplish that? Or any advice on good ways to break it up?

You can break up line of sight with <"Structural Leaf Litter">, <"Wood"> and <"Plants">. Personally I like a lot of all three.

You might consider a change of substrate as well? I don't use gravel anymore, sand is a lot better for the fish, and the fragments of leaf etc just sit on top of it.

These are the sorts of tanks I keep

Top one is an old female A. cacatuoides showing some male characteristics & the bottom some juvenile Dicrossus maculatus

cheers Darrel

 

[Kazarak]

Thanks for the information. I’ll consider changing substrate but that sounds like a lot of work. I grabbed some taller plants on my lunch break and threw them in to see if it helps. I’ll keep thinking on ways to add breaks in sight

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Thanks for the information. I’ll consider changing substrate but that sounds like a lot of work.

Yes it is not easy when the tank is running.

I grabbed some taller plants on my lunch break and threw them in to see if it helps. I’ll keep thinking on ways to add breaks in sight

It all helps. You really want the bottom of the tank to be "structural", because that is where the fish spend most of their time.

Are you in the UK?

cheers Darrel

 

[Kazarak]

No I’m in the US eastern time zone. I’ll definitely look at what I can add that’s more structural to break it up. Even with the new plants I can tell there is just less visibility across the tank as a whole but I need to improve the bottom for sure

 

[Rklein99]

Perhaps some tall rocks to break up the sight line?

 

[Kazarak]

Perhaps some tall rocks to break up the sight line?

I would like to but how high off of the substrate do you guys feel it would have come to count as “tall” it’s not a huge tank and I can’t fit anything too big in there without displacing a lot of the water and reducing the capacity of the tank

 

[Kazarak]

Alright went out and got some rocks. Spread the tall plants out and pulled out the bronze crypt. Rearranged a few things. Better?