Apistogramma in 20 Gallon Community Tank

[FrostyCow]

Hi all! I am thinking about setting up a 20 gallon planted tank, and want to stock it with 6 rummynose tetras, 6 kuhli loaches, some amano shrimp, and a single male apistogramma cacatuoides. I'm fairly new to the hobby so don't want to get in to breeding, so I just wanted to make sure the apistogramma would do okay alone in that environment, and if it would still be as personable as it would be if it were in a pair.

Thanks!

P.S. I would hopefully add a female a year or two down the line once I have become more comfortable with fishkeeping.

 

[Mike Wise]

I doubt that you would have any problems with the cacatuoides male and fish. If the apisto finds a shrimp that has just molted and hasn't hardened its new exoskeleton yet (rare) he might eat it. Otherwise even they should be fine.

Adding a female later will change everything. Rummies are exceptional fry predators and the apistos will try to 'remove' them from their territory - the entire tank. Same for the shrimp. My mantra: a community tank is not a breeding tank.