Apistogrammi and companions

[Hilde]

I read at the planted tank forum that the apisto's attach other fish. They are okay with the cory's. What about glo-lights tetra in a 29 gallon planted tank?

I had put 6 glo-light tetra in a 10 gallon planted with 3 apistos'(1male), and they stayed in 1 spot. Thus now the apistos are in 10 gallon with corys.

 

[bigbird]

Hi,

Glo tetra arefine, unless you want to breed, as they are good hunters. My suggestions is, remove all fish from tank, set it up differently and then put in all fish at once, thus each can establish their own territory. If you introduce new fish to an established tank, then two options 1. Give it time and they will settle or 2. Do whole set up and each will figure it out. cheers jk

 

[Hilde]

Well I just reset the 29 gallon planted tank Aug 27. Thus I didn't feel safe putting the apistos (male and female) in it. I put 5 Glolight Tetra in it. I had read that it is best to introduce aggressive fish last. I made 3 caves so hopefully they will be content.

During the breakdown of the 29 gallon I had originally put the 5 Glolight in a 10 gallon with 3 apistos. Those Tetras stayed in 1 spot. Hopefully in the bigger tank all will feel safe.

For breeding of the Tetras I will be using a 10 gallon tank.

 

[Mike Wise]

From my experience (almost 40 years of keeping apistos), apistos are not aggressive toward small schooling fish like tetras - when not breeding. The same is true for Corydoras. When breeding, apisto females are very protective of their territory. This usually involves fast strikes at fish that enter it. Usually they don't cause any damage unless the intruding fish is stupid enough to keep entering the territory. I once had a female A. cacatuoides kill 2 Von Rio Tetras (Hyphessobrycon flammeus) that repeatedly tried to enter her cave even after being attacked over several days. This is the only time I ever lost a fish to an apisto. I also had a female beat up on a Rainbow Cichlid (Herotilapia multispinosa - yes I know the genus name has changed, but forget what it now is) that was well over 4"/10cm. She didn't do any damage, but it sure frightened the Rainbow. I have heard reports of apisto females attacking corys that enter their territory. Apistos would attack their eyes because it was the only vulnerable place on the cory. I have never seen this occur however. This is why I recommend a brood territory of at least 1'/30cm in diameter around the breeding cave for each brooding apisto female. Usually anything swimming more than 12"/30cm above the surface is safe.

 

[Hilde]

Oh, so some fish are a bit nosy and stubborn.:biggrin: Sounds like the problem I had when kribensis were breeding. As long as they were left alone they were okay. Thus the 29 Gallon, 30in L x 12in W x 18H should work for the group. That is a sigh of relief! For I don't want 2 tanks of fish to feed constantly. I may periodically put female and brood in 10 G tank.

Would moving the female and brood cause problems?