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Beginner question
- Thread starter KevinC
- Start date
- Messages
- 357
- Location
- Spring Grove PA USA
Kevin
There are a few important pieces of information that you also need to provide us. How big is the tank gallons and dimension? What is the target temp? What are the other community fish? Is the tank planted? Are there sufficient places for fish to take shelter? I picture of the tank might be helpful.
There are a few important pieces of information that you also need to provide us. How big is the tank gallons and dimension? What is the target temp? What are the other community fish? Is the tank planted? Are there sufficient places for fish to take shelter? I picture of the tank might be helpful.
Right now I am just doing reseach, I will set tank up again after I move in few months. It is a 125 gal show, 72x18x20 tall and will be densely planted (I love a well planted tank). I will add cave structure if I include apisto's to this community tank, or maybe just set up a 20 smaller tank for apisto's. Temp 77 for the comfort of the Bolivians.
Stock will be -
6 Bolivian rams
10 Red Phantom tetra (Hyphessobrycon sweglesi)
8 Emperor tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri)
10 Corydoras pygmaeus
10 Otocinclus affinis
This is for sure what I will have. I might include shrimp down the road but I doubt it. I know this seems a bit lightly stocked but I prefer less fish over a messy busy appearance.
Stock will be -
6 Bolivian rams
10 Red Phantom tetra (Hyphessobrycon sweglesi)
8 Emperor tetra (Nematobrycon palmeri)
10 Corydoras pygmaeus
10 Otocinclus affinis
This is for sure what I will have. I might include shrimp down the road but I doubt it. I know this seems a bit lightly stocked but I prefer less fish over a messy busy appearance.
- Messages
- 2,770
- Location
- Wiltshire UK
Hi Kevin,
I don't think it is too lightly stocked, I think that is about right, but that you can probably add a trio of Apistogrammas, particularly if you remove the non-paired Bolivian Rams. I don't think the Rams will raise fry successfully as the Emperor Tetras don't shoal very tightly and are quite bottom orientated and will pick the fry off (I'm not sure about the Red Phantom Tetra's), my suspicion would be that some Apistogrammas would be able keep them away, but smaller species like A. borellii may not be able to, again I'm sure somebody will be able to give you better information
I don't think that the temperature would be a problem, some Apistogramma species occur in cooler conditions, particularly ones from Paraguay and Argentina such as A. trifasciata, A. borellii and A. commbrae, other people will be able to give you a longer list.
I've found with A. cacatuoides that cooler temperatures (below 76oF) lead to spawns with more females, but you need somebody with more expertise to tell you whether that is a general relationship in Apistogramma.
cheers Darrel (in Bath)
I don't think it is too lightly stocked, I think that is about right, but that you can probably add a trio of Apistogrammas, particularly if you remove the non-paired Bolivian Rams. I don't think the Rams will raise fry successfully as the Emperor Tetras don't shoal very tightly and are quite bottom orientated and will pick the fry off (I'm not sure about the Red Phantom Tetra's), my suspicion would be that some Apistogrammas would be able keep them away, but smaller species like A. borellii may not be able to, again I'm sure somebody will be able to give you better information
I don't think that the temperature would be a problem, some Apistogramma species occur in cooler conditions, particularly ones from Paraguay and Argentina such as A. trifasciata, A. borellii and A. commbrae, other people will be able to give you a longer list.
I've found with A. cacatuoides that cooler temperatures (below 76oF) lead to spawns with more females, but you need somebody with more expertise to tell you whether that is a general relationship in Apistogramma.
cheers Darrel (in Bath)
- Messages
- 357
- Location
- Spring Grove PA USA
Kevin
The tank is going to have sufficent floorspace to add a trio or two pairs. I would start with a bigger species that can compete for food and space. I keep almost all of my apistogramma between 74-78f so temp is not a problem. Good luck and keep us posted with progress and photos. I look forward to seeing your tank.
Chris
The tank is going to have sufficent floorspace to add a trio or two pairs. I would start with a bigger species that can compete for food and space. I keep almost all of my apistogramma between 74-78f so temp is not a problem. Good luck and keep us posted with progress and photos. I look forward to seeing your tank.
Chris
In that size tank with it being well planted you could put a number of different apistos. Since breeding does not seem to be your first concern temp and exact water conditions are not as important but the temp is fine for apistos. Whatever you have that your keeping the others in will suit the apistos as well. Many of the tank raised varieties of apistos will readily adapt to a variety of water parameters.
I have the same size tank with wild angels, wild rams, german blue rams (all the rams are breeding now) and about 5 different types of apistos that do very well together. I have a mix of tank raised and wild apistos. They are not breeding that I am aware of but they are all doing well sharing the same home. This tends to be the retirement home for my apistos.
Some of the easier types would be any of the borellii, cacatuoides, aggies, and any of the macmasteri tank raised strains.
I think many people have the impression that apistos do not make good community fish when in fact many of them do very well in community tanks as long as they are provided a place to call home.
Shrimp may be able to form a sustaining colony if the tank is densly planted and they have places for the young to hide. Any that wander out of their hiding places will become snacks for the fish. I've heard of people using them in grow out tanks for just that purpose. There are larger shrimp such as the red claw but I think that may pose a problem for your little corys. Those do a great job of cleaning out unwanted snails.
Good luck with your set up.
Bev
I have the same size tank with wild angels, wild rams, german blue rams (all the rams are breeding now) and about 5 different types of apistos that do very well together. I have a mix of tank raised and wild apistos. They are not breeding that I am aware of but they are all doing well sharing the same home. This tends to be the retirement home for my apistos.
Some of the easier types would be any of the borellii, cacatuoides, aggies, and any of the macmasteri tank raised strains.
I think many people have the impression that apistos do not make good community fish when in fact many of them do very well in community tanks as long as they are provided a place to call home.
Shrimp may be able to form a sustaining colony if the tank is densly planted and they have places for the young to hide. Any that wander out of their hiding places will become snacks for the fish. I've heard of people using them in grow out tanks for just that purpose. There are larger shrimp such as the red claw but I think that may pose a problem for your little corys. Those do a great job of cleaning out unwanted snails.
Good luck with your set up.
Bev
I am not overly concerned with breeding anything so the emperors are fine. Actually to clarify, I would like them to breed but I don't care about fry surviving. My idea being, that happy fish will attempt to breed.
If I did do shrimp it would probably be cherry shrimp, but that isn't a plan at the moment. It's just something I like the sound of, in theory.
I chose red phantom and emperor tetra because they have different body types and their colors would contrast the Bolivians nicely. I am very partial to the Apistogramma cacatuoides-complex, I like their shapes the best. I think orange flash cacs would probably look good with the other fish. A nice contrast to the rams who they will be sharing space with.
Apistogramma trifasciata were recommended to me though but I can't find much on them. I see some pictures where they are a deep dark blue which I like, and others where their backs seem to more greyish. I am not sure if these are dif CF or not.
Anyways thanks for the input, now I just need my job to make it's mind up on if I will need to move or not. I don't want to set my tank back up now just to move possibly in 3-4 months
Kevin
If I did do shrimp it would probably be cherry shrimp, but that isn't a plan at the moment. It's just something I like the sound of, in theory.
I chose red phantom and emperor tetra because they have different body types and their colors would contrast the Bolivians nicely. I am very partial to the Apistogramma cacatuoides-complex, I like their shapes the best. I think orange flash cacs would probably look good with the other fish. A nice contrast to the rams who they will be sharing space with.
Apistogramma trifasciata were recommended to me though but I can't find much on them. I see some pictures where they are a deep dark blue which I like, and others where their backs seem to more greyish. I am not sure if these are dif CF or not.
Anyways thanks for the input, now I just need my job to make it's mind up on if I will need to move or not. I don't want to set my tank back up now just to move possibly in 3-4 months
Kevin
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