Best dwarf cichlids for smaller aquariums?

[Mxx]

I'm about to set up a new tank, which will be either a Fluval Edge 6 gallon, a ten gallon, 15 long. I appreciate that the first response will be that I should get at least a 20 long for this, but due to the physical restrictions of where I need to place the tank I can't do that. If I went with a 15 long then I'd have a serious compromise in that I would need to rebuild the built-in alcove shelving, and as I wouldn't have any room to work around the tank which would make a number of maintenance matters difficult unfortunately, and that's why I'm considering the smaller two tanks as well.

I would like to keep a pair or trio of dwarf cichlids, (whichever would work better in this instance depending upon the species) and I'm wondering what species could do the best in smaller tanks? I'd like them to be able to be happy and thrive without suffering life-threatening aggression, (which would stress me out as well). The entire tank would fully be planted densely, I'd have some driftwood, and I have 3 small ceramic breeding eggs that I could add in as well, so there would be a generous amount of cover. And I'd have a small school of cardinal tetras to act in part as dither fish. I'd like them to be able to exhibit natural behaviour as much as possible, but I'm actually a little concerned if they did happen to breed as I don't have separate quarters to raise fry or seperate the parents so that is not a goal.

I'm an experienced aquarist and have kept a few similar species already and larger tanks before, but would like to try different species this time and can unfortunately only do a small tank at the moment. I also have a large Fluval 305 canister filter I can add on with restricted flow, so between the plants and the mega-filtration, I think aggression is the limiting factor here in terms of what species I can keep in a certain tank size.

Here is a list of species in order of minimum tank size that I've come up with, listed roughly in order of aggression and thus progressively larger tank sizes, according to my research of what others had suggested. But I would like to verify this with yourselves before making any unfortunate mistakes with such matters. And I would not have an extra tank to remove any specimins to if they're getting harassed or attacked subsquent to spawning for instance.

Fluval Edge 6 gallon - (has a tank footprint just 15% smaller than a 10 gallon tank does).
1. Tanganyika Shell Dwellers trio (however I admit I'm not interested in keeping these).
2. Apistogramma Borelli trio
3. Nannacara Anamola trio

10 gallon tank minimum
4. Laetacara curviceps pair
5. Apistogramma Cacatuoides trio
6. Kribensis pair
7. The Nichols' Mouthbrooder trio - Pseudocrenilabrus nicholsi

15 gallon long tank minimum
8. Nanachromis (Dwarf Congo Cichlids) trio, either of the three species
9. Mikrogeophagus Ramirezi trio (or 2 females could be kept together in a smaller tank).

There is some element of guesswork based upon the accounts of others who have kept these, and I'd like to hear if the experiences of others have differed with any of these species, or if there are other attractive species which you would recommend in this list as well. I've left out a number of more rare Apistogrammas/etc which I haven't yet seen offered here, but if it's not too rare and definitely worth it then I could always search around for it.

And there is also some margin of error here of course, as individual specimens can of course have widely different personalities, levels of aggressiveness, and strength of pair-bonding. I believe I'd probably start by looking through aquarist classified listings to see if I could find any well mated pairs, in case the particular species which I decide to try and find happens to bond in this manner. Thanks!

 

[CopabX]

Maybe some gouramis too. I find their pelvic fin/antennae are very fun to watch when they scan each other and other fish. They also change colors depending on their mood every day. I currently have a pair females in a 10 gal and they've done fine for a year. They're air breathers so an Edge may not work out but they are definitely hardy in terms of water quality.

As for breeding, they'll make a bubble nest and maybe have some fry but you can let nature take its course and let the fry die off.

I saw some aggression originally but after the two females staked out their territory they get along perfectly fine.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

I'm about to set up a new tank, which will be either a Fluval Edge 6 gallon, a ten gallon, 15 long. I appreciate that the first response will be that I should get at least a 20 long for this, but due to the physical restrictions of where I need to place the tank I can't do that. .............
I would like to keep a pair or trio of dwarf cichlids, ..... I'd have a small school of cardinal tetras to act in part as dither fish. I'd like them to be able to exhibit natural behaviour as much as possible, but I'm actually a little concerned if they did happen to breed as I don't have separate quarters to raise fry or seperate the parents so that is not a goal..... I also have a large Fluval 305 canister filter I can add on with restricted flow, so between the plants and the mega-filtration, I think aggression is the limiting factor here in terms of what species I can keep in a certain tank size. ....

I'd definitely exclude Kribensis, Pseudocrenilabrus nicholsi and any (Nana)Congochromis spp. from any small tank, on grounds of aggression.

In a 10 gallon UK (or 15 gallon US) I'd only consider a Mikrogeophagus ramirezi pair or possibly a pair of A. borellii (or A. cacatuoides), but the Apistogramma spp. would be better as a harem in a larger tank. The only other small "dwarf" cichlids that I've kept are Apistogramma trifasciata and A. "Steel-blue", and neither of them would be suitable for a small tank because of aggression.

I like A. borellii as a small Cichlid but, if you want an interesting small fish a Dwarf Badis like Dario dario or a small Anabatanoid like the Dwarf Sparkling Gourami Trichopsis pumila might be a better bet. There are also Killi's many of which naturally inhabit small ponds.

cheers Darrel

 

[Mxx]

Thanks, I'd had a friend say a well-bonded pair of Kribs would be fine in a 10G, but I'd had my misgivings about that as I thought that sounded like a delicate balance to rely upon.

Do you think that A. cacatuoides are less aggressive than other Apistos such as A. agassazi then?

I thought Rams were one of the more aggressive species, so that surprised me that you think that'd be okay in a 10G.

Hi all,

I'd definitely exclude Kribensis, Pseudocrenilabrus nicholsi and any (Nana)Congochromis spp. from any small tank, on grounds of aggression.

In a 10 gallon UK (or 15 gallon US) I'd only consider a Mikrogeophagus ramirezi pair or possibly a pair of A. borellii (or A. cacatuoides), but the Apistogramma spp. would be better as a harem in a larger tank. The only other small "dwarf" cichlids that I've kept are Apistogramma trifasciata and A. "Steel-blue", and neither of them would be suitable for a small tank because of aggression.

I like A. borellii as a small Cichlid but, if you want an interesting small fish a Dwarf Badis like Dario dario or a small Anabatanoid like the Dwarf Sparkling Gourami Trichopsis pumila might be a better bet. There are also Killi's many of which naturally inhabit small ponds.

cheers Darrel

 

[Mxx]

And while we're on the topic, how do some of the other varieties of Apistogramma rate compare to one another in terms of aggression, in your experience? Are they generally about the same or are there some in particular to watch out for?

This will help for future reference once I'm expanding my tank collection. And can any dwarf cichlids such as these be kept with other species of dwarf cichlids?

These are the ones I do tend to see around, can anyone try to rank them as such in terms of same species aggression? Thanks!
Apistogramma agassizii
Apistogramma cacatuoides
Apistogramma macmasteri
Apistogramma nijsseni
Apistogramma trifasciata

 

[Mike Wise]

The only apisto that I've ever kept that I thought would be happy living in a tank less than 10 gallons is A. wapisana. This is a very interesting species, but rather plain. Behaviorally, the sexes take the opposite roles, when compared to other apisto species. The larger female never grows larger than a Neon Tetra; the male is a bit smaller. Good luck finding this species. I've only seen it in the hobby twice in 30+ years. In a well decorated, heavily planted 10 gallon tank you probably will not have too many problems with a pair of A. borellii. In the past I used 10 gallon tanks for many species. I also lost some fish to aggression this way, so I don't really recommend them. If you are an experienced aquarist and willing to take a chance ...

 

[Mxx]

I will probably opt for A. borelli, either a pair, or a trio if I can find them not being sold in pairs. I'd recently seen them labelled on a tank at my LFS, though they happened to be out at the moment.

But once I finish some house renovations which will take a little while still, then I'll be able to do another slightly larger tank or two with different species.

 

[WuddyWoodpeckah]

Another option may be african shell-dwellers (or shellies), but they require hard alkaline water. I have kept Neolamprologus ornatapinnis in a 7G before and they did fine, barring the odd altercation.

Apisto's dont do very well in anything under 10G, as Mike points out. Having said that, I have had a spawning pair of nijsseni (!!!!) in a 10G for a year now and there has been no fighting (I have about half the tank foll of roots and drift wood).

 

[Joe]

For the 6 gallon or 10 gallon tank you could get some Dario dario. They're not a cichlid but look quite similar to cichlids and they are very cute! They also require similar care to dwarf cichlids - plenty of retreats, a densely-planted tank, and from what I've been told they like lots of live food. They are quite agressive though. If you wanted them for the 6 gallon then I'd stick to a harem. If you wanted some in the 10 gallon tank you could have a couple of harems maybe. For some dither fish I highly reccommend a group of Danio margaritatus, because they are very active and colourful and you will get a lot of pleasure out of them, and they are well-suited to small aquariums.

 

[Danny Barker]

i had kribs in with my apisto and the fought the whole time so had to seperate them

 

[Gwendal]

A. iniridae or D. filamentosus are of small size.






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