Best small school for Apistos?

[MikeNYC]

I am considering either: a school of lemon tetras or a school of silver tip tetras. I love both of their golden colors and similar shapes.

Anyone have experience with either fish? I have heard more negative stories about silver tips, that they are a little nippy. My Apistos like to rule, so i don't want a fish that will challenge them. But, I can't imagine either fish will contest a pair of Apistos.

Any guidance on either fish would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[KenL]

If you plan on raising fry you might be better off with something like pencil fish. Tetras are pretty adept at picking off fry.

 

[mooman]

I use hatchets in my 29g display. They just aren't built for grabbing fry off the bottom.

 

[cdawson]

If you plan on raising fry you might be better off with something like pencil fish. Tetras are pretty adept at picking off fry.

Agreed, pencilfish and hatchet fish are your best bet, lemon and silver tips are far too predacious to be kept with fry.

 

[kenkht]

Will Endler's Livebearer and Killies be a problem for Apisto Fries? I would like to breed the Endlers and also thinking of keeping and breeding Apistos. The problem is that I have only 1 tank. I wonder if it is possible.

I have a 30g tank (footprint 30in x 15in) and very heavilly planted with Java fern, Nana, Java moss and some floating duck weeds.

 

[KenL]

Endler's livebearers (a strain of Guppy, yes?) will probably not do well in soft/acidic water required for breeding most Apisto species. What is the water in this tank like at the moment?

Killi-fish, although good compatability in terms of water chemistry and OK with adults are very predacious. The only killi that would not be a problem with fry in my opinion are the rocket killi, Pseudoepiplatis annulatus. These are really attractive, small and like to live at the surface in floating plants. You may even get some fry of their's appearing at the same time and hiding well in floating plants.

 

[Greg PL]

Endler livebearers should do well in soft water, you may even see some of their fry survive if the vegetation is realy dense. they pose no treat to apisto youngsters.

 

[MudFrog]

Endlers originally come from a hard water pond in Venezuela. They will live in soft water and you might even see a fry or two but soft water is not a good choice if your breeding.

I had endlers in a 90 gallon took as many as I could out...started softening the water for the Apisto's and the one male endler I had in there lost all color and now looks like a female.

The Apisto's don't bother them...yet. But mine are still very small. I don't know what will happen when they start breeding. As you know Endlers swim in all area's of the tank so they will meet sooner or later.

Lisa

 

[kenkht]

Thanks for all the advise. I have decided to give the Endlers' their own tank. I guess, for breeding, it is best to have species tank.

 

[kenkht]

While we are on this subject...

How about Harlequin (Rasbora heteromorpha). Do they disturb Apisto's Fries?

 

[fredmir1]

What about using Cherry Barbs ????

 

[patrick1]

i found the pencill fish very attractive and they do very well in my tank i have a school of nanostomus marginatus