Breeding pairs in 10G's

[workn4apistos]

Hello,
I am new here and have about 15 - 10G glass aquariums, I've seen threads about Trios in 20G long tanks but was wondering if a breeding pair of Apistos can be kept in a standard 10G filled with driftwood and light sand.

I'd like to set up about 4 pairs and would like to avoid buying new tanks.

Thanks for the help.

 

[workn4apistos]

25 views and nobody knows.

 

[mf3011]

I would think so...

I would say yes if you provided lots of cover and lots of plants or leaves and such to break up sitelines. I'd say it also depends on which type of fish you want. But, if you're asking me, I'd go for it. I have only 10 gallon tanks at this point as well so I feel where you're coming from. Of course, I am not as experienced as most of the people on this forum, so I could stand to be corrected

 

[apistobob]

I have kept and bred many different species in 10 gallon tanks. Some were easy and some proved quite difficult. In some instances aggression has been a serious problem. In those situations be sure to add lots of cover, more than you think you need. Driftwood is good but often leaves too many open areas. Sometimes you will need very dense cover such as a thick layer of oak leaves or very dense thickets of plants. In a 10 gallon tank the chase can be merciless unless you provide an environment that mitigates for the size of the tank.

You will also need to add a few caves for spawning. In my experience the fish will not usually hide in the caves to escape aggression unless there is nowhere else but they are vital for successful spawning.

Also, you will probably have better success in a 10 gallon if you can start with young fish. I strongly recommend pairs and not trios in a 10.

Here is my page with thoughts about proper habitat www.dwarfcichlid.com/Good_habitat.php

Bob

 

[workn4apistos]

Thanks for the replies. I will have them heavily planted with lots of oak leaves. They will also be young pairs -no trios so wish me luck as I will be creating their new homes this weekend.

 

[Zack Wilson]

Many Apistos can and will spawn successfully in a 10 gallon, but as others have said, it requires more vigilant watch and care. I would personally recommend going for more monogamous species. Most of the highly polygamous male apistos tend to be rougher on non-brood-caring females and can be a bit of a pest. If you have a single larger tank to house a group and allow them to sort of pair up, then move them to smaller tanks, that would be ideal.

 

[electric eel]

i haven't had much luck with apistos yet having sucessfully spawned only a couple kinds so far(agazisi and viejito)but i have kept many pairs of rams.i think from my experiences so far you are going to have some of the same problems i have had with rams with your apistos(at least i did with the agazisi)i have kept all my pairs of rams in ten gallon tanks and what happens is you will have aggression alternate from male to female.the males are testy when they want to breed but my agazisi female wouldn't even let the male out to eat while she had fry(even though she was little more then one third his size i worried for his safety)you are going to want to leave yourself some spare tanks so you can remove the male or female as needed.in my experience with rams the male and female both fight over the fry and eventually get frustrated and eat them.i usually remove the fry as soon as they freeswim but i believe if one removed the male the female would raise the fry.so far out of prob.25 pairs of breeding rams i have only had one or two that were willing to share the fry(although many but not all of my pairs would cooperate while taking care of the eggs and wigglers)that is one way you can tell they have eggs or wigglers.they will usually take turns coming out to eat with one staying with the eggs or wigglers.i think what you are going to try is very doable you are just going to have to keep a close eye on things and intervene before aggression gets out of hand.good luck!

 

[georgedv]

I am not an expert. I have been keeping dwarfs for a little over a year now...pelvs, apistos, nannacaras... At this time I keep them in 29gal tanks as they pair up. However, I want these tanks back to keep other fish. My plan is to transfer pairs to 10gal and trios to 20 longs. These last few months I have done mucho reading on diff apistos, pelvs..etc. The one conclusion i have drawn is that situations vary not only from one apisto to another, but also the "personality" of the fish in question. Apistobobs site and this site are full of info and ideas and have saved my "a_s" many times...well the fishs' too. Take your time and do searches for the type of fish in question and you will find loads of info. If none satisfy you ask questions. All mine have been answered. Look at it this way...I am a beginner...with all the info i got here, I have the confidence to write what I am writing.

Get ready to have loads of fun.


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