Fast flowing river dwarfs

[Yo-han]

Are there any Apistogramma or other dwarf cichlids that prefer fast flowing rivers?

 

[Mike Wise]

I know of no apisto that prefers living in fast flowing rivers, although some live on the periphery in slow backwater areas. Other dwarfs that live in areas with some current include species of Teleocichla and Mazarunia charadrica (the Red Patwa). Of course there are many West African dwarfs that are rheophiles.

 

[rr16]

Do Apistogramma barlowi not live in faster flowing waters sometimes?

 

[rr16]

Well, perhaps that should be flowing waters!

 

[Mike Wise]

Most apistos species live in fast flowing water for short periods of time, but not long-term. They definitely find it next to impossible to breed in such an environment. Why do you want to keep an apisto tank with a higher current??

 

[Yo-han]

I've a fast flowing tank and love apisto's. So wondered whether one would like that, don't want to force them into it, if they don't like it

 

[gerald]

consider Nanochromis or Steatocranus? Also Nannacara - I dont know if they come from lotic habitats in nature, but they seem to be strong swimmers and will "play" in the current in aquariums more than Apistos do.

 

[Yo-han]

Nanochromis are beautiful fish! I don't like the Steatocranus to be honest, but thanks for the tips!

 

[Yo-han]

Umzz... Nanochromis come from lakes, don't they?

 

[Mike Wise]

Nanochromis recently was split into 2 genera: Nanochromis and Congochromis. Most of the Congochromis species come from slow flowing/still waters while most of the Nanochromis come from fast/rheophilic waters.

 

[jmtrops]

I breed Teleogramma brichardi and Steatocranus tinanti and have spawned Gobiocichla wonderi and Teleocichla sp before and have never found it necessary to have a strong current in the tank. the important thing is to have clean water. Also T. brichardi and S. tinanti I spawn in hard alkaline water so they don't seem to care about the water chem. And yes my sex ratios are good.

 

[Yo-han]

I'm not looking to max flow for a species. I've a tank with high flow and looking for a dwarf cichlid that would fit in.

 

[rr16]

How high is high flow? Is it high all over the tank or are there lower flow areas/can you create lower flow areas? I'm not sure, but I get the impression that a "high flow" aquarium is often not very high flow in comparison to some rivers/streams in nature, but have never been to Apisto habitats and never compared flow rates between rivers and aquaria. If I remember correctly I have seen some Apisto in Ivan Mikolji videos which I think were with fry (could be mistaken on this!) and with a half decent water flow. I think they were either A. hongsloi or A guttata.
The paper by Romer describing A. barlowi makes reference to them being found in faster flowing habitats and suggests that the mouthbrooding exhibited by this species could be an adaptation to allow them to breed in faster flowing waters where leaf litter does not collect.

 

[rr16]

- A. hongsloi. I stabd corrected, no fry, not a strong flow as there's leaf litter and it's a morichal, but there is some flow if you look at the video. Not sure how this compares to an aquarium and what time of year this is/how it will change throughout the year.

This has some fish labelled as Apistogramma too, but again, no fry.
17 mins and 24 mins onwards in this one for Apisto.