Hello from Austin Texas

[dwightparker]

I joined here about a year ago, to read, research, and learn about something I had never heard about before.....dwarf cichlids!!
Fell in love immediately and finally found and purchased 2 pair of a.baenschi (seller threw in an extra female). Paid to have FedEx deliver overnight and all arrived alive and apparently healthy.
I was told this is not an overly active forum, but there is a lot of good information to search through.
In case I don't find the info I am looking for, are there any good bottom dweller/catfish type tank mates for these guys?

 

[Ade205]

Hi Dwight.

Sadly other bottom dwelling fish are not good tank mates for Apistos. I've kept single males as a center peice fish with cats with no issues, but if you have both boys and girls present, they are going to breed sooner or later and resulting in very serious aggression being aimed at the catfish due to the exceptional parental instincts of the Apistos. You will find many references to corys loosing eyes ect due to brooding females, they really are that aggressive.

Many times the concern seems to be ''will the cats eat the eggs if Apistos spawn?'', but it's a far fairer question to ask ''is it fair to keep cats incase my Apistos spawn?''

Each to their own though and I'm sure many have had success, but personally I wouldn't advise or do it after learning my own lessons when I first got into keeping Apistos!

Ade.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome!

 

[MickeM]

Hi..

I´ve sucessfully kept Hypoptopoma/Nanoptopoma sp. together with Apistogramma spec."Vielfleck" (Assurini).
Then in a fairly long, planted tank.. (90cm).
They were friendly and a perfect match, never bothered or came close to the Apisto-eggs/-caves or fry...
And when the Apistos stated their territory, they just swam off and continued their search for food somewere else...
The Apistos learned how they were acting and that they were nothing to be afraid of, a push with the mouth was enough to chase them away..!!

I also have a friend who keep his panduro-Apistos with Rineloricaria spec.L010a (Red Lizard Whiptail Catfish) and he reports of Apistos swimming with fry...!
So catfish similar to those might be worth to try !?

Cheers,
Micke

 

[dwightparker]

Hi..

I´ve sucessfully kept Hypoptopoma/Nanoptopoma sp. together with Apistogramma spec."Vielfleck" (Assurini).
Then in a fairly long, planted tank.. (90cm).
They were friendly and a perfect match, never bothered or came close to the Apisto-eggs/-caves or fry...
And when the Apistos stated their territory, they just swam off and continued their search for food somewere else...
The Apistos learned how they were acting and that they were nothing to be afraid of, a push with the mouth was enough to chase them away..!!

I also have a friend who keep his panduro-Apistos with Rineloricaria spec.L010a (Red Lizard Whiptail Catfish) and he reports of Apistos swimming with fry...!
So catfish similar to those might be worth to try !?

Cheers,
Micke

Thanks for the reply...will have to be on the look out