Hello from California

[Cubeology]

Well I have been addicted to aquarium fish and plants for some 15 years now, but I am purchasing for the first time a pair of apistos, specifically apistos location 53. I have to actually win the auction tomorrow, but based on bidding history of previous auctions I should be the owner of some neat fish. If not I'll try again. I hope they look as good as I think they do based on a rather poor video. Google doesn't pull up anything much on a search for location 53 except the seller's website, and this forum. A member her posted some pictures of medium quality of some juveniles which doesn't tell me much either. So that is how I found this forum.

I am a planted tank enthusiast but I don't follow this trend of massive lighting and complex CO2 systems. No offense to anyone, but I think it is totally absurd to take a natural hobby and throw so much excessive technology at it when you can grow a lush aquarium with many different plants without it. Most fish don't like all that light anyhow. Most of my fish in the past have been relatively common, my attention was on the plants. I have had and have some show quality bettas, but that is a different thing.

I have read a whole lot about these fish. I have a odd 18 gallon tank that is a new set-up (in an old tank) for these guys and the only fish in there right now is a couple platys who have had the job of keeping the tank cycled. I have a couple of carefully selected pieces of driftwood that form nice caves, and of course a whole lot of plants.

But if I have a question it is about dither fish, what is best. I have neon tetras in another tank which I thought of transferring over. Or I could purchase new fish, either way I will be buying fish because if I move the neons I will be replacing them with something for that other tank. The whole idea of dither fish is new to me, I guess it is a cichlid thing.

I'm glad I found you guys, it's nice to find a specialized forum, especially when I am completely new to this interesting genus.

 

[Cubeology]

I was looking up dither fish, but I thought of something that either would work or is completely wrong, I don't have enough cichlid experience to know. Could pygmy corydoras be used as dither fish. They school and spend most of their time in the mid-level. Or would the apistos attack them when they came down to the bottom to scavenge.

 

[regani]

In general apistos are not bad community fish, they are territorial but more so towards their own kind. Problems tend to arise when they start to breed and the female (and to a degree the male) becomes very protective of fry and eggs.
The corydoras are also reasonably well armoured so they should be ok in that regard. On the other hand the corydoras may become a problem for the fry as they may prey on them.
A common dither/target fish for apisto tanks are pencil fish, which don't eat the fry because their mouths are too small. although there was one species of nannostomus mentioned on this forum somewhere that apparently does eat fry, can't remember exactly which one. I use golden pencil fish and they are fine. Another option are green neon tetras, which are safe as well. Stay away from normal neons, though as they do predate on young fry.