hello

[apisto-curious]

hi all i'm new to the site.currently i have sa and ca cichlids and am interested in starting an apistogramma cacatuoides tank.i have a spare 15 gallon tank(foot print 24"x12")is this tank too small for a pair?i know nothing about these beautiful little fish and am looking for advice from people who have or are currently keeping these guys thank you.

 

[apisto-curious]

i'm sorry did i post in the wrong section?

 

[Apistt_ed]

...

hello and welcome,
You're in the correct place... it only takes a little long sometimes but sure enough there are many who can help you out as soon as they get the chance to. Well, welcome to the world of apistos. Hopefully I can help to start you on your way with these beautiful and interesting little guys. A. Cacatuoides are great starting fish! They are some of the prettiest of apistogrammas around and have been well established in the hobby with multiple strains (color morphs) and are rather inexpensive these days and will do fine in your 15 gallon tank. A 15 gal tank with a good assortment of plants (anubias, amazon swords, Java ferns, and java moss). Any plants would do as long as it's well planted and there are enough hiding spaces until the fish get comfortable with the tank and people coming in and out in front of the tank. Along with the plants many in the hobby add terra pots and drift wood pieces which are almost essential if you had intentions on breeding them (the pots are more important as they will use it for that purpose). A natural fine substrate should be also put in there.
I also didn't catch where you were from and didn't know how your water was there. There are many different views as to the water parameters for cacatuoides but the experts have said that anything between ph 5,0 - ph 8,0 will do as long as it is maintained well enough with regular frequent partial water changes. My usual is 20% water change at least once every week or so. Even with all that said, many as I do, keep our fish in water of neutral ph or lower because it seems to make the life expectancy(of the fish) longer and more productive(spawns) . As with ALL apistogrammas, the health of the fish is dependant on the water. Instead of running a " hang over the top of tank" filtration, most will stick to a sponge filter. I use the ones that need the aid of an air pump but there are also those that can be used with a powerhead. It's almost standard for dwarf cichlid keepers to use sponge filters instead of any others because of it's benefits during spawning and it's simplicity (maintenance wise). With that said, many will refuse to use carbon filters because it (the carbon) will adversely affect the ph.
I have right now, 5 cacatuoides in a well planted 20gal long tank and they are doing great... so your 15 gallon would do well for a pair or even a trio (of 1male & 2 females) as one male Cacatuoides will successfully spawn with any female within his territory. Well, hopefully this helps you little as I am sure that I have left out much much more but this is about what you will need to get started. I hope you do get those Cacatuoides and enjoy them!

John

 

[apisto-curious]

thank you for the welcome apistt_ed.i live in northern california and my water is slightly acidic (6.8)and soft.are those plants that you mentioned low light plants?all i have are fake plants now as my sa and ca's just uproot them.i've also never had a planted tank.i also forgot to mention that i have nitrates coming out of the tap at 20 ppm.i didn't worry about the nitrates with my other fish as they are all pretty hardy species,but i'm wondering if the cockatoos will have a hard time with it?usually by the end of the week nitrates are up to 30-35ppm.thank you for the wealth of information it's greatly appreciated.right now i'm doing my homework on these little guys so i can provide a good home for them when i finally get them.

 

[Neil]

apisto-curious,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM

John has given you some sound information. your water is fine for cacatuoides and your nitrates should not cause you any problems. It may be more of an issue with some of the more difficult species of Apistogramma, but not with cacs.

As far as plants and a planted aquarium, you will not need to worry about apistos uprooting plants. They are an ideal planted tank resident. The above plants are indeed low-light and can be maintained with only one bulb or ambiant light. however, there is notproblem with using plastic plants. The main thing is to give them some structure in the tank to aloow for hiding places and escape routes in case of squabbling. Any structures can accomplish this (wood, rocks, plants, foam filters or artificial aquarium decoration, if that is your thing), but you will want a cave or 2 because that is where the really good stuff happens.

It is a wise thing to research before jumping into something like Dwarf Cichlids. Cacatuoides are one of the easier apistos, but will definitely benefit from their keepers knowledge of their needs.

Good luck,

Neil

 

[apisto-curious]

thank you neil for the welcome,and the much needed advice.

 

[rsa1]

apisto-curious

Hi apisto-curious,
Are you still here? I'm also a Hayward resident. If you are still interested in setting up a planted tank for dwarfs, I have some java fern and african fern I can give you. They are great plants, very tolerant of low light conditions, easy to care for. Tie them to pieces of driftwood, your dwarfs will love it. Send me an email.
[email protected]

 

[apisto-curious]

hello rsa1 thanks for the offer.i e-mailed you yesterday did you get it?i also sent an attachment.hope to hear from you soon. 8)