Help Needed Regarding Stocking Combos

[madpiano]

Hello

I finally have all the stuff together (including money) to get my tank sorted out, but I could do with some help.

Tank Size:
Juwel 96 (81cm x 36cm x 46cm) -> 134l (110 minus gravel and deco)

Filter:
Eheim Ecco 2233

Water:
PH 7.5
dKH 4.48
dGH 10.08
Nitrate 15mg/l (could be 20, I struggle with different shades of pink )
Phosphate 2mg/l
Ca2+ 100mg/l
Mg2+ 60mg/l

Tap Water:
PH8
dGH 12.32
Nitrates up to 40mg/l

Water Change
30l / week (20l Tap Water, 10l RO Water)

I have started to add DIY CO2 last week and will add another lightbulb today. The difference the CO2 makes is amazing. The PH has come down from 8 to 7.5 and Phosphates and Nitrates have come down considerably (I take it the plants use more now). My Amazon Sword is fizzing away and even the crypts have bubbles. All this with currently just the standard 18W Philips Household bulb . Lights will be changed today to 2 18W bulbs, 1 Triton and 1 Gro-Lux. One of them will have a reflector, not sure which one.

Ok, now to the fish:

Currently the tank is a holding tank for some fish my BF no longer wants and is slightly (?) overstocked, but this is on purpose to get the filter working (added this 2 weeks ago in addition to the Juwel internal which will be removed nxt weekend).

1 Botia Dario, full grown
2 Pakistani Loaches, full grown (propably a pair)
1 Neon Rainbow Fish, full grown
2 False SAEs , full grown (again propably a pair as they get along quite well)
1 Female Ameca Splendens, Full Grown
5 Female Ameca Splendens, Half Size
1 Male Ameca Splendens, Half Size

The Tank will be emptied next weekend and the fish will go to the LFS (already agreed with them, unless some1 wants to have any ?). I will remove the Filter and will have to replace the Gravel (Laterite on the Bottom). It will then be replanted and Fish added. This is where I need some help. I don't know which fish to chose. There is so many and my tank is so small

Ok, long post , but here is the fish wish list:

Bottom Feeders
Corydoras axelrodi 3x (5cm)
Corydoras adolfoi 3x (5cm)
Corydoras pygmaeus 4x (2.5cm)
Botia Dario 1x (3 Inch)

Bottom Dwellers
Apistogramma Cacutuoides 1male 2 Females (8cm) (Should be ok in my Water ?)
Apistogramma Agassizii 1 Male 2 Females (8cm) ( I herad they are quite aggressive compared to other Apistos ?)
Krib 1 Male 1 Female (10cm, 8cm) (Too big ?)
Pelvicachromis taeniatus 1 Male 1 Female (9cm, 6cm) (Do they need softer water than Kribs ?)

Mid Swimmers
Cardinal Tetras (3cm)
Sunset Platies 1 Male 4 Females (5cm)
Neon Rainbow Fish 1 Male 1 Female (6cm)
Kili Fish (Which one ?)

Top Swimmers
Honey Gourami 1 Male (6cm)
Pygmy (Sparkling) Gourami 1 Male 2 Females (3 cm)

Fish in Hiding
Oto 3x (4cm)
Amano Shrimp 4x

Obviously I do not want all of them. I would like to have 1 of each (Bottom, Mid, Top etc). I want the tank to be colourful and active. I definitley want the Apistos or Kribs, but Mid Swimmers I am not so sure, I am very open to suggestions here.

Will I be able to keep shrimps with the above fish or do they eat them ?
If I get Apistos, do they have to be 1 Male / 2 Females or is a Pair ok as well ?
What about the Bottom Feeders ? I could keep the Botia Dario, as he really does keep the bottom clean, but I suppose he is a bit lonley, so would I be better off with Cories ? As Apistos and Kribs are Bottom Dwellers, how do they get on with Cories, especially when breeding ?

Tank will be heavily planted and I already have 2 Coconut Halves for the Apistos/Kribs.

Any Input regarding possible combos would be appreciated.

Thanks
Sabine

 

[kribs]

If you plan on breedin these fish then i would avoid the corys and the loach they love cavier. Also the kribs will eat your amano shrimp the taniatus will do they same when they get fully grown. I have had that problem.

 

[bobo31]

Just want to let you know my experiences. These are my first apistos but I have:

1 Agassizii male
a pair of Cacutuoides
and a female Nijsemmi ( the male committed suicide by jumping out )

My Agassizii hates them all. Especially the females. And he doesn't like any other fish in the tank either. Like my neons, cherry barbs, cardinals, or cory cats.

However the Cacutuoides are very peaceful.

Might just be my fish but those are my experiences as far as aggression goes.

 

[farm41]

I would keep it a south american tank. I like for your setup, a trio of cacatuoides, 3 cory's, and 8 cardinals, or my favorite, rummynose tetras. Amano shrimp too.

 

[aspen]

hi sabine. i would decide on which cichlids you like best, and stick with a single species. seem to get along nicely in a trio, (2 females competing for the male is better than the male persistantly chasing a single female works better, imo.) but adding 2 males has never seemed to work very well for me in tanks smaller than 35 gal. (yours is a 35 gal btw.) a. borelli's may accept multiple pairs, but not many others in a tank that size.

i would rather have the largest single species of tetra as possible, the activity level of a single species is better than mulitple species of smaller numbers. i like my beckford's pencil fish a lot. they are a mid level fish. for the top level, i keep silver hatchets. they almost never leave the surface. i also like rummy's, which are mid level. i would (personally) never keep platys. i find they are eating and pooping machines. there are nicer fish, imo.

matt likes cory's, but i wouldn't have them in a tank where i wanted eggs to survive. i would treat all plants to avoid snails, and alleviate the need for loaches.

the shrimps and oto's are perfectly ok. as are maybe some dwarf plecos. (my fav are gold spot dwarf bushy nose, but i'm not sure you would find them.)

do you have a quarentine tank? i consider that to be a MUST! a ten gal would be fine for your needs.

rick

 

[madpiano]

Hiya All

Thanks for your replies. It was really helpful.

I heard before that the Agassi Apistos are quite aggressive, so they will propably be out (shame, I prefer their looks from the Cacadoos).

So now the decision is either Cacadoos or Kribs. Apistos have to be kept in a Trio as I understand ? What about Kribs ? Can they be kept as a pair ? I know they get bigger than the Apistos, but if they are happy in a pair, I might be better off regarding tank size. I don't want to overstock, especially as I am hoping for babies.

Bottom Feeders
I can see the problem with the eggs being eaten, but I tried my tank before without bottom feeders and the floor got really dirty (due to the plants it is difficult to hoover) and I was struggling with high Nitrates. Since the Loaches are in, everything is fine. Snails aren't really a problem, more the lack of snails. I have some snails ready to go in the tank which are great algae eaters but don't touch plants. Currently they just end up as loach food. That's why I was thinking about Cories. Plecs would be fine, but do they go with the Otos ?

Midswimmers
Looks like most of you prefer Tetras. I think I might as well. They are nice and small. I was also thinking about Guppies, but only if you could assure me, that the Apistos or Kribs would eat the babies. (Thinking free life food here...)

Top Swimmers
No comments here, so I take it either choice would be ok ?

Fish in hiding
Otos are nice and keep the algae at bay.. What about the shrimps. I see that Kribs eat them, but what about Apistos ? Anyone got any experience ?

Quarantine tank
I have 2 spare 3 Gallon Tanks. Not perfect, I know, but currently they are just inhabited by Shrimps and snails. Would they do ?

Thanks again for your help
Sabine

 

[Scooter]

Am I right that this is a 35g tank? I would go with the cacatouides if this is your first crack at keeping apistos. I agree that agassizis are aggressive, but I've found individual fish vary in temperament. I have a tank that contains both agassizi (2m) and cacatouides (1m,1f), and the male cacatouides is at the top of the chain, followed by the female when she spawns. And I don't think you have to keep them as a trio. Though it would probably be wise with a tank the size of yours. Go with otos also. IME, the apistos won't bother them, unless the apistos spawn. And IME, the apistos will only chase them away but not do any real harm. Good luck. Go to Z man's website for some good info - http://members.aol.com/WnyZman/index.html - he keeps many species in small tanks.

 

[madpiano]

Thanks for that link. It is really good and interesting.

I will propably go with the Cactoides, unless the LFS has some of those other Kiblike fish in. I really like those Pink/Purple ones.

They said they are getting a delivery of African Fish this week, so I am hoping.

Just one more question:

In which order should I add the fish ? Do the Apistos go first? Or the other fish ?

 

[aspen]

>>'...and the floor got really dirty (due to the plants it is difficult to hoover) ...'

i use a piece of 3/8 (10 mm?) tubing tied to a piece of dowel, as a syphon, to vacuum between the plants. it works great, and is indespensible.

>>'In which order should I add the fish ? Do the Apistos go first? Or the other fish ?'

i start a planted tank with aglae eaters only at the start, then add the other fish slowly. adding tetras after the cichlids may mean a territory war. add the cichlids last, imo. and, after the algae and any other problems have been solved.

whatever fish you decide on, all fish should enjoy the same water conditions. do your research before you buy the fish. you will be more successful in your fishkeeping endeavors this way.

rick