Less aggressive apisto

[PissBabyTheFourth]

Gotcha, maybe I should get a single male?

 

[Ben Rhau]

It's not about aggression and if so it's one-sided the cichlids shushing away the hatchets. It's just that both species like the same part of the water column. Conflict would simply mean stress for both species. Though if the cichlids start to breed... only way would be to remove the hatchets in that case.

I believe they are benthopelagic, but even if they enjoy being among the roots... I think aggression would most likely occur in defense of a brood, which would be in a cave at the bottom. I'm not sure I'd rule out this combination. Borellii also like to swim among plant roots, but is commonly kept with top dwellers.

What does your friend keep them with?

 

[MacZ]

What does your friend keep them with?

He kept them in a species tank as far as I remember. But I think there were some Otos in it as well. Got to ask him when the opportunity arises.

 

[PissBabyTheFourth]

Maybe for this tank it’ll be better to just get a single male or just no apistos? I hadn’t realized how aggressive apistos can be until I came here lol. I will have a spare 10 gallon that I’ll use as a quarantine for the fish going in the 20 gallon. When that’s done maybe I could get a pair of apistogrammoides in there?

 

[MacZ]

I hadn’t realized how aggressive apistos can be until I came here lol.

It's not that bad actually. Fish like Mbuna are much more aggressive and actively kill each other. Thing is more that Apistogramma and generally dwarf cichlids have a different kind of territoriality. It can easily end with the death of a fish if the tank is too small, stocking density too high or the structure is lacking. But most often the fish don't kill each other, but chase each other until the subdominant specimens die of stress, exhasution, starvation and/or diseases, just because they get no slack.
Plus many of us keep quite rare species. So for most it's imperative to not let the fish die of stress they inflict on each other. For some the solution is to only keep single fish in a smaller tank or maybe some males in a bigger one, but to prevent breeding except absolutely intentional. And if that's the case, people are prepared: Several tanks, also to separate the fish if needed, lots of structure in the tanks etc.
Considering all that, I think it's no wonder it appears as if we are talking of extremely aggressive fish.

The biggest mistake in my opinion is to try and keep a "community" tank or a display tank and put a pair or harem of Apistos in it and to expect that to be peaceful. That's what many people new to these fish expect and one has to make clear that this expectation will hardly be met.

 

[PissBabyTheFourth]

Gotcha, I’ll have a spare 10 gallon sometime in the near future so maybe I could use it for a pair of apistogrammoides pucallpaensis

 

[Ben Rhau]

Gotcha, I’ll have a spare 10 gallon sometime in the near future so maybe I could use it for a pair of apistogrammoides pucallpaensis

I think it's sensible to separate the two tank ideas and reduce the variables for success in each tank. In the meantime, you could maintain floating plants and leaf litter/botanicals to mature in the 10 gallon. It's always better for the fish to do things slow.