Most Peaceful Apistogramma?

[Garavar]

Have a very peaceful 90 gal community tank with Otocinculus Vestitus, Panda Corydoras, Boesemani Rainbow Fish and Cardinal Tetras. The tank is very understocked so room is not a problem. I would like to add some Dwarf Cichlid Apistogrammas that will keep the peaceful flow of tank.

I have watched dozen of videos and read articles but I cannot figure out which Apistogramma would be the most peaceful. Seems like Cacatuoides, Borellii, Hongsloi and Macmasteri might all be good fits from my research but cant decide which is the most peaceful. I would stock only 4, 3 females and a male or just all females to keep the peace. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MacZ]

Peaceful is relative. There's peaceful towards other fish and there's peaceful within the own species. All are more or less ignorant of other fish except when brooding. But among each other most can be vicious. Only exception from that is A. borellii.
And A. borellii would simply go under with the other stock you have.
So my advise: Get a single male of A. hongsloi or A. macmasteri and you will have a peaceful community. Don't get talked into getting a pair. A community is not a breeding tank.
And only females... They will be at each other's throats, too.

 

[anewbie]

I have found cockatoo to be vicious at times towards both their own species and other species. My wild caught cockatoo are among the most aggressive apistogramma i've had - they claim the entire 40B killing pretty much anything anytime. Domestic cockatoo i've had in the past have also been higher on aggression.
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Hongsloi i kept mostly alone in a 29 and m/f aggression could be high at times but they didn't bother dithers i had nor kuhli loaches.

Borelli were mostly peaceful but i've heard from others m/f aggression can be high. They are peaceful but smaller fish at least the ones i have.
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Never kept mac.
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Personally i would go with a nice opal borelli. Not sure what @MacZ means go under - though it might be a little drowned out.
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One fish i like a lot when you can find them are laetacara dorsigera blue form. They are a very robust fairly peaceful fish; though to get optimal colour you need a m/f. The blue form is not very common with most being red or black.

 

[Garavar]

I have found cockatoo to be vicious at times towards both their own species and other species. My wild caught cockatoo are among the most aggressive apistogramma i've had - they claim the entire 40B killing pretty much anything anytime. Domestic cockatoo i've had in the past have also been higher on aggression.
-
Hongsloi i kept mostly alone in a 29 and m/f aggression could be high at times but they didn't bother dithers i had nor kuhli loaches.

Borelli were mostly peaceful but i've heard from others m/f aggression can be high. They are peaceful but smaller fish at least the ones i have.
-
Never kept mac.
-
Personally i would go with a nice opal borelli. Not sure what @MacZ means go under - though it might be a little drowned out.
-
One fish i like a lot when you can find them are laetacara dorsigera blue form. They are a very robust fairly peaceful fish; though to get optimal colour you need a m/f. The blue form is not very common with most being red or black.

So if I do Opal Borellii should I only keep 1 like MacZ suggested for other species? Or can I get a pair? Or 1/3 male/female? Or two of same sex?

 

[anewbie]

I'd just keep 1 male. 2 might work depending on tank dimensions. Don't keep a female it will just create problems.

 

[MacZ]

Not sure what @MacZ means go under - though it might be a little drowned out.

With the rainbowfish and tetras they will likely get outcompeted, making either target feeding or heneralized overfeeding necessary. Depending on numbers the Corydoras might also factor into that.

 

[Garavar]

With the rainbowfish and tetras they will likely get outcompeted, making either target feeding or heneralized overfeeding necessary. Depending on numbers the Corydoras might also factor into that.

13 Tetras, 8 Rainbows, 6 Corydoras.

 

[anewbie]

With the rainbowfish and tetras they will likely get outcompeted, making either target feeding or heneralized overfeeding necessary. Depending on numbers the Corydoras might also factor into that.

When i mix the fishes similar to the op i normally feed the top fishes flakes and the cichild bug bite (small) which sinks. The smaller rainbows - never had the larger Boesemani and certainly cardinals prefer to swim through the food mid or high level and eat it as it falls; while the cichild are happy eating the pellets as they fall or off the bottom. As to over feeding - i guess it is relative in the 600 and 500 i tend to toss in a lot of food since the cichild are monster eaters and i need some of the food to get to the bottom - so it is certainly all getting eaten very fast but my m. festivus are rather chubby; in the smaller tanks like the 40B it is less of an issue.

So as long as the rainbow leaves the bottom alone (later grazing isn't an issue) the dwarf cichild regardless of species should be fine. Like wise the smaller more passive panda aren't going to be an issue. There are more aggressive cory that can be problematic.

 

[Memeboi]

Have a very peaceful 90 gal community tank with Otocinculus Vestitus, Panda Corydoras, Boesemani Rainbow Fish and Cardinal Tetras. The tank is very understocked so room is not a problem. I would like to add some Dwarf Cichlid Apistogrammas that will keep the peaceful flow of tank.

I have watched dozen of videos and read articles but I cannot figure out which Apistogramma would be the most peaceful. Seems like Cacatuoides, Borellii, Hongsloi and Macmasteri might all be good fits from my research but cant decide which is the most peaceful. I would stock only 4, 3 females and a male or just all females to keep the peace. Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

In a 90 I might put in 2 male borellii, provided there is room for 2 territories that have strong sight breaks.
Just my thoughts, Borellii is the only dwarf cichlid i've kept however, so I am no expert.

 

[Apistomaster]

I wouldn't expect any of the aquarium strains of A. cacatuoises to be problem in disposition even with a pair in a tank that large.
My experience with them is that the tank strains are quite domesticated.

 

[anewbie]

I wouldn't expect any of the aquarium strains of A. cacatuoises to be problem in disposition even with a pair in a tank that large.
My experience with them is that the tank strains are quite domesticated.

Just an fyi but i had a runt of a domestic male go on a terror spree in a 40B killing all other males.

 

[Garavar]

Thanks gang, as much as I'd like a few. I think I am leaning towards a single Borellii. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

 

[Apistomaster]

Just an fyi but i had a runt of a domestic male go on a terror spree in a 40B killing all other males.

Well, that's just bad breeding./s

 

[anewbie]

Well, that's just bad breeding./s

Well what can i say i ordered 6 1/2 inch cockatoo from a hobbist and one turned out to be a murderous runt. I had split them up and then when re-arranging things i moved it into a the 40 that had another male from the same group - anyway no real loss i'll never buy a domestic cockatoo again. the wc ones i have are also murderous but much nicer.

 

[Garavar]

Peaceful is relative. There's peaceful towards other fish and there's peaceful within the own species. All are more or less ignorant of other fish except when brooding. But among each other most can be vicious. Only exception from that is A. borellii.
And A. borellii would simply go under with the other stock you have.
So my advise: Get a single male of A. hongsloi or A. macmasteri and you will have a peaceful community. Don't get talked into getting a pair. A community is not a breeding tank.
And only females... They will be at each other's throats, too.

Quick clarification you are saying a hongsloi or macmasteri swim higher than Borellii?

 

[MacZ]

Quick clarification you are saying a hongsloi or macmasteri swim higher than Borellii?

Not what I had in mind, but you can see it as part of it. I'm saying they are more outgoing and would not be as timid and relying on what all the other fish leave over, As A. borellii would very likely. An A. borellii might simply not be quick enough and have to scavenge for the scraps. I was also implying rainbowfish and tetras are fast and greedy eaters, so less reaches the bottom.
If you get a single male Apisto of any of the species you will be fine. They beat up each other, not other species.
After I read the low numbers of the other species I would rather recommend stocking up the Tetras and Corydoras.

 

[Garavar]

Not what I had in mind, but you can see it as part of it. I'm saying they are more outgoing and would not be as timid and relying on what all the other fish leave over, As A. borellii would very likely. An A. borellii might simply not be quick enough and have to scavenge for the scraps. I was also implying rainbowfish and tetras are fast and greedy eaters, so less reaches the bottom.
If you get a single male Apisto of any of the species you will be fine. They beat up each other, not other species.
After I read the low numbers of the other species I would rather recommend stocking up the Tetras and Corydoras.

Really? I worry about bioload and starvation even though it's 90 gallon tank. I thought more than 6 Corydoras might not get enough food even with sinking pellets. Same for Cardinals, the bigger the group some might miss out on food.

I have been at this nearly two years so I am new and still learning. I am very cautious about everything. They are living things I treat them like I would a dog.

 

[Apistomaster]

I have found cockatoo to be vicious at times towards both their own species and other species. My wild caught cockatoo are among the most aggressive apistogramma i've had - they claim the entire 40B killing pretty much anything anytime. Domestic cockatoo i've had in the past have also been higher on aggression.
-
Hongsloi i kept mostly alone in a 29 and m/f aggression could be high at times but they didn't bother dithers i had nor kuhli loaches.

Borelli were mostly peaceful but i've heard from others m/f aggression can be high. They are peaceful but smaller fish at least the ones i have.
-
Never kept mac.
-
Personally i would go with a nice opal borelli. Not sure what @MacZ means go under - though it might be a little drowned out.
-
One fish i like a lot when you can find them are laetacara dorsigera blue form. They are a very robust fairly peaceful fish; though to get optimal colour you need a m/f. The blue form is not very common with most being red or black.

I think anewbies suggestion of some Laetacara spp. is well worth considering. Hard to pick out a more interesting Cichlid yet peaceable and able to defend itself. A fine representative of a "Good Cichlid" for this particular community tank. Big enough to be seen, small enough not to dominate the larger community.

 

[Garavar]

So of those options, Borellii, Hongsloi, Macmasteri or Laetacara. Which does the best in harder water?

I live an area of Florida where the water is very very very hard. Even with Ultimate Conditioner or Prime it still only goes down to about 350 ppm so about 18 dh.

Thanks again gang.

 

[Apistomaster]

I've had many wild caught discus pairs successfully raise broods in water with similar readings. The Apistogramma in your list are domesticated and Laetacara would also do fine.
I think maintaining high water quality is usually more important than exact water chemistry. And you are keeping Rainbowfish in this tank. You really are't letting the Dwarf Cichlids define the environment anyways.