new apisto/dwarf cichlid tank

[Scooter]

I'm sure everyone gets tired of this kind of post, but I'm looking for info on people's practical experience here. I've got a newly acquired 75g nearly cycled and my plan is to keep multiple species of apistos/dwarfs in it. Available to me locally are the following:

A. gibbiceps
A. norberti
Apistogrammoide pucallpaensis
Cleithracara maronii
Laetacara dorsigera
and shortly, A. cacatuoide.

I don't mind to order something I can't get locally if someone has had good luck with a certain combination of fish outside the list above. My water is slightly hard and slightly alkaline and I'm aware that such parameters reduce my options (eg., norberti and gibbiceps prefer softer, < 7 pH water).

ZMan, let's see if anyone else has had similar success

 

[Neil]

Scooter,
You would probably be Ok putting any of the other (except norberti and gibbeceps) species in there. All of them could breed if the water isn't too hard. And Norberti would be OK in the tank but wouldn't spawn. They can be mean and territorial too. :twisted:
What specificlly are the pH and hardness?

 

[Scooter]

The pH runs around 7.6. KH is about 8 and GH is about 12. I've got an R/O unit on the way because I want to expand my options. I'm considering dwarf pikes down the road, among others.

 

[Neil]

The RO will be invaluable to you. When you get it, you can start considering the others on your list.

 

[Scooter]

Neil, I've been debating on the R/O for a while. I'm not a real big fan of changing the water to match the fish. However, there is a certain intrigue with keeping fish that require effort and forethought. For me fishkeeping remains an interest as long as some challenge is involved. Plus, I'm somewhat of a non-conformist. I don't want to keep what everyone else is keeping. Having R/O water at my disposal creates new challenges and adds opportunities. I've always been a New World dwarf cichlid fan anyway so it makes sense.

 

[Neil]

Scooter,
Well you have chosen the right fish. I have a friend that is a very knowledgeable fishkeeper and breeds many different types of fish. He always says that, if you can breed apistos, you can breed anything. I'm not sure that is quite accurate, but the idea is that apistos and Dwarfs present a spectrum of problems and require some micromanagement. Although this forum is getting pretty popular (compared to what I had expected) it is still a small group of people that do really well with them.
The reasons that you mention are exactly why I am so interested in them. It is kind of like reefkeeping. It requires some real thinking and management to do it well.

 

[Eva32181]

Apistos are hard to breed? Now he tells me.

Once you've got the hang of a plant tank, you can do anything. Breed neons or snails, up to you. I can personally claim to be an expert at snail breeding - I have hundreds of them in my tanks. I should start my own snail farm.

Neon breeding, on the other hand, did not work out for me. Not one baby neon ever hatched or survived - but for the record, I saw a baby lemon tetra in my tank a few days ago. Haven't seen one since, though. Alas, poor tetras. . . they were made to feed cichlids. So convineintly bite-sized. Why evolution hasn't given them the sense to not eat their own eggs as fast as they make them, I do not know.

 

[Scooter]

Well, right now I don't have any intention of purposely breeding any dwarfs. However, I suspect that the environment I've created will be somewhat conducive for such. If it happens, it happens. I know that the courtship/breeding bahavior is one reason some people keep dwarfs (or cichlids in general for that matter). But that's not my primary interest.

Anyway, Eva, please tell me you're not a Gator football fan. If so, I'm afraid I'll have to terminate any future correspondence with you. :lol: :lol: :wink:

 

[Eva32181]

I suppose you're a Vols fan, eh?

Actually I'm a senior at UF, but I haven't been to a single game. I'm an English major, but sorta wishing it was zoology or biology instead. Mine is more the tattoos and punk rock crowd than the frat boy football crowd. Oh and the fish nut crowd.

Borellii babies are about 1/4" now. Both my Ram pairs eat their wigglers, though. Maybe they'll figure it out eventually. The cacatuoides are growing really fast.

 

[Scooter]

You would be correct. I'm not only a graduate of UT, but I'm also an employee. Since you're still a student, I'll go easy on you. You still have time to learn NOT to be a Gator fan :lol:

Anyway, I envy you that you have some cacatuiodes. I can't seem to get them locally......yet. I do have some gibbiceps and a single steindachneri that I relieved my lfs of because they didn't know what it was. Good luck with those borellis!

 

[Eva32181]

You don't have to envy me - I got all my apistos from Neil. They survived the trip just fine, and are all doing great. Now if I could just find the room for another tank so I can get more . . .

 

[Charlotte]

Scooter- Neil has REALLY COOL cacatuiodes. I have seen them. They are GORGEOUS! just fyi....

-CL

 

[Scooter]

Thanks Eva and Charlotte. My lfs is supposed to be getting some, but so far they've not come through. They may in fact be getting them from Neil. I'm not sure if he wholesales or not, but I'm pretty sure I told my lfs to check with him on Apisto sales. I actually gave my lfs several contacts for Apistos, so I don't know who they're getting them from. But I intend to ask next time I'm in there.