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New fish

Melita

New Member
Messages
11
Location
Nova Scotia Canada
hi fellow fish people I am in need of information on my new fish macmasteri Viejita . Right now they are in 36 gallon with 3 Corey's and one atto cat . What can I keep with them ? I do have two Bolivian Rams but they are in my discus tank . I wonder if I can keep another pair. In same tank or other small dwarf .s ?
I am really. Intrigued with these little fish .
 

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Mike Wise

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,202
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Melita, you have 2 male A. macmasteri. They should be fine together in a properly decorated 36 gallon 36x12x18"/90x30x45cm tank. You might even be able to keep them with your Bolivian Rams, but I wouldn't recommend other apistos - especially if it's a pair (male/female). Why not try a nice school of small to medium sized tetras instead?
 

Melita

New Member
Messages
11
Location
Nova Scotia Canada
My rams are doing good with the discus ya I intend to put some schooling fish in there . With aspto .
What about some females would that cause problem ? Right now the smaller one hides a lot and is not displaying. His colour as bigger one .
 

Mike Wise

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Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,202
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Adding females will increase aggression in the tank beyond what it is now. If you want to do this, I personally recommend removing the less dominant male and cory cats, and replace them with 2 females. A community tank is not a breeding tank.
 

Melita

New Member
Messages
11
Location
Nova Scotia Canada
Right now there is no aggression I would like to put 4 or five females in to see if they would co exist I can remove one male if problem comes up .
The ones I have now do not come out when I put food it is that normal ? I feed blood worms frozen shrimp flakes and black worms I tried. Spectrum pellets as will .They hid in a cave or whatever most of time . I can remover Corey's to discus tank . Would like to add small group tetras or charains to give them cofidence .
 

Mike Wise

Moderator
Staff member
5 Year Member
Messages
11,202
Location
Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
My personal experience of 40+ years of keeping apistos:

1. Females are MUCH more aggressive to other females than males are to other male or female

2. Crowding apisto to the point where each fish cannot establish a territory of its own leads to significant losses; this is why I suggest less experienced hobbyists try to give each fish a territory ~1'/30cm in diameter with suitable visual boundaries

IMHO you will be making a big mistake by adding so many apistos in such a small area. As for your fish not showing, well that's the nature of apistos in general. Their sole purpose in Nature is to be eaten by piscevors (predatory cichlids, catfish, kingfishers and herons). Therefore they stay hidden unless they know they are relatively safe. Small fish swimming above them usually encourages them to feel safer about coming into the open. As for feeding, it's not unusual for apistos to be picky about what they eat. Unless it's live food, they usually wait until it drops to the bottom and later 'sift' it out of the substrate. They are, after all, geophagines (eartheaters).
 

Melita

New Member
Messages
11
Location
Nova Scotia Canada
I put some tetras in with my apestogramma unfortunately. I losted the bigger male yesterday I did everything I could to save him but with out success. I feel so sad he was bigger nicest one But the other is doing fine unfortunately the guy I got him from did not give me much info . He just stopped eating in fact I don't think I ever saw him eat after I brought him home I tried water changes and as last effort worming but he just keep going down hill . Can any suggest a good book about them although I have had many cichilds Apistogramma are relative new to me . I just hate loosening a fish that way .
 

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