New Tank, Need Help with Stocking

[Mike Wise]

Sadly, I think you want too much for such a small tank. Tanks with small surface areas and cichlids rarely work well together. Me? If I wanted a nanotank community of small fish it wouldn't have more than one dwarf cichlid (if any at all!). If your heart is set on trying to keep a pair of apistos in your tank then try it. Just don't be surprised if things don't go as well as you hoped.

 

[Leliana10]

Sadly, I think you want too much for such a small tank. Tanks with small surface areas and cichlids rarely work well together. Me? If I wanted a nanotank community of small fish it wouldn't have more than one dwarf cichlid (if any at all!). If your heart is set on trying to keep a pair of apistos in your tank then try it. Just don't be surprised if things don't go as well as you hoped.

I don't have to have all those fish in the tank, it is just a thought. I would be fine with just some cichlids and a 2 snails. Would that be fine in my tank?

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[abrooks12376]

Not sure if this has been addressed. 250 watt heater is way to much. 50 watt would suffice.

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[Leliana10]

Not sure if this has been addressed. 250 watt heater is way to much. 50 watt would suffice.

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It is a 100 watt heater. That is my mistake.

The reason for the above 50 watts heater is because my room gets cold in the winter, like 60 degrees or so. I also have a window air conditioner in my room in the summer.

Would my tank be fine with 2 Apistogramma Borellii and 2 snails or 4 shell dwellers and 2 snails?

I haven't yet decided between the borellii and the shell dweller yet. Which is why I'm asking about both.

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[Mike Wise]

Either would probably work if the tank is properly decorated with visual territorial boundaries (for A. borellii) or enough shells for the shellies. If the snails are larger species they should be OK with the apistos; I've no experience with shellies and live snails.

Re: heaters. The old rule of thumb was 2W/gallon for every 2°F wanted above minimum room temperature. I personally hate heaters. I've cooked/frozen too many fish due to faulty heater - doesn't matter brand or price. I have the luxury of heating a fish room, which you don't. A good idea for every aquarist, new or experienced, is to get in the habit of feeling the water of your tank(s) each time you feed the fish. If it's too hot, you know the thermostat is stuck closed. If too cold, you know the thermostat is stuck open. If you get a 'tingle' - or worse a strong shock - you know the heater tube is cracked or it has a short. Time to repair or replace! One advantage of A. borellii is that it handles cool temperatures better than most apistos. Staeck collected the fish in waters at 50°F/10°C, but I wouldn't keep them below 65°F/18°C.

 

[Leliana10]

Either would probably work if the tank is properly decorated with visual territorial boundaries (for A. borellii) or enough shells for the shellies. If the snails are larger species they should be OK with the apistos; I've no experience with shellies and live snails.

Re: heaters. The old rule of thumb was 2W/gallon for every 2°F wanted above minimum room temperature. I personally hate heaters. I've cooked/frozen too many fish due to faulty heater - doesn't matter brand or price. I have the luxury of heating a fish room, which you don't. A good idea for every aquarist, new or experienced, is to get in the habit of feeling the water of your tank(s) each time you feed the fish. If it's too hot, you know the thermostat is stuck closed. If too cold, you know the thermostat is stuck open. If you get a 'tingle' - or worse a strong shock - you know the heater tube is cracked or it has a short. Time to repair or replace! One advantage of A. borellii is that it handles cool temperatures better than most apistos. Staeck collected the fish in waters at 50°F/10°C, but I wouldn't keep them below 65°F/18°C.

Okay. So I can have either fish, just now comes down to me deciding which one I like better or can get easiest. I can get more plants to help with territory establishing, if that would work. Would I need cichlid caves for the borellii? If I did go with the shell dwellers, could I get the shells off amazon? Or is there somewhere I should look for them? Would I be looking at sea shells or snail shells? Or do the fish not have a preference?

The snails I'm looking at are ramshorn snail but I can get mystery snails if the ramshorn won't work.

Okay, so temperature wise I should lean more towards more borellii, because they have a greater temperature range they can tolerate?

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[gerald]

Shells for shellie cichlids: Any kind of wide-mouth, short-spire snail shells will work; they can be freshwater, marine, or land snails. Many shellie keepers use escargot (european land snail) shells from a grocery store. Whelks, Murex, Tonna, Turbo, Moon, Apple, and many others are also good. I prefer to smash a hole at the tip of the spire with a screwdriver and hammer, so a little current can move through it. The hole also helps if you need to get fish out.

 

[Leliana10]

Shells for shellie cichlids: Any kind of wide-mouth, short-spire snail shells will work; they can be freshwater, marine, or land snails. Many shellie keepers use escargot (european land snail) shells from a grocery store. Whelks, Murex, Tonna, Turbo, Moon, Apple, and many others are also good. I prefer to smash a hole at the tip of the spire with a screwdriver and hammer, so a little current can move through it. The hole also helps if you need to get fish out.

Okay! Thank you!

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[Leliana10]

I have decided that I'm going to go with the Apistogramma borellii. I have ordered my two snails and I will be looking at adding more plants to my tank over the next month or so. Still not 100% sure on the nano fish, like chili rasboras or something equally small. I may or may not go with them, still haven't decided.

I just need to find a good place to get the fish from as I only have petsmart and petco by me and I have never seen apistogramma fish there before. I could get them from The Wet Spot but they don't guarantee that you are getting the sex of fish that you want.

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[gerald]

It's hard to be certain on sex with juvenile Apistos, or even adults sometimes when they're faded out in a wholesaler's bare tanks. Wet Spot is being realistic and honest with their policy. Do you have a local fish club in your area that you can do a group order with? Then you could get more fish and trade around later if you dont get the sexes you want initially.

. I could get them from The Wet Spot but they don't guarantee that you are getting the sex of fish that you want.

 

[Leliana10]

It's hard to be certain on sex with juvenile Apistos, or even adults sometimes when they're faded out in a wholesaler's bare tanks. Wet Spot is being realistic and honest with their policy. Do you have a local fish club in your area that you can do a group order with? Then you could get more fish and trade around later if you dont get the sexes you want initially.

I don't think there is a local fish club in my area, how would I go about finding that out?

Oh! I ordered my snails and they should be here on the 31st!! Though the tracking information indicates it might be here sooner. Should I look at getting some small nano fish, like chili rasboras maybe? Or would that be a bad idea?

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[gerald]

Small rasboras or tetras usually go well with A. borellii. It's safer if the non-cichlids get established first; that way the cichlids are less likely to be aggressive toward them.

 

[Leliana10]

Okay. So for tetras could I do some ember tetras? Would 6 of each be too much or too little? I was told on another site that the chili rasboras and ember tetras should be at least 10 each.

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[Mike Wise]

I hate to have to say it but your tank doesn't have enough surface area for so many active fish. Volume is less important than surface area.

 

[Leliana10]

I hate to have to say it but your tank doesn't have enough surface area for so many active fish. Volume is less important than surface area.

Okay. Could I do just the chili rasboras or ember tetras? With the snails and borellii?

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[Mike Wise]

You can try it and let us know how it works.

 

[Leliana10]

You can try it and let us know how it works.

Okay. I will try with the chili rasboras, does 8 sound like a good number? I was told 10 on another site but am worried that might be too much.

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[Leliana10]

My snails arrived on Thursday and are settling in just fine!!

That is one of the snails. They are moving all over the tank and so far none have tried to escape.

 

[gerald]

Ramshorn snails (Helisoma, Planorbella) like that one are pretty good about staying in the tank, and they usually won't eat healthy plant leaves; just the old or dying leaves. Physa and Physella snails are pretty plant-safe too. But avoid Lymnaea snails - sometimes they eat the new leaves.

 

[Leliana10]

Ramshorn snails (Helisoma, Planorbella) like that one are pretty good about staying in the tank, and they usually won't eat healthy plant leaves; just the old or dying leaves. Physa and Physella snails are pretty plant-safe too. But avoid Lymnaea snails - sometimes they eat the new leaves.

Okay! I was worried about the snails getting out of the tank after we had a gold mystery get out of one of our other tanks.

I have ordered some cichlid caves and cichlid food for my soon to be fish. I plan on looking at different sites, seeing what the price is for 2 of the borellii as I won't be getting the fish till next month or so. It gives me time to find a good price and make sure I have everything I need.

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