new to dwarfs

[thomasp9021]

hi
after keeping several types of tropical fish for the past 4 years i have decided to keep and breed dwarfs i was hoping some one could suggest the best suitable species to begin with.
my tank is about 25 gallons and is decorated with rock and bogwood also sand substrate.
what are the best water parameters to aim for and how can i achieve the soft acidic water im told they will need.
my lfs is selling dwarfs labelled as red tailed cacs £10 per pair are these hardy and is that about the right price. how many pairs should i keep.
thanks

 

[apistobob]

my lfs is selling dwarfs labelled as red tailed cacs £10 per pair are these hardy and is that about the right price. how many pairs should i keep.

This would be Apistogramma cacatuoides and would be a perfect first dwarf cichlid for you. They are colorful and hardy. They do not need the soft acid waters that many species require. I would suggest a single pair if you are hoping to breed them. Be sure that you have several caves in your set up. They should have very small openings as the female will prefer a dark, secure cave for her eggs.

More info about A. cacatuoides at www.dwarfcichlid.com/Apistogramma_cacatuoides.php

Bob

 

[thomasp9021]

thanks bob thats very useful but i would still like to give them the soft water if only to practice getting it right for future more delicate dwarfs

 

[Mike Wise]

Making water soft and acid really depends on the water used. It would help if we know the values of the tap water you will use. Let us know & we can give you an answer to your specific conditions.

 

[thomasp9021]

my tap water is relatively hard with a ph of 7.2
also should i keep them alone or add other fish like dithers or cories perhaps

 

[Mike Wise]

I'm afraid "relatively hard" is a bit vague. Is there any chance you can find the permanent/total hardness (dGH/ppm) and carbonate hardness (dKH/ppm) values? Generally, the higher the carbonate hardness the less effective are chemical treatments (buffers/peat). If you plan to start with A. cacatuoides (which I highly recommend, too), you will probably be OK with straight water from the tap after dechlorination. This is a good rule of thumb: if you have no problems keeping Cardinal or Rummy-nose tetras in your tank, then you should be able to successfully breed A. cacatuoides in the same water.

I like to keep small dither fish in the tank with apistos. They make the apistos more comfortable with their surroundings. I personally like pencil fish.

 

[thomasp9021]

i will have to get a test for hardness i only say relatively hard because i have kept and bread mbuna in it. will the pencil fish not eat fry

 

[Mike Wise]

In general pencilfish do not hunt fry. The only exception at times is N. beckfordi.

 

[KevinC]

Good to know about the pencilfish. Most tetra are fry hunters generally, yes? Are some more so than others? Would be really interesting to see a list of which dithers (specifically tetras) are avid fry hunters and which are less so or not at all.