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sorry for so manny questions. Can you keep a pair of apistos with checkerboards?

Lucasalc46

Member
Messages
39
Sorry for posting questions so many questions but I had to ask

Is it possible to keep apistos with checkerboards in a 20 gallon tank? I know someone said you couldn’t but I was wondering if there was any way you could?

Also, is it ok to keep a single checkerboard or is that cruel?

Thanks And I’ll quit posting so many questions
 

BeastMaster

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
19
Location
Honolulu, Hawaii
Sorry for posting questions so many questions but I had to ask

Is it possible to keep apistos with checkerboards in a 20 gallon tank? I know someone said you couldn’t but I was wondering if there was any way you could?

Also, is it ok to keep a single checkerboard or is that cruel?

Thanks And I’ll quit posting so many questions
Never be afraid to post questions. If you can’t find the answer by doing internet research, posting in a forum is the way to bounce it off people that have prior experience to get a educated opinion.
With that being said,
I have to agree that placing more than a breeding pair in a small footprint tank like a 20 gal is asking for problems. In my tanks that have a 24”X12” area, I will only place a pair or trio of a single species with lots of sight barriers & hides. The tank height has no influence in breeding population size because dwarf cichlids are territorial benthic animals (bottom dwelling). Pick one species. Later if decide to expand your inventory of tanks (as many of us do!), then look to develop another habitat for a 2nd species of dwarf cichlid. Good luck.


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Lucasalc46

Member
Messages
39
Never be afraid to post questions. If you can’t find the answer by doing internet research, posting in a forum is the way to bounce it off people that have prior experience to get a educated opinion.
With that being said,
I have to agree that placing more than a breeding pair in a small footprint tank like a 20 gal is asking for problems. In my tanks that have a 24”X12” area, I will only place a pair or trio of a single species with lots of sight barriers & hides. The tank height has no influence in breeding population size because dwarf cichlids are territorial benthic animals (bottom dwelling). Pick one species. Later if decide to expand your inventory of tanks (as many of us do!), then look to develop another habitat for a 2nd species of dwarf cichlid. Good luck.


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Thanks, and what fish could go with that pair along with some pencil fish. Is there a mid dwelling fish that i could add other than the apistogramma sand Pencilfish?
 

BeastMaster

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
19
Location
Honolulu, Hawaii
The school of pencilfish are your mid-water species. They are favored over tetras because they are micro predators (small mouths), were as tetras can pick off fry. I’m not that interested in breeding to maximize fry production so, I do house other schooling species w/ my Apistos. I have a small school of cardinal tetras in one tank, a small school of dwarf pencilfish in another, a small group of harlequin rasboras in a 3rd tank & a small school of pristella tetras in a 4th.


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Lucasalc46

Member
Messages
39
The school of pencilfish are your mid-water species. They are favored over tetras because they are micro predators (small mouths), were as tetras can pick off fry. I’m not that interested in breeding to maximize fry production so, I do house other schooling species w/ my Apistos. I have a small school of cardinal tetras in one tank, a small school of dwarf pencilfish in another, a small group of harlequin rasboras in a 3rd tank & a small school of pristella tetras in a 4th.


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Ok, the diptail Pencilfish stays near the surface so do you think a small group of both those Pencilfish and some cardinal tetras with the apistogrammas would work?
 

BeastMaster

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
19
Location
Honolulu, Hawaii
I’m not going to encourage it but it looks like that’s what you want to do so try it. If it doesn’t work out, chalk it up to experience.


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chris1805

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
333
Location
Odijk, the Netherlands
You can keep Apistogramma's with dicrossus (they actually coexist in the wild as well) however not in a 20 gallon tank. I wouldn't go for the diptail pencil fish and some cardinal tetra's in a 20 gallon long. It's to many fish. Especially since a 20 gallon long is actually not tall enough to make the distinction between top dwellers and middle dwellers, as the diptail pencil fish get quite big, you will probably see them at the top and the middle collom of your water.
 

Lucasalc46

Member
Messages
39
You can keep Apistogramma's with dicrossus (they actually coexist in the wild as well) however not in a 20 gallon tank. I wouldn't go for the diptail pencil fish and some cardinal tetra's in a 20 gallon long. It's to many fish. Especially since a 20 gallon long is actually not tall enough to make the distinction between top dwellers and middle dwellers, as the diptail pencil fish get quite big, you will probably see them at the top and the middle collom of your water.
Ok thanks, I’ll just go with the diptail and a pair of apistogrammas
 

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