Stocking Species & Numbers for a 6' 100g

[fl4ian]

I'm looking to keep some apistos, and hopefully they will breed for me as well. The main point of keeping them would be enjoyment, however, I would like to sell off any offspring. This means that there would have to be some type of market for the fish, either to enthusiasts or even as attractive community tank mates for the casual hobbyist.

What I'm trying to do is to determine the best species (1 or 2 or 3) that will live in relative harmony and that I will be able to sell. For right now, offspring will be raised in the 100g and not transferred to a grow-out tank (I realize that the numbers reaching maturity will be reduced). If I become serious about breeding, I can and will utilize grow-outs, but I'm starting slow and simple.

This tank will be heavily planted, as it will also be a plant nursery of sorts (to raise and sell off surplus plants as well).

I was thinking about A. Trifasciata. I don't really want to go with Cacautoides, and though the Inka's look interesting, I don't think they would be saleable to the casual hobbyist because of its attitude.

So here are my questions to the general expertise here:

1) What (and HOW MANY DIFFERENT) species should I be considering?
2) What quantity (general stocking level) of each species should I be considering?

Thanks for any help - I'm looking forward to the answers.

---todd

 

[tjudy]

I think that what you are describing is best accomplished with one species of a harem-spawning apisto. There are several species that would fit the bill. A. cacatuoides for sure, but you are not interested in those (but stores do love them because they are hardy, pretty and the store keepers know what they are). In a heavily planted tank that does not have much in the way of other fry predators a few will survive from each spawn. Eventually you will have a colony of a few very mature fish and many younger fish you can distribute.

The njisseni/panduro/beanschi group do not harem well, in my experience. The macmasteri/veijita/hongsloi types are good candidates, and so are aggies. I am not sure about trifasciata types.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
I'd agree with Ted, go for one of the red morphs of A. agassizi, A. hongsloi or A. macmasteri. If you do want to try mixing species you will need to make sure you can tell the sub-adult and adult females from the different species apart.

For what ever reason red fish are much easier to sell to a LFS. Where I live the tap water is very hard, and South American cichlids are very much a minority interest. I'd also put in a good word for A. cacatuoides, they are very good natured, and if you keep them as a harem you get all sorts of interesting interactions between the females.

I'm not sure how A. trifasciata would do, they are good as a harem, but the males are quite aggressive. Having said that it is such a big tank you may well be able to keep 2 or 3 males (3 might be better than 2). I love A. trifasciata, but when I kept them I couldn't sell the fry (I won't post fish), they are also much slower growing than A. cacatuoides. The same provisos would apply to A. borellii as well.

cheers Darrel

 

[fl4ian]

hmmmmmmmm... well, maybe I need to be looking at the cacs again.

The pros there would be that there's a wealth of information (I remember reading something about temperature influencing M/F ratios), they are harem breeders, and you guys are right, the LFS would probably buy them, and they have flexibility in water parameters esp. if you're not breeding them.

How many M/F cacs would you guys suggest in the 72" heavily planted 100g (realizing that I would be growing some up in there as well)? Assuming that the cacs will produce offspring that are single, double, and triple reds (for example), I imagine it would be hard to sell the single reds? If so what do you do with them?

 

[tjudy]

I would put in three males and six females. One or two of the males will end up dominant, but the less dominant male will get his opportunities. I havae a colony of A. ca. 'sunburst' in a 25 gallon (36"x12"x12") that has one really dominant male, two subdominant males adn about 8 females. They all grew up together. There were more, but I pull pairs when people want them. Now they are spawning regularly, and I pull the fry when they are free swimming because teh tank is small and not heavily planted. In a tank your size the colony could get quite large.

Another option is to find a breeder and buy a whole spawn at 1/4-1/2" and let them grow up... instant colony.

 

[fl4ian]

Once spawning is successful and fry become sub-adults, what is the colony size that the tank assuming overfiltration would support (in terms of behavior, etc.)? Cacs aren't long lived, only a couple years, right?

I'm assuming that I could get parts of the group from different sources for a stronger line, and combine them without difficulty?