Which Apisto?

[ColinMackenzie]

Hello. I am a rainbowfish breeding enthusiast and an active member on many of the rainbowfish forums. I am looking to expand my palette and am considering purchasing a pair of apistos for breeding. What interests me most in aquarium keeping is acquiring beautiful/unique/rare species and breeding them such that their genetics stick as close to the wild form as possible. I will be looking to purchase either wild or F1 fish. Given this information - does anyone have a good suggestion on some interesting species I should keep my eye out for? I am really a beginner with cichlids, although an experienced fish keeper, and would love it if some of you apisto experts could point me toward some species. Thank you so much!

 

[Mike Wise]

I once used common rainbowfish (and Giant Danios) as dither fish with a breeding pair of Pelvicachromis sacrimontis (aka Giant Krib). It worked very well for me. I got good numbers of fry and no damage to the dither fish. Pv. sacrimontis is periodically available, but its biotope is being increasingly threatened by deforestation for crop use. I think it would fit your desires.

 

[ColinMackenzie]

That's terrific advice and just the type in looking for. I should say I intend to keep whatever cichlid I get in a species tank and it won't have to compete with large, hungry rainbows. Any other suggestions as great as the last one are encouraged and appreciated. I'd like to have a list of three or so to choose from. Thank you!

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
If you are in the UK? you could try PM'ing Steve Chesters (Ste12000), he will have some Apistogramma that fit your requirements.

Iriatherina werneri (Threadfin Rainbow) is a good dither for Apistogramma, as they only eat very small food items.

cheers Darrel

 

[gerald]

Pretty much all of the "not-too-overly-domesticated" Apistos (cacatuoides, agassizi, macmasteri and steel-blue are what I'd call "overly-domesticated"), Taeniacara, Laetacara, Nanochromis, Pelvicachromis, Congochromis, Anomalochromis, Dicrossus, etc are fish you might enjoy. Consider your water conditions - if you want cichlids that are happy in the same water you use for rainbowfish, then avoid the obligate blackwater species.