275 ltr amazon style biotope stocking

[peetz]

My 275 ltr aquarium has been moving in a blackwater style amazon theme due to beech wood tannins and evergrowing frogbit and jungle val. My stocking is a bit of a mismatch in terms of a true biotope and I am intending on changing things slightly to be able to house a little apisto pair or harem.
I am moving on a big featherfin and half of my loaches to accomodate the apistos. The planned stocking would be the following:
12 columbian tetra
4 botia histronica
1 bristlenose
3 pearl gourami 1m, 2 f
2 rainbow cichlid m&f
2 siamese alg eat
and the apistos ofc

I have lots of wood, rocks and plants as well as dense frogbit on top for gouramis and if able to go with apistos ill addd more caves, branches for cover.
So my question is can this work and if so what apisto species be suitable??
Looking forward to hear your ideas and thoughts.

 

[peetz]

Can I also add my ph is 6.5 and my tank has sand substrate .....it is nearly 5 foot long....thanks

 

[Mike Wise]

Welcome to the apisto forum. I have to say that you have so many bottom dwelling fish already. I find Botia and apisto don't mix well. Botias seem to be continually poking their noses into every cave they find. If you are thinking about breeding apistos in this community you can put that out of your mind. It is very very unlikely. The brushynose will find all of the eggs and eat them and the tetras will pick off most - if not all - of the fry that appear. If you want to only include apistos into the community, then remove all of the botias, and probably the Rainbow Cichlids, and just add some male apistos.

 

[peetz]

Thanks

Welcome to the apisto forum. I have to say that you have so many bottom dwelling fish already. I find Botia and apisto don't mix well. Botias seem to be continually poking their noses into every cave they find. If you are thinking about breeding apistos in this community you can put that out of your mind. It is very very unlikely. The brushynose will find all of the eggs and eat them and the tetras will pick off most - if not all - of the fry that appear. If you want to only include apistos into the community, then remove all of the botias, and probably the Rainbow Cichlids, and just add some male apistos.

Thanks mike.....yeah thats cool....I wouldnt want to endanger any fish in my tank. I have a little 80 litre tank which I can patiently build up using mature plants and media from my large tank. Ill come back when im ready.
Thanks for the input