Aggassizi dithers?

[Dis82]

I have a 40 gallon breeder setup with plants, caves, and driftwood. Right now the only fish in it are a pair of aggassizi, do they need dither fish to feel comfortable enough to spawn? Right now they hide alot. My water is also hard but I'm setting up my RO water for it.

Thanks for any advice.

 

[regani]

How shy they are can depend on a number of different factors: how much cover there is in the tank, how much light, etc.
it could work out without other fish in there. I have done tanks with and without other fish, but I have found that some other fish in the tank help the pair to bond and are definitely helpful once the female has laid eggs as she might become quite aggressive towards the male. a few other fish help distract her and give the male a bit more rest.
best pick for other fish are probably pencil fish (which I use) or some small tetras that don't eat the fry.

 

[Dis82]

Ok thanks for the advice. This is my first pair of apistos so I'm not very familiar with their behaviour. Would rummy nose tetras work ok? I always like how they shoal.

 

[Dis82]

Here is a pic of my current setup. The caves are all tucked away behind the driftwood. I'm planning on adding some small terracotta pots

 

[regani]

I haven't used rummynose tetras, so I am not sure if they will snack on the fry or not, other people who have experience with them may be able to help you out there.
with regards to the tank, you will probably need quite a bit more cover to help disperse aggression, especially if you are relatively new to apistos, they can be surprisingly aggressive at times.
here are some examples of the level of cover I use:
http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/index.php?threads/10-gallon-apisto-setups.13178/#post-71362
keep in mind that the pictures are taken from the short side of the tanks.

 

[slimbolen99]

Rummynose are essentially fry eating piranhas.

 

[regani]

Rummynose are essentially fry eating piranhas.

lol, there you go. better stay away from them then

 

[Dis82]

haha ok thanks, ill make some adjustments to the tank this weekend.

 

[Dis82]

I added some more cover. How are hatchet fish? Thx for the advice

 

[regani]

nice looking setup now. hatchet fish should be fine, I think, they tend to stay around the top

 

[bseitz234]

I'd think the same- they will jump, though, so make sure you have a good cover!