Breeding tank size?

[rubarb]

Hi again everyone,

I am about to put my current breeding set-up for sale and it's nearly time to order new tanks. But before I sell my set-up I am wondering what size tanks are ok for a pair of apistos. The tanks I'm selling are 2ft(L) x 40cm(w) x 1ft(h).

I am thinking of replacing them with 2x1x1 for the apistos and bn (kept separately of course). Is that ok to breed them, judging by other set-ups I've seen I think it will be ok for them but your opinion would be great.

Thanks,


Matt

 

[ste12000]

Hi Matt, obviously the larger the better! I have always had the best results and most enjoyment by breeding groups in my 1m long south American community tank. BUT.............

Not everyone has that much space and my fishroom is also tiny. It measures 11x6 and i have managed to squeeze in 35 small tanks that are specifically setup for keeping and breeding Apistogramma and west african dwarf cichlids. I use both 18x12x12 tanks holding 35litres and 18x10x10 for more peaceful dwarfs...These tanks are the very minimum size and i only have good success because i am dedicated and provide daily water changes and keep a close eye on the fish, always observe and be ready to act at any sign of aggression..Its easy to say here but i have lost quite a few fish where one half of the pair suddenly gets aggressive due to wanting to breed and fatalitys soon arise..

 

[Zack Wilson]

My personal favorite has long been the 20 long, which measures 30"l x 12"w x 12"h. In more recent years I switched to 30 breeders made by Perfecto Mfg. They measure 30"l x 18"w x 12"h. Same front viewing window as the 20 long, with an extra 6" front to back. Bottom space is the critical factor with dwarfs, and these provide an extra bit of space, both for the fish and for aquascaping. I've always had good success with this size and have found it very suitable for groups of single species breeding setups.

Larger can't hurt, but it does, as ste12000 stated, affect how many tanks you can fit in a given space and thereby how many different fish you might keep. In my case the 30Bs are a good compromise of volume and space useage.

 

[rubarb]

Thanks for the input so far. I either have two options and a bit more freedom as I haven't built the stand and ordered the tanks yet. The tanks I do have at the moment measure 110cm x 50cm (w) x 45cm (h) which I was going to use to colony breed them with 1-2m 4-5f and just go from there, but I was worried about fry being eaten and was just going to go with pairs in a 2x1x1 gives me a little bit of space for them, potential fry will only go in there for about 2-4wks then moved into the larger tanks as mentioned before. All will be operated using two 300l/m piston air pumps to run all tanks. If I need to get an extra filter for the bigger tanks then I will do that. The tanks will be turned so the the 1x1 will be the viewing area to allow for more tanks to go on the stand while still providing enough room for them to move.

Decorations will be a cave of some description with anubias tied on or at least something similar to that and a fine layer of sand/ada amazonia depending on other play choices if possible. So long as my garage keeps a pretty good temp as well as are suitable then I'm not going to have a problem with the rest.

Any more suggestions appreciated.

Matt

 

[ste12000]

What size room do you have?? it would all depend on the available space. I have all my tanks short end out to save space and squeeze in more tanks..pictures explain easier so here are some of my fishroom and racks..

 

[Csababá]

ste12000

What do you have on the shelves in the last picture?

 

[ste12000]

Top shelf is live food..Three tubs of Grindleworm and my brineshrimp hatcher that runs 24/7, also fishbags and glass cleaner ect..
The two middle rows contain 12 three litre tubs that i use for tiny fry, in these i can get the food directly in front of fry without it fouling a larger tank, these tubs get a 95% water change daily. Fry are generally moved to larger tanks at 3-4 weeks old.. In them i currently have

Apistogramma Barlowi
Apistogramma Gibbiceps
Apistogramma Hongsloi 3 weeks old
Apistogramma Macmasteri 4 weeks old
Apistogramma Macmasteri 2 weeks old
Apistogramma Nijsseni 2 weeks old
Betta Edithae 3 weeks old
Betta Simplex 1 month old
Betta Simplex 2 weeks old
Dicrossus filimentosus 3 weeks old
Fundulopanchax Gardneri eggs
Fundulopanchax Gardneri fry
Taeniacara Candidi

The bottom shelf holds bits and bobs and also my microworm cultures..Hope that helps.

 

[rubarb]

Awesome set up! That is pretty much the same as what I plan to do with mine. I am just using half of a double garage so I got roughly a 5m wall to use. I am really counting on the heat in the summer to make sure my tanks stay warm. I don't plan to have heaters in my tanks, I am not sure if I have said any of that before but that is my story so far.

 

[jose_vogel]

My 20 breeding tanks have the same size: 20"x18"x16" (l, w, h) or 50cmx45cmx40cm if you prefer.

 

[Csababá]

Thank you, Ste12000. I had a feeling that they were bbs but compared to what i have made... your density
Do you mean that you keep the very young fish/fry in those tubs? How can you change water without sipping them out?
I am new to breeding and so to say to aquaristic as well but this professionalism is amazing.
Should i have written these rather in pm?

 

[Hassles]

Tank Size

I started breeding Apistos in the standard 2 foot tanks eg: 2 foot x 1 foot x 1 foot or 60cm x 30cm x 30cm. I have also bred in 18 inch tanks. Based upon myu experiences and desires I have recently had 5 tanks built specifically for Apistogramma. 4 tanks are 750x400x300 (2.5 feet long by 16 inches wide by 12 inches high) which provides plenty of floor space. I also had 1 tank made which is twice as long with 4 removable divisions. This tank (5 feet / 150cm long) can be seperated into 4 x 15 inch divisions, into half or any other combination. This is essentially for the isolation of overly agressive fish and /or widowers. However this will be limited to species demanding very similar water characteristics as all 4 divisions will share a common water column.

I still breed in those standard 2 ft tanks but.....I have placed many more obsticles in them such as pieces of driftwood, rocks & slate, and plants and in doing so have found them more successful than I did during my earlier attempts at breeding.

 

[Csababá]

Do you mean that a lot of obstacles encourage breeding by a pair in a 2*1*1 feet tank?