37 Gallon Stocking

[Skiploder]

I have an established 37 gallon (24.5"W x 18.5"D x 21.5"H). It is heavily planted with rotala, cogensis, barteri, wisteria, and lutea. It also contains driftwood, caves, etc. The substrate is a gravel/pfs mixture.

Until now, I have been keeping a mated pair of honduran red points in the tank. They will be moving to their new 80 gallon in the next few weeks.

I am seriously thinking of getting into apistos. I would like to start with possibly a pair or trio of one of the hardier species (borelli) and mix in some cherry shrimp, a school of hatchets and maybe a school of pencil fish.

Question - is this doable with the 37 gallon cube footprint? If not, what would work?

 

[Apistt_ed]

hello,
I wouldn't see any reason why it wouldn't work. The tank seems sound enough. A. Borellii are great starters for anyone. They have been spawned in pure tap water with neutral or slightly above ph. You didn't include your water parameters, so I can't really say if you're water is too hard or so on, but borelliis do well in most water and aren't as demanding as other apistos are. With a 37gallon cube tank, like yours a trio of borellii would do fine. Borellii have also been bred in non traditional standards, such as colder waters but this does make the m/f ratio one way or the other. Welcome to apistos, and the forum :wink: , as they are great little fishes. and Hondurans in an 80 gallon? WOW, they must be spoiled! I love the ones that I had too! good luck! hope this has helped.

 

[Skiploder]

Any information helps. Apistos have the same sort of rep that tropheus have - beautiful but hard to care for.

My pH (in this tank) runs about 6.4 to 6.6. I have been using boiled oak leaves atop the substrate for a while (I have a seemingly unlimited supply), run peat in the canister filter and have CO2 injection. Hardness hovers between 8 and 10 degrees.

The red points will have to share the 80 gallon with a few tankmates. They are getting this tank by default as my 150 gallon community is stocked and my 90 gallon planted west african is home to a mated pair of h. fasciatus.

Again, thanks for the information and the well wishes.

 

[Apistt_ed]

Hello again,
with the parameters of your water and the filtering of the peat, you should have no problems at all. Good luck!