New to dwarf cichlids

[jrsq]

Hi,
I am new to SA cichlids but have bred and raised africans for years. I'm really impressed with the colors of some of the appistos and would like to breed and raise them but want to do the research first.

I have a 75 gallon tank I would like to dedicate to a biotope tank and a small amount of experience with a planted amazon tank for the last year
(120xh discus/plants/cardinals/cupids)

My specific questions are:

1. Are there any other sites that are good that I should visit to research?

2. Is having wild caught breeders as big a deal as it is with africans - If yes where do you recommend?

3. Do you recommend RO water and if so how important do you think it is?

4. Other than a group or pair of appistos what else can be put in along with them? I want the first priority to be breeding the appistos and raising their fry, next to have a biotope tank that looks impressive.

I understand that some of these questions will have different answers depending on the specific appistos that are chosen but I thought it was where to start.

Now, what have I missed

 

[jrsq]

Any comments?

 

[Neil]

jrsq,

WELCOME TO THE FORUM

Sorry we (I) missed this post!!

1. Are there any other sites that are good that I should visit to research?

I might be biased but this is about as good as it gets! 8) You could also try the Apisto mailing list or just run google searches for specific topics.

2. Is having wild caught breeders as big a deal as it is with africans - If yes where do you recommend?

I don't think so. You do want to try to avoid long-term aquarium strains, but there are not that many of those out there yet. Many of the fish available in this country (except rams, cacatuoides and a few others) are not far off from wild stock. And, in the hands of responsible breeders, Tank raised can be high quality.

3. Do you recommend RO water and if so how important do you think it is?

Yes, but it does depend on the species that you are dealing with and your current tap water values. Most Apistogramma species and many other Dwarf Cichlids benefit from softer water. It is critical in the breeding of some. But most important is the cleanliness of the water. Regular water changes can often overcome slightly inappropriate water values.

4. Other than a group or pair of appistos what else can be put in along with them? I want the first priority to be breeding the appistos and raising their fry, next to have a biotope tank that looks impressive.

That is a tougher question, with many, many answers. I like pencilfish, but I don't have any other fish in most of my apisto breeding tanks. Some fish are fairly safe, but I have found it eeasier to take the wild card out of the picture. Unless, of course, I have an aggressive or shy pair that needs some help in adjusting their behavior. Run a search here on "dither'" or "tankmates". You will have enough reading to keep you busy for awhile.

I understand that some of these questions will have different answers depending on the specific appistos that are chosen but I thought it was where to start.

Excellent!

Now, what have I missed

It would be helpful for you to get an idea of what fish that you like and then what fish you have available to you. More specific questions about a species will help in determining how you set your tank up, what water you need, tankmates, etc.

Good luck,
Neil

 

[jrsq]

Neil,

Thanks for the reply - much appreciated!

Tank will either be a 4'x2'x2' 120 gallon or standard 75 gallon -
any suggestion as to which?

Definately lots of plants and driftwood

Looking for a quality RO unit / possibly co2 system -
any suggestions or comments

Right now I'm interested in borelli or possibly bitaeniata and I really like the cacatuoides as well.

In your experience which will have the most color?

Thanks again!

 

[Neil]

I typically like a smallr tank, because it is a little easier to deal with regular water changes. They can be tedious. And in a 120... 8O

All 3 species that you have mentioned can be very colorful. However, I would suggest cacatuoides or borellii to start. They both are a little easier to deal with than bitaeniata. You won't be spend so much effort right off the bat try to manage your water parms to get it right for them. Both cacs and borellii can actually breed in tap, but get the RO anyway. It is a lifesaver in the world of Apistogramma-keeping.

Neil

 

[M0oN]

Well I'm no expert on apisto's but I've been keeping SA and CA cichlids for close to 11 years now, including discus which I'm told are fairly close to most apisto's in water requirements...

I personally don't think you should breed anything but wild strains, most dwarf cichlids are selected as breeding candidates for their colors rather then behavior which can lead to very poor parenting skills in the long run (this is why blue ram are such a pain to breed). Perhaps after getting a viable F1 clutch you can purchase good candidates for behavior from that spawn as well as good candidates for coloration from tank raised...

I've been told that in larger tanks you can have quite a large amount of apisto's because they are harem breeders, somone who's been breeding apisto's for close to 11 years that I know said he once fit 200 apisto's into a 125 gallon without ever running into problems.

Definately go with a species specific tank if you're serious about breeding them...tank mates can be kind of tricky since a lot of the more docile fish out there eat eggs one way or the other. I'd say cory cats, rainbow fish, tetra, hatchetfish etc. would be good choices.

I've been told by a large amount of hobbyists who I trust that apisto's are fairly delicate species and don't fare too well unless kept in established planted tanks, maybe you should consider working on planting a tank and introducing your target fish and substrate cleaners for a couple of months before making an apisto purchase.

The all around hands down best prices on RO units can be found through Randal, he sells 75 gpd three stage high quality units for $160 or so and that's including the shipping price, e-mail him at [email protected]

The best prices I've found on automated co2 units are at http://www.aquatic-store.com you can purchase a completely automated set up minus the co2 tank and some tubing suitable for up to a 500 gallon tank for around $200.

A good source for plants is http://www.aquabotanic.com great prices, especially on starter sets (you can get 20 stem plants for $28).

They're not nearly as aggressive as the african's you're used to and in general most aggressive behavior is more bark then bite, I've never witnessed any apisto's actually hurting eachother, it's usually just gill flaring and confrontation followed by one or the other backing off.

Bottom line is read read read, obviously the bulk of your questions won't come up until after you get started, but it's good to get a general idea of everything you possibly can before getting started.

Hope that helps, good luck!

Jason