Pelvicachromis taeniatus 'Moliwe cave setup and dither fish

[crystalview]

I will be getting a pair of P t Moliwe wild soon. I am trying to set up my 75 tall tank for them. I have just spent hours reading your site. Could not find size needed for the caves. Do they need to be low to the ground or can they be 9" up or higher? Do they need to be open only on one end? Will they let the caves that would be stacked by them be used? I thought to stack the caves.
I have seen that the dither fish need to be top side fish is that why killies are used. They sound hard to raise and short lived or are they used for bio type? I thought of a trio of barbs and maybe some danios. I have never had danios but have heard they are fast and not colorful. So what are other top side fish? I know this is a lot to answer but I need to learn about dwarf cichlids. I have a pair of GBR that have chosen their corner. Thought to put caves in the middle and opposite corner within the plants, wood and rocks

 

[tjudy]

I will be getting a pair of P t Moliwe wild soon. I am trying to set up my 75 tall tank for them. I have just spent hours reading your site. Could not find size needed for the caves. Do they need to be low to the ground or can they be 9" up or higher? Do they need to be open only on one end? Will they let the caves that would be stacked by them be used? I thought to stack the caves.
I have seen that the dither fish need to be top side fish is that why killies are used. They sound hard to raise and short lived or are they used for bio type? I thought of a trio of barbs and maybe some danios. I have never had danios but have heard they are fast and not colorful. So what are other top side fish? I know this is a lot to answer but I need to learn about dwarf cichlids. I have a pair of GBR that have chosen their corner. Thought to put caves in the middle and opposite corner within the plants, wood and rocks

P. taeniatus prefers caves that are on the bottom. The like roomy caves with small opening, just large enough for the male to slip into. The female will feel more comfortable if she can block the entrance with her head. I have some caves that I call 'spawning pebbles' (linked) that all my cave-spawning fish have really taken to. I think that the 6" size is best for P. taeniatus.

All small fish, compared to cichlids, are short-lived. The killies that make the best dithers should live a couple years though (Procatopus, Aphyosimeon, Chromaphyosimion...). I prefer small danios over kribs, because the dither stays high in the water column. Another good dither is Barbus fasciolatus (African fire barb), but it is more bottom orients. A 75 gallon thank is pelnty big for the kribs to share space with a bottom-dwelling dither though.

 

[aquaticclarity]

What he said!

I also use coconut caves-a 1/2 coconut with a hole cut or drilled in the side.

If you want some of the fire barbs Ted mentioned I can send them along with the Moliwe. I just picked up a bunch of them from Ted but I can get more when I see him again.

 

[Pisces 56]

Not like this is going to help now, but... I like putting fish with my Pelvies like they'd find in nature, like the barbs mentioned above. Congo tetras go very well with Pelvicachromis The tetras are all over the place (I've a 4og breeder) and both species totally ignore the other. They are happy campers. I also have 2 female (males to come) ctenopoma fasciolatum. banded bush fish. They're not dither fish but do help the Pelvies keep their mind on what they're meant to do. Again, peace and harmony.

I use little ceramic caves built specifically for the purpose. I've found they like TINY holes! So small, I'd figured they'd not be able to wriggle in, but they did! Got on their side and shimmied in. My tank is set up with most plants in back and then divided into three sections by drift wood and smaller plants. There's a cave in each section that I hide as well as I can. Privacy, you know.

I'm really pleased with my set up and the way I set it up. Everyone's happy and with my biotope I have a nice community tank. Everyone gets along fine.

 

[crystalview]

Not like this is going to help now, but... I like putting fish with my Pelvies like they'd find in nature, like the barbs mentioned above. Congo tetras go very well with Pelvicachromis The tetras are all over the place (I've a 4og breeder) and both species totally ignore the other. They are happy campers. I also have 2 female (males to come) ctenopoma fasciolatum. banded bush fish. They're not dither fish but do help the Pelvies keep their mind on what they're meant to do. Again, peace and harmony.

I use little ceramic caves built specifically for the purpose. I've found they like TINY holes! So small, I'd figured they'd not be able to wriggle in, but they did! Got on their side and shimmied in. My tank is set up with most plants in back and then divided into three sections by drift wood and smaller plants. There's a cave in each section that I hide as well as I can. Privacy, you know.

I'm really pleased with my set up and the way I set it up. Everyone's happy and with my biotope I have a nice community tank. Everyone gets along fine.

 

[crystalview]

My pelvies pair like the ceramic caves and I wish the hole entrances were smaller, so they could hide better. I lost several fish due to broken filter. So now I am looking either Tetras or Barbs. Wish my local store carried more varieties. Or I knew a breeder that breed for great color. Cheaper buying by a picture does not always mean good color when fish have grown. Had bad luck with this last time.
Pelvies are great parents. My ADF eat their eggs which means population control

 

[Pisces 56]

Submerge the caves a little bit at the door. Like, squiggle down into the substrate so it comes up higher and makes the hole smaller. If the Pelvies don't like it, they'll move the substrate.

Oh! Go with Congo tetras! They are gorgeous! I had had 8, but four died, three of which were males. They were stunning with their flowing fins and glowing colors. I'm going to show a male, maybe a pair, once I have some show quality. Also, they're less nippy than Barbs which might even nip the Pelvies. An aside: I don't like nippy fish. I think ittiz downright rude and little nippers get what they deserve. Note: I have noticed the subdominante tetra male's fins never get bigger and more colorful than the dominate one's.

Belong to a fish club? If not, do. Greatest source of info and fish you can have. Ask around at the club for tetras. Ask friends and ask your friends to ask their friends. I got my male tetras online and they were gorgeous. Can't remember where I got them though...