Quick compatibility question!

[Aquadestroyer2]

Okay so a have a 20g long that is moderately planted, sand substrate, hob and sponge filters, and has several caves. The occupants are 9 cories (6 steribai, 3 pygmy), 7 CPD, and a male cacatuoides. I am getting two females for him in a month or two depending on when they are ready, is it possible to keep another pair of dwarf cichlids in the tank such as a pair of rams?

 

[Mike Wise]

IMHO the bottom of the tank will be too crowded with more cichlids. If you want to add more fish, I'd try to find something else for the middle/upper level of the tank.

Do you hope to breed apistos in this community tank? If so, I don't expect that you will have much success. Corys and apistos in a breeding situation really don't do well together. A. community tank is not a breeding tank.

 

[Aquadestroyer2]

I would like to breed them, i didn't realize the cories would interfere with them that's why i picked them. If i removed the cories would there be more room for another pair of dwarfs, maybe another species of apisto? I was reading about how keeping the parents busy helps to keep pairs strong and prevent them eating fry/eggs.

 

[Mike Wise]

Corys have a reputation for blundering into breeding caves and eating eggs/larvae. Some female will attack them but the only vulnerable spot on a cory is its eyes. The female will often attack the eye and even bite it off. If you truly want to be successful breeding apistos, I would only keep 1 trio in a 20 long with a few small, top swimming, non-predatory fish at dither/targets. Ideally, each female should have a brood territory of at least 1 sq ft and the males needs someplace outside these territories where it can avoid females defending their fry. That means a 20 long is about the best option for a single trio.

 

[Aquadestroyer2]

okay, i will remove the cories when i get ahold of the females, i really want to breed them. any other tips or tricks you can give me? thank you for all the help so far.

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,

i really want to breed them. any other tips or tricks you can give me?

That's an easy one, just have a look at "Apistobob's" web pages on aquarium care <http://www.dwarfcichlid.com/Good_habitat.php>, all the answers are in there. Other things for me are:

• Provide a choice of caves (I like 1/2 coconuts with a very small notch cut out <http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/index.php?threads/ideal-spawning-cave.15329/#post-81261>) the female will find one she is happy with, if she has a choice.
• Feed a really good varied diet (with some live food) particularly shell-on crustaceans like BBS and Mysis shrimp and not too many worms (Red, Tubifex, Grindal, Black, White etc.). Having said that Grindal worms are good for conditioning, if you don't over do it, and mosquito larvae are great as well.

• moderately planted

  It might be worth having a few more plants, I really like having moss, it aids fry survival: <http://www.apistogramma.com/forum/index.php?threads/buckelkopfs.15104/#post-79954> and a floater like Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) or Water Lettuce (Pistia).
• Apistogramma cacatuoides doesn't need very soft water to spawn successfully, but I like to keep the conductivity fairly low, about 100ppm TDS.

Best of luck.

cheers Darrel

 

[Aquadestroyer2]

Okay thank you for the information i got rid of my sterbai and i added another piece of driftwood and some more plants so everything looks fuller, i will see if i can get some pictures up later to show you what i have.