Rams and Apistogramma cacatuoides

[Dave_m13]

Hi

I have just joined this forum and just starting up a tank to hold either a pair of Rams or if possible the Rams and a pair of cacatuoides.

Please could anyone advise if this is recommended to keep the 2 species together. I have a 110 litre tank, 24G Uk or 29G US. At the moment I have a piece of bogwood and some slate, I am trying to get it planted heavily.

Also can anyone recommend an algae eater, I was looking at a bristle nose or oto's.

Thanks for any advise

Dave

 

[Apistt_ed]

Hello Dave,

a 29gallon might be ok to keep both species together, but it also comes down to the temperment of each individual fish. If you choose to keep bothe species, then the heavily planted tank idea would be more advisable and great algae eaters/clean-up crew would be the otos and if spawning isn't something you'd intended on achieving then a dwarf bristlenose pleco would be fine as well. Make sure that with just the two species, you also add some dithers in the tank so some of the aggression would be redirected away from each species pairs. I believe you're already going in the right direction and shouldn't have any problems. cheers. john

 

[Dave_m13]

Thank you john

I have decided that the dither fish that I would like to get are the rummy nose tetras, seen some nice one at lfs.

I think that I would prefer a bristlenose, again seen a Black eyed yellow bristlenose, L144 at lfs looks good and I know that they very good at cleaning algae but if they are going to eat eggs or going to hinder spawning (I would like to give it ago) then its the Otos.

As I am a beginner to dwarf cichlids and reading that Rams do like softer, water and lower PH, would you think that I would be better off starting with the cacatuoides. My PH is about 7.6 out of tap but in my other tank with 2 pieces of bogwood it is about 7.2 with a polyfilter.

I would like to know whether there is an easy and not too time consuming way of softening water and possibly lowering PH slightly. I have been reading about peat, would this help and how would you use it, also what about the water changes.

Many thanks or your time

Dave