Stocking dwarfs in a small tank

[Rodger]

Hi
After a 40 yr absence, I'm effectively new to the hobby and to cichlids. I've done some research and am trying to create a more or less authentic SA dwarf biotope in a 30 gal tank (36"L, 12"W, 15"H). It has a Fluval 305 rated for 70 gals with a couple tbsp of peat in addition to the normal stuff and a 96w 6700K strip light. Two inches of fluorite is planted with hornwort, spiral val, amazon swords, java fern and Cabombas (I know java fern isn't from SA; any ideas for an authentic SA substitute?. I'm still looking for some smaller up front plants. I use Flourish and Flourish Excell, but no CO2 source. There is a lot of driftwood in a central heap and some leaf litter. I have 9 von Rio tetras, 4 Julii Corys, and a 4 inch Pleco I hope will stay small. The star is an Apisto Agassizzi. I plan to get three females for him. Question: can I put another apisto and a couple females in this tank? I'd appreciate any other ideas or suggestions.
Thanks in advance.
Rodger

 

[briztoon]

G'day Rodger,

In many apisto collections sites there are very few or no aquatic plants. Most often apisto's are collected from small rainforest streams that are filled with driftwood and leaves. Most often when dwarf cichlids are found amongst plants it's when the creeks are in flood and the banks are underwater, or when they are collected from flooded fields, etc.

Here are two posts where members have attempted to recreate natural biotopes.
http://forum.apistogramma.com/showthread.php?t=9042
http://forum.apistogramma.com/showthread.php?t=9900

Here's a video of a few dwarf SA cichlids in the wild.
http://www.aquanet.tv/Video/173

And here's a link to a website that has mnay species photos and a quite a few biotope photos.
http://apisto.sites.no/slekt.aspx?gruppeID=1

 

[dw1305]

Hi all,
A lot of floating plants are from SA and useful for Apistogramma tanks, any of
Amazon Frogbit (Limnobium), Floating fern (Salvinia), Water Hyacinth (Eichornia) and Nile Cabbage (Pistia) fulfil both criteria.

Other good SA plants are Potamogeton gayii, Echinodorus tenellus, Heteranthera zosterifolia and Myriophyllum "brasiliense".

Have a look at <http://www.dwarfcichlid.com/Aquarium_care.php>, Bob is a member, and the pages are full of good advice.

cheers Darrel

 

[Rodger]

Thanks

I'm continually amazed at how much info I find here. Thanks Darrell and mate down under. The photos in the wild were the most awesome I've seen. I love keeping a planted tank and find the plants almost as interesting as the fish (I said almost). And while I like keeping a tank that at least approximates reality for the fish, the tank is in the living room and is required to keep my sweetheart approving and interested. I'm learning that once you have java moss and driftwood you'll have the plant as you have the wood.

 

[Apistomaster]

Do you know what the name or genus is of your 4 inch "Pleco"?

Many very large species are sold in large numbers at small sizes and at cheap prices.
If you have a color variety of the common Bushy Nose, Ancistrus cf. cirrhosus that is the best of the commonly available species but since you only recently got back into the hobby and your pleco is already 4 inches it set off alarm signals. Most bushy noses are sold at about 2 inches and would take a couple years to reach 4 inches which is approximately their full grown size.
However, if you bought a cute baby Pterygoplichthys or Hypostomus species they could reach 4 inches in 2 or 3 months and have the potential to reach 20 inches. I personally grew one to 18 inches over a 16 year period.
Do figure this one out if you truly want a nicely planted tank.
Long before they grow much larger they begin excavating large caves under rocks and wood. They bull doze your rooted plants without a thought.