Possible Apistogramma Cacatuoides?

agk2000

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I currently have some fish (as listed below) and I was wondering If I could keep a lone male Apisto in this tank (apistogramma cacatuoides) it's a 20 gallon and I can readily lower the PH (as I should already for my lemon tetras). I have some bogwood in there already doing some ph lowering, but I was just wondering if I could accommodate one. (PH is not a problem and can be readily changed)I'm already doing 25% water changes weekly (and should also do more, but am time restricted)

Stock already:

6 lemon tetras
4 albino cories (planning on 2 or 3 more)
3 rose danios
1 clown pleco (2 inches currently)

Any comments or advice deemed helpful!
 
I wouldnt. They can be delicate, and if tou do something wrong, its gone.
 
I think it would be fine. Apisto can be nasty little fish to each other. Keeping one would be fine. I have one apisto steel blue he is alone and fine.

In your tank I would only keep one.
 
Yeah, just the one, and I've heard they can be quite forgiving (other forums, ciclid websites, etc.) compared to other apistos anyways. The finnage delicate yeah, but otherwise i've heard they're overall hardier than most.
 
Any tank raised fish is going to be forgiving for the most part. It's the wilds that can be picky about water.
 
Stock already:

6 lemon tetras
4 albino cories (planning on 2 or 3 more)
3 rose danios
1 clown pleco (2 inches currently)

Any comments or advice deemed helpful!
Increase the lemon tetras to 10, increase the Corys to at least 6 and ideally more, increase the Danio roseus (rosy danio) to at least 8-10. All those species are schooling and benefit from larger groups. What are the dimensions of the tank? I'd probably not keep the Danios in there as they need their space. With the Danios removed (traded in for more lemon tetras or albino Corys of the same species), your tank will become almost a biotope, and should be able to take 1m 1-2f Apisto. cacatuoides.

I was wondering If I could keep a lone male Apisto in this tank (apistogramma cacatuoides)
Not really. Most fish are social animals and it is not fair to keep them individually. Also, if you keep only one male, you won't get the behaviour from him that most people keep Apistogrammas for. Is there a reason why you do not want to keep 1m 1-2f?

I can readily lower the PH (as I should already for my lemon tetras). I have some bogwood in there already doing some ph lowering, but I was just wondering if I could accommodate one. (PH is not a problem and can be readily changed)I'm already doing 25% water changes weekly (and should also do more, but am time restricted)
Why and how would you want to change the pH? What is your water hardness now? Can you post a photo of the tank?
 
i'm basically tossing half my fish into a random tank at the moment, it's got random groups of fish, but it opens up the space to do what you said, I just wasn't sure if I had the space for the tiny harem you're suggesting, I already tossed my gourami out of the tank because it's super shy and a stupid centerpiece if it always hides, i may as well get rid of the danios too then, i just used them for a fish in cycle seeing as they're super hardy.I'm not sure as how to upload photo's here... I heard something about linking them from photo-bucket, but have never used that, and could use an explanation on how, or if there's a pinned thread about doing that a link would be awesome. I'll be diligent about getting the photo(s) but a step by step thing of how to get them up here would be nice.

As for changing the ph, mine's about 7, pretty neutral, i could do more bogwood and some beech leaves to lower it, the lemon's would enjoy that, but they've been with what i've got. I heard apisto's needed around 6.5.

I'll be back with pics in a bit.
 
a 7 ph is absoloutely fine....almost all Apistos will be happy with that.

photobucket is an image hosting website, you just sign up for a free account, upload your photos there and then link them here.
 
With cichlids it gets tricky. 2 males can and will kill each other with a pair they can also kill each other. With keeping 1 male to 2 females the third wheel gets pick on bad. In that size tank there is no room for more then one. I don't see anything wrong with keeping one male. A lone male will not die because it's lonely. Apisto are not schooling fish. They are found in colonies in the wild were each male has his own territory. This tank would be a one male territory. Add 2 males and it could be constant war.
 
Also what I figured, 3 is the worst number for ciclids, 2 will beat up one, and then go at eachother, but here's links to the photos:

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg497/agk20000/CAM00002.jpg

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg497/agk20000/CAM00003.jpg

http://i1240.photobucket.com/albums/gg497/agk20000/CAM00005.jpg


Don't question the gourami, he's being rehomed today... I hope... carrying a bucket with a fish in it with a broken ankle is hard!!! I hope it happens soon! awkward borrowed oto... he's from my mom's tank (I'm 14, so i'm still at home) and i borrowed him to eat ze algae so it doesn't go to waste, seeing as my loner snail can't eat it too fast.
 
What you don't realise is that Apisto's are usually harem fish, so a male and 2 females usually work out very well. Often the male will breed with one female then the other. A pair of Cacs would be fine in your tank, as would a trio.

Please read into the fish in question before you dis-count information given by experienced well respected members.
 
Sorry, I've just heard a bunch of other horror storys of cichlid battles when kept in 3's, so I'm reluctant to have to pull out a mutilated fish :$
 
'Cichlids' is a very general term. There are so many different ones that simply tarring them with the same brush is unfair and a bit naïve tbf.

Apisto's are great beginner cichlids, quite forgiving, especially if choosing the Cacatuoides, but don't rush into them. Thoroughly research them and provide them with a good home and they will repay you with great behaviour traits, colour and personality for you to enjoy.
 
What are the dimensions of the tank? It looks a bit on the short side for 2 female cacatuoides (so might be better to go for only one).

I already tossed my gourami out of the tank because it's super shy and a stupid centerpiece if it always hides, i may as well get rid of the danios too then, i just used them for a fish in cycle seeing as they're super hardy.
With this attitude, you should not go anywhere near Apistogramma or any other fish for that matter. Just because the Danios could survive the ammonia and nitrite, that does not mean that it has not affected them, and since you mention hardy and cycle in one sentence, it is pretty safe to assume that you did not cycle safely.

Gouramis are only shy in the wrong environment. Going by the photos, your tank is a wrong environment for gouramis.

As for changing the ph, mine's about 7, pretty neutral, i could do more bogwood and some beech leaves to lower it, the lemon's would enjoy that, but they've been with what i've got. I heard apisto's needed around 6.5.
Bogwood and leaves would be appreciated by the tetras, Corys and Apistogramma. No fish "needs" exactly one pH or another, as no body of water has a pH that stable (at the very least, it fluctuates throughout the day). What soft water fish very much benefit from is soft water (low GH). They can live in neutral water, but they may be slightly more susceptible to disease in that.

With cichlids it gets tricky. […]
What you don't realise is that Apisto's are usually harem fish, so a male and 2 females usually work out very well. Often the male will breed with one female then the other. A pair of Cacs would be fine in your tank, as would a trio.
minnnt is absolutely correct: Apistogramma cacatuoides are a harem species, although I would not say that they usually are. I observe that most Apistogramma species that I come across breed in pairs.

I don't see anything wrong with keeping one male. A lone male will not die because it's lonely. Apisto are not schooling fish. They are found in colonies in the wild were each male has his own territory.
You've just contradicted yourself there :rolleyes: and actually, it is possible for a fish to die of loneliness and it happens more often than most people think. At the very least, the Apistogramma male will behave oddly on its own, just as a schooling fish will when kept on its own. All Apistogramma are social fish and this particular species is a harem species.

What you are saying about the behaviour is correct for even more social and aggressive species like angels, discus, rams and keyholes, and for unsocial cichlids like green terrors, jack dempseys, etc.

This tank would be a one male territory. Add 2 males and it could be constant war.
Correct, which is why we are recommending only one male.

You should change gravel to sand (for Corys at the very least, and Apistos if you ever get around to them), and add a lot more cover. A plain, dark background will also help. Until you move to live plants, increase the number of fake plants, going for silk ones.
 

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