apistogramma cacatuoides/Cockatoos

[jollysue]

I got a common orange and yellow cockatoo Gent and his Lady. I have added two juvenal girls. They are in a 100 usg community tank. They are GREAT community fish, much better than most of my tetras.

I like them so much that I am curious about what is needed to keep more than one colony, can varieties within the species (ie double red cockatoo,etc) have colonies in the same tank. What about colony tank sizes and double colony tank sizes?

 

[Griz]

Sounds like a great plan, it would make for a very interesting setup. First, the various colour forms of cacatuoides are still the same species and will therefore interbreed producing a variety of different coloured young. Even a pair of Triple Reds will produce single, double and triples. This isn't a problem, just wanted to make you aware if you weren't. Cacatoides live in some pretty high densities in the wild, so in a 100gal tank you could have quite a few fish. The proportion of females to males should probably be around 4 to 1. As far as the number of fish, it depends on the tank decor and what other fish you have but I can see having enough room for several male territories. Lots of hiding places and caves for the females are a must.

 

[jollysue]

Thanks Griz That's great info. The females cross over territories or do the fellows sneak in? Doesn't that start some bickering?

It is a long term plan, because my tank is already highly populated
I am taking out some of my tetras that have become annoying neighbors and replacing right now with hatchets, otos and Orange BN. I guess the otos and BN are a little dirty. The new fish arrive today, maybe your tomorrow, and it will take some time to quarantine and move them in and others out, getting it all situated.

I will start another smaller community tetra tank and some of the otos and/or cories may end up there. It's just that they are so much happier in the big tank. The big tank has fair amount of plants, but needs more live plants. It has has good filtration and good water movement. There is an abundunce of drift wood and caves and hidy places. I have an abundant bottom community.

Your vision of a varied interspecies dwarf cockatoo community tank is very seductive and I am looking forward to accomplishing it. I enjoy my cockatoos. I am annoyed with many of my tetras. I am so annoyed with their terrorism and bickering (one of my hi fin serpae may have been blinded) that I may heal up who I can and return some to my lfs. The little fin eaters!

Once I actually saw the farm bred clown loach (who is maybe 3") get the Gent to try to play.

 

[lucky62]

I like that idea , if you can swing it ........I think 4 males and an appropriate number of females[ 12 or so ] , would be very comfortable in a creatively set up tank , but you're going to keep some schoolers , right ? [ just can the serpaes ]

Maybe some dwarf sized gouramis for the upper areas as well , honey , croakers or sparklers would be nice

 

[jollysue]

I need another tank!

Yeah there are two serpaes left in the big tank. Four are in a twenty where I am acclimating 3 Orange BN right now. The two that are left are not acting so high and mighty by themselves.

The cockatoo couple are much bolder with the serpaes gone. I haven't seen the girls today.

Most of the mid swimmers are tetras in the big tank. I will take more out. I'm not sure yet which.

I like your ideas too. I've often considered dwarf gourami. My lfs always steers me away. I thought it was to protect the tetras.

I will definately keep my diamond heads and green neons. I might add to them.

I am acclimating 11 hatchets into quarantine right now. They will be at the tip top, hopefully.

 

[lucky62]

DWARF SIZED GOURAMIS , and while you're looking



http/msxml.infospace.com/_1_2FECUM602I1H...2B%2BGOURAMI%2B


http/msxml.infospace.com/_1_2FECUM602I1H...NG%2BGOURAMI%2B



http/msxml.infospace.com/_1_2FECUM602I1H.../COLISA%2BCHUNA


http/msxml.infospace.com/_1_2FECUM602I1H...MUGIL%2BFURCATA


One of my favorates
http/msxml.infospace.com/_1_2FECUM602I1H...ACOCK%2BGUDGEON

http/msxml.infospace.com/_1_2FECUM602I1H...2Bbadis%2Bbadis

 

[jollysue]

I like the dwarf pygmy sparkler and the badis badis.

Right now I am watching 20 new fish (actually one oto is not going to make it) in quarantine. I am enamoured with the Orange BN babies.

My tank needs some worker bees: 8(-1) otos and 3 BN. Right now the BN are sucking wood and Hikari algae wafers, and the otos are busy, but stopping to lick algae wafers too.

I put the BN in with the relocated serpaes. I thought they would be fine. I just saw one of the serpae go over twice and annoy a BN hanging on the glass. Little s.

 

[pnyklr3]

Sounds like a good idea! I've thought of something similar, but it was having harems in many tanks to try and selectively breed out some gorgeous color.

Just make sure that the new tank has a large footprint; length is more important t cockatoo than height.

If you have more than one female with free-swimming fry, the fry from one female may actually join another female's group. Seems like they get turned around and just head for the nearest group. Don't worry though; the "new" female either doesn't care that the fry isn't hers, or plain just doesn't know.

 

[jollysue]

Yeah, pnykir3, Nice to hear from you. Whatcha up to?

I am very tempted to turn my 40 usg Executive Sea Clear into the dwarf cichlid tank. But I doubt that my Orandas and goldie would be pleased unless I got them another. The 40 usg Exec is long wide and low. But if I added dwarf top swimmers I would need the height. As I told Lucky 62, From the pictures he posted and the discriptions I read, I liked the Dwarf Pygmy Sparkler and the Badis Badis.

I think I want to slowly change the primary dynamics in the 100 usg from tetras to cichlids. That tank is 60" long and about 2 feet wide.

I'm not sure I followed the "selectively breed out some georgeous color." You want to or not? So what is it you have an idea to do?

And the little oto is hanging in there. He was off the floor stuck to the glass near the little piece of wafer. I don't hold much hope really.

Everyone else is doing fine. The little girls are starting to grow. The couple are starting to pay more attention to each other again. It may be lovin time coming up again.

I've seen her give that pointy nose "look" at the girls lately.

 

[Elisabeth83]

jollysue - we seem to be going for similar tank set-ups but I guess the chances of that happening is pretty high considering we are both talking to lucky62 and he keeps steering up towards badis badis and peacock gudgeons LOL LOL

I'm on a mission to find both although the only place I know who has them says they wont be getting them in for awhile I'm going to try my lfs ask a guy I know there if he can order me in a pair of the blue badis badis or well I like the scarlet badis badis too )

I, like you keep eyeing tanks of mine that are already stocked and thinking hmmm...a pair of badis badis, some shaoling fish, some top dwellers and then I think to myself aww look at those mollies faces you can't just get rid of them or could you?

To few tanks too many fish that's the story I think of all of our lives

 

[jollysue]

Yes he is quietly persuasive. I think he must be doing a good job as a dad too.

But he has me pegged good: I went fully for the dwarf pygmy sparkler gourami. (I still have to take some time to read up more.) That is where I will start, that and with enlarging my little cockatoo world with some fancy boys.

Right now the immigrant population has filled the hostels. I have twenty fish to slowly introduce to their new home starting August 16. I thought I had lost one and even called to report it to the supply house. But it seems to be rallying. It was lying on its side and back and wouldn't move.

Lucky62's first link and the first site listed is the online house I do business with. Shipping is $29, that can be reduced at times--mostly by larger orders. They have badis badis and peacock gudgeon.

 

[lucky62]

I'm out to convert as many fish keepers as I possibly can



That tank should have the height needed for some of those little Gouramis

I got the idea to mix cockatoos and sparlers many months ago from "comet cattle" a member here .










The badis , and gudgeons like mid to lower areas , but my cockatoos only chase them off [ sometimes get chased ], nothing fatal ever .Sometimes they just hang around each other [ when not courting ].

.............I could give links for even more interesting fish


I chose these fish because of the maximum size they attain , and their ability to live together without killing , they have all bred in my community [ 'cept the gouramis , same sex ] , some fry I've raised some I'M raising , and some I haven't yet tried , in summer I'm lucky to get basic tank maintenance done

my tank main is a 4 footer , 70 gal , with many low light easy to care for plants , caves up the wazzoo and quite a few Malayan trumpet snails ...........Iwant a 6 footer ................300 gallons would be nice , right, PnyKlr

 

[jollysue]

Elizabeth told me last night that you are initiating her into your cult too.

The batch of fish I just got came from LiveAquaria.com

I may go for dwarf gouramis next after I get the cleaning crews and hatchets settled.

The hatchets are very pretty little things, like a little flock of sea gulls. They stay VERY close to the top. If needed I can settle them in with the serpae tank.

So right now the plan in several months is to add to the cockatoo community with some fancy boys. And to start a Dwarf Gourami community--maybe sparklers, while enlarging my plantings.

My otos are cleaning my decor plants. They are making them like new. One of the otos is I think at least 3" long. I am swaping the easily moveable decor out to them.

The BN are working on the glass some but they are spending a lot of time sucking on the driftwood. Everyone appears to be eating. I'm not sure how the weak little oto is fairing. All the ones I can see are busy busy, but I haven't been able to get an 8 count for awhile.

The Gent is courting. I think the Lady's color is raising. This time I won't redecorate the caves. )

 

[pnyklr3]

What I meant was: I have a male with so-so color on the fins (although some of the fins are blue-ish), but a nice yellow body. I also have a female who has some nice markings on her tail, and was fathered by the fish in my sig. I would selectively breed this female with my male (or another one with nice colors) to see what I could come up with. I would do the same in other tanks with orange flashes. I, personally, would keep them all separate, just to maintain different solor morphs the best that I could (although keeping in mind that any fish may have fry of a different color/pattern). I'm a big science nut, so I'd be keeping track of the color of the parents, fry, and generations.

 

[jollysue]

Yeah he's a beauty.

Did you start your science journal?
Actually you might publish.