Center piece fish?

[Samfoy]

I have a cycled 29 gallon that needs a center piece fish. The tank has its clean-up, M/F pair Bolivian Ram, M/F pair Apisto, and 4 playful Limia fish. Should I add an Electric Blue Acura work? I'm looking for a splash of color and personality.

 

[Wills]

I'd have described either the rams or the apistos as your centre pieces - how long has it been set up? Are they able to co-exist? In a 29 I'd have said two pairs like that are a bit 50/50 if you end up with fights etc.

I wouldnt add more cichlids to that mix, if either pair starts breeding there is going to be injuries. Also feel like your Limias are not a great mix with the cichlids. The cichlids are higher temperature tropicals and soft water where as limia are a cooler tropical and prefer harder water.

If your cichlids have been together a while and cohabiting well I'd build a community around them. Maybe a school of tetras, some marbled hatchets and some red lizard whiptails?

Wills

 

[Samfoy]

My tank will only be up for another 2-4 months till we move 1500 miles. I am trying to safely experience fish and plants until then. All is well with my tank now. Temp is at 81. My rams and apistos are at the bottom 1/3. I'm looking for something that will swim in the middle.

 

[Samfoy]

Schooling tetras might do the trick. Skirts or rasboras?

 

[Wills]

Wow thats a big move - Im guessing you cant take your tank with you?

I'd be tempted by something simple like a Lemon Tetra, don't look much in the store but amazing in the tank at home and a good size for the tank and fish you have.

Wills

 

[Samfoy]

Yes, I plan on taking 3 nano tanks of fish to Texas - not happy to do this. I have 3 substrates, 3 tank sizes, lights, and different freshwater fish. I would like to buy something like 2 40 breeders, 1 more 29, 4 20 longs and a few 10 or 15 gallons to take with me. Setting up in Texas will be tough the first few days/weeks.
What do you guys think about adding a mid size kinda aggressive GB Ram or a docile mid size Electric Blue Ram into this 29 gallon? The M/F Bolivians are full size and just added in 10 days ago.

 

[Colin_T]

As @Wills said, the tank is probably not big enough for the 2prs of cichlids you currently have. Adding more is going to cause problems.

If you have to add more fish, add some like a group of pencilfish, hatchetfish or upper level tetras.

Do not add black skirt/ black widow tetras to the tank. They are a problem fish.

 

[Wills]

Yes, I plan on taking 3 nano tanks of fish to Texas - not happy to do this. I have 3 substrates, 3 tank sizes, lights, and different freshwater fish. I would like to buy something like 2 40 breeders, 1 more 29, 4 20 longs and a few 10 or 15 gallons to take with me. Setting up in Texas will be tough the first few days/weeks.
What do you guys think about adding a mid size kinda aggressive GB Ram or a docile mid size Electric Blue Ram into this 29 gallon? The M/F Bolivians are full size and just added in 10 days ago.

If they have only been together 10 days thats way too early to tell if this will work - I was hoping they had been together for months/years. I dont think your current fish are a good mix and would suggest you split them up.

In terms of the GB ram or Electric Blue - they are aggressive as each other as they are the same species, you cant really go off personalities in the store as that will change when you get them home. They also need higher temperatures than your other fish and are much harder to keep so I wouldnt mix them - though I wouldnt add any more cichlids to this tank as its likely you are going to have issues.

A big move like that is going to be really hard with fish so I would recommend not buying any more fish until you have moved, and to be honest if you have new fish that you are not attached to I'd rehome them where you are rather than trying to move them it is going to be super stressful for you and them.

Wills

 

[Samfoy]

Patience will win the day. I have all 3 species of Rams in separate tanks and will keep it that way. Lemon Tetras could be my schooling fish - what else?

 

[Wills]

The Lemons are a great choice - really under rated. I'd be tempted to do a big school of them rather than add other species. Only thing I'd think of would be something like a Whiptail Catfish - the Red Lizards stay quite small, good colour and easy to keep.

Wills