Dwarf Cichlids

[stang1]

I have a spare 7.5 gallon tank and was wondering whether I could keep a pair of dwarf Cichlids in it? If so, which ones would you recommend?
Many thanks in advance,
Angie

 

[thegnu]

a. borellii or a. cacatuoides are by far the easiest to try first. they can be kept in slightly alkaline water

 

[severum boy]

I see no problem with dwarfs. Have a look out for Nannacara sp, they do better in hard water, live longer and in my opinion are far more interesting fish.

 

[stang1]

I do like the a.borellii ones so that's a definite option.
The Nannacara is quite nice too.

 

[Griz]

You're really pushing the limit in terms of space with a pair of apistos in a 7.5 gal. What are the dimensions? If it's basically a short 10 gal then it could be done. I would advise lots of plants, wood and a couple caves. Some individuals are more aggressive than others, it could work with a more docile pair. Borelli would be my choice as they are smaller than cacatuoides and tend to do better in pairs; cacs prefer a harem situation.

 

[stang1]

Its an Aquaone 320 which works ot at about 12" x 12" x 12".
The Borellii sound like a good idea as I would prefer to keep just a pair.

 

[thegnu]

just a word of caution stang1, i would be careful when buying apistogramma borelli. iv'e seen lots of fish for sale in the UK that go by the name borelli, but they are really a hybridized fish from singapore called something like "steelhead" similar to the borelli but without the long fins. and they are all males. they don't export females so nobody can breed them and have their own supply

 

[stang1]

Thanks for the heads up on that!
Our lfs is pretty good so I'm hoping to get what I'm looking for!

 

[fatmarley]

just a word of caution stang1, i would be careful when buying apistogramma borelli. iv'e seen lots of fish for sale in the UK that go by the name borelli, but they are really a hybridized fish from singapore called something like "steelhead" similar to the borelli but without the long fins. and they are all males. they don't export females so nobody can breed them and have their own supply

I am looking into bvy some Apisto's, maybe some Borelli's. Got any pics of these steelheads?