Heros Sp. Rotkeil Biotope

[Glenbo1981]

What is in it?

I currently have a load of F1 Heros Sp. Rotkeil fry.

I'm hoping to get 1 maybe 2 pairs out of the batch.

What would be a biotope tank for these guys?

What Substrate, Decor, Plants?

What kind of tank mates? ie: Tetras, bottom dwellers, other Cichlids/fish etc?

I currently have pretty much a empty 100g with a good amount of wood with some Anubuis tied on it and some Java Fern...however, the Sevs are eating the Java Fern so may not be there for long.

 

[Glenbo1981]

Just found out my choices, not really what i wanted...

Tetras = Neons, Bleeding Hearts, Blue Tetra, Red pencils, Hatchets
Catfish = L046, Red Tail Catfish(!), Mango Plec, Otto zebra, tons of Corys
Cichlids = tons of apistos
Others: Needlefish, Puffers, Piranha,FW Moray, Leaf Fish, Silver Arowana, Black Ghost Knife Fish

Not alot suitable really

I might just stick with 2 breeding pairs with the centre of the tank nice and crowded with wood and Anubus Bartoni.

Might put a few Bleeding hearts or Hatchets in.

 

[Wills]

Sorry for being dim but I dont know what river they are from?.... Actually how strict are you being with the biotope? Are you doing a single river, a drainage, region, country etc? Knowing your feelings on mixing fish Im guessing its going to be either a rive or a drainage....

Still off that list I think there are some interesting mixes you could do in your tank with things like the plecs, cories, needlefish and BGK. I reckon you could probs get away with some apistos which ones are in there? Lots of leaf litter and twiggy escapes for them would replicate a cut out from nature.

Wills

 

[forby3]

i agree with wills with bgk and a small shoal of Bleeding Hearts would look nice

 

[Glenbo1981]

Its a Peruvian river named Iquitos. Just trying to keep it as true as possible.

I would like a BGKF but the last one i had proved really hard to feed so don't fancy trying again.

The Apisto types are...

Apistogramma agassizi
Apistogramma bitaeniata
Apistogramma bitaeniata blue
Apistogramma bitaeniata swartz
Apistogramma algodon
Apistogramma arlequin
Apistogramma shi#105###a
Apistogramma inka
Apistogramma panduro

The Cory type are..

Corydora armatus
Corydora algodon
Corydora huanta
Corydora davidsandsi
Corydora julli
Corydora leopardus
Corydora weitzmani
Corydora sichry luminoso

Don't know how accurate the names are as thye are from a Peruvian site that also has a few wild caught Apisto and Cory hybrids.

Only thing i was thinking with the Corys is they are well known for hoovering eggs and Fry, so might look at them later on

 

[Wills]

lol at Apistogramma shi#105###a

Okay cool sounding area, I love it when collection points are really remote and people start using really obscure instructions on getting there haha. Its quite an interesting theme to go with the tank scape I reckon because of how far away it is from anything you could do quite an open tank with a heavy bank effect at one side of the tank. One thing though from what Ive read is Iquitos not a city rather than a river?

Found this video - http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=79OW-upALrY which shows a lot of interesting fish in there just need to work out the possitive IDs on them. I can see a few fish in there that you didnt mention on your list, there are a few humbug type catfish in there as well as quite a lot of monster fish but they also have quite a few nice smaller catfish one at about 4:53 - I cant remember their names but Ive seen them before are really nice get really shiney and are quite day active as well will try and remember the name for you though. Video is well worth a watch IMO.

Found this plec which is called the iquitos panaque but actually from the rio itaya which has quite a few interesting biotope point. http/www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/species.php?species_id=761

On the apistos a lot of nice ones on that list the Inka and bitaeniata should grow big enough for the sevs not to be a thread IMO.

Wills

 

[snowflake311]

Sword plants would be good. Java fern is from Asia. It's really hard to keep the plants try to the bio type. Most plants in the trade are from Asia not so many from amazon.

Don't even think about a RTC unless you want only that fish and they are found in the huge open parts of the river not so much where the severums and tetras are.

I would stick to larger Cory cats, good size tetras and geos then to be found with severums.

Good luck with the fry.

 

[Glenbo1981]

LOL trust me i wasent thinking about the RTC

 

[star4]

If you are looking for them to breed, have your tank set out with a clear middle. Put the plants/decor at either end leaving the middle open for them to display. My two always spawn in the same area they have a very big plastic plant with a stone/decor in front for the eggs, it means they can watch out for the other fish in just one direction.