mislisa said:
Hi, I'm planning out the stocking of my new 27g long Apisto setup. (12' W x 36" L x 16" H). so far the plan is:
3 x Apistos - 1 m & 2 f (not sure what variety right now, i have to check with my lfs to see whats available)
~6 x Endlers (moved from my multi tank... they don't really like it in there)
1 x BN pleco
Possibly ~6 kuhli loches moved from my 55g (if i can catch them) - not sure if these would be ok with apistos
I'm not sure if this stocking would work, as I've never kept apistos before. I've heard that you should have at least 2 females, but I'm not sure how many I should have in this tank... The tank will be heavily planted with a sand substrate, and will have lots of wood and rock caves. I also plan on buying some of those almond leaves to add to the tank.
Any suggestions welcome!!
Id not put endlers with them. Too small and the apistos may eat them.
I suggest you do a school of cardinal tetras instead. They look more colorful and need the same parameters as the apistos,
the bn pleco will be ok but it would be better if it was a group of otocinclus
I2 f to 1 m is general but you can have only 2 individuals: 1 m 1 f
THe loaches would be ok but the bn pleco will take the bottom space(or the otos i suggested)
Also I suggest you do a biotope: a tank with fish and plants from the same region and same part of the environment. Yours could be a pool in the amazon since that is where they come from.
Next come tthe plantss: stauro repens, echinodorus sp, Cabomba var red. but most need high light
I have decided that the endlers are a bad idea... as I recall, they prefer harder water as well. However, as I already have cardinals in my 55g (and getting them out would be a pain) i think pencilfish might be a neat idea. I have to see what my lfs carries or what they can bring in though.
The reason I'm thinking of adding a bristlenose is that the pair in my 55g now have fry that are getting to be a decent size. I'm planning on selling them when they're big enough, but thought one would do well in the 27g. Ottos are a good idea as well... something different for me.
So you think I should only have the 2 apistos? i thought they prefered to be in small groups...
I still don't know what kind i'll be able to get, but I definitely want them.
I am actually thinking of doing a biotope.... i'm looking at buying some Manzanita (sp?) wood and some almond leaves (can't seem to find oak trees nearby) As for plants, i'm not sure what ones are good to use. I've never used CO2 and would prefer a setup that can work without it.... I do want to try it out in the future, but i'm a bit low on cash at the moment. are there many plants that would be ok with good lights but no added CO2?
Thanks for the help!
Oh, and as the apistos like to have caves, what would you suggest? I was thinking of making some coconut caves and covering them with moss, but I'm not sure how that would work in a biotope...
Pencil fish would be ok but the Cardinal tetras and rummy nosed tetras are the ones which have that calming or dither effect on other fish.
Cabomba doesnt need too much nutrients but medium light, so are some echinodorus sp, staurogyne sp, Try searching the net for the low mantainance plants from the amazon
! pair is enough, There is a chance that the unpaired fish will be harassed to death.
Corydoras catfish could also be put in the place of the pleco.
The Apistos do prefer a more natural looking cave. Like a rock cave
