South American Biotope

[Wills]

Hi you might have seen a few threads I've posted about getting a new tank. The new tank is a Fluval Roma 125 which is roughly 30g getting it on Saturday with a bit of luck . So I've got a fun weekend ahead

So far the stocking is looking like

3 Apistogramma Cacatuoides (1M, 2F)
6 Platinum Tetras
3 Spotted Headstanders
1 Starlight Bristlenoses or normal snowball plec (depending on availability and price)

then either

5 regular size cories - but not the bronze probs sterbai, panda or skunk?
or
8ish pygmy cories

or

an other school of tetras (not sure what)
and some shrimp figured in this tank well planted and covered they should be quite safe especially if I get them before the apistos so they can start to build up a breeding population.

What do you think?
Thanks Wills

 

[bagu]

i would go for regular corys than pygmy mate =]

snowball plecs are

 

[Wills]

yeah really hope I can find one for a good price though I think I saw some starlight BNs mislabeled as regular so they were pretty cheap but not sure as they were really really small but they were black and had the spots and blue/white edges on the dorsal and caudial fins is this them or do all BNs start out like that? Didnt know if I would be okay with 2 or not? Would this be too much? Also if I went with the corries do you think I could get more tetras? So potentialy make the the stocking

3 Apistogramma Cacatuoides (1M, 2F)
9 Platinum Tetras
3 Spotted Headstanders
2 Starlight Bristlenoses
5 Panda or Skunk Cories

 

[bagu]

looks okay to me mate but you might have to wait for another opinion

what filter you gonna have on it?

 

[Wills]

think just the standard fluval that comes with it think it is the FU2? Not sure but might keep my eye out for a cheap external

 

[ALW]

3 Apistogramma Cacatuoides (1M, 2F)
9 Platinum Tetras
3 Spotted Headstanders
2 Starlight Bristlenoses
5 Panda or Skunk Cories

Looks fine, but i would up the Tetras to 15!

 

[matchstickman47]

3 Apistogramma Cacatuoides (1M, 2F)
9 Platinum Tetras
3 Spotted Headstanders
2 Starlight Bristlenoses
5 Panda or Skunk Cories

Looks fine, but i would up the Tetras to 15!

second that!

 

[meguro]

FU2

manner up


=)

 

[JohnRossDele]

maybe barbatus cories?

 

[Wills]

like the idea of the 15

but having second thoughts about the cories and the headstanders can anyone suggest a bottom dweller? Was thinking of pygmy chain loaches but I know these would break the biotope but dont mind too much but they are very pricey. But yeah Ive had cories in the past and I know a lot of people love them but they just dont do it for me lol. So yeah any other sugestions?

Also with the headstanders bit plain - can anyone else think of somthing similar ie somthing that is of decent size for the tank but a good individual fish rather than a schooling type but that would also fit in with apistos?

 

[matchstickman47]

like the idea of the 15

thought you might.... everyone wants more

 

[Wills]

Had some new thoughts on the stocking probably something like -

3 Apistos (1M 2F)
7 Platinum Tetras
7 Green Neon Tetras or 7 Striped Pencil Fish
1 Starlight BN
1 Other small plec (dependent on prices and suppliers really)

and then something else but I am totally at a loss of what else I want
I'm off to buy the tank tomorrow so will have a look for some inspiration
I want something that could stand alone or in a pair or trio any ideas?
It was going to be the spotted headstanders but I've had them in the past and
while I enjoyed them I want something new to me. I was considering a single
cichlid of some kind but not sure if the appistos would be able to handle them
or vice versa. So yeah any suggestions?
Thanks as allways Wills

 

[meguro]

a keyhole? or something from guianacara? aequidens diadema would be fine, if you didn't have fish that fit in its mouth

 

[Wills]

had keyholes used have a breeding pair not familiar with the guinacara family any common names? The diadema has given me a few ideas

The other idea I was toying with this week end was the marbled headstander gets to about 12cm similar to the spotted ones but bit more interesting for me do you think this one would be okay?

 

[meguro]

not familiar with the guinacara family any common names?

One of them (guianacara geayi) is called bandit cichlid (sometimes panda cichlid but since the panda apistos are more common it's used less).