Mixing Question

[VTwinFanatic]

I just special ordered some cockatoo apisto dwarf cichlids, and was told by my manager (i work at an LFS) that we would also be getting in some checkerboard dwarf cichlids as well. I was wondering if you could possibly mix dwarf cichlids?...They will be going in a 30gal heavily planted tank. Any comments would be welcomed

[mooman]

The checkerboard cichlid, Dicrosus filimentosus, (not 100% on the latin name) should have similar care requirements and habits to the apistos. As far as mixing dwarfs goes, I have never had any luck with it, but have only tried it in 30in tanks, your 36in is a little bigger, but not much. I find that one of the males ALWAYS becomes dominant and starts to bully the other male. I've never had a death result from this, but have always removed the "loser" after a few days. They just look so miserable, and I'm sure over time the stress would result in an illness.

that being said, I have talked to hobbiests that claim to have kept multiple males and females (almost as tricky as males) in tanks of 30 gallons. In these instances they kept three or four males of different species. I suspect that it was more of a "controlled crowding" situation like what you see in LFS. Probably not much natural behavior being displayed, and probably results in a constant low grade stress on the fish.

Final call: I don't think it would work, but if you do it, the fish absolutely MUST be introduced at the same time, and be ready to remove a pair if it doesn't work. Since you work at a LFS you will always have a home for the "loser", and the fish probably won't cost you that much, so there's nothing really irrisponsible or costly about the attempt. Please let me know how it goes if you try it.

PS check out www.thekrib.com Lots of personal accounts of keeping/mixing dwarfs in a variety of circumstances.

[VTwinFanatic]

Thanks moonman. I might just stay with the apistos, I like them a bit better, though the checkboards are pretty awesome also. But hopefully in the near future I'm planning on getting a 24 gal nano and going heavily planted, so maybe by the time that it is fully cycled I will then have the space for both of them or atleast another form of dwarf cichlid.

[mooman]

don't feel like you have to go all out either. a 10g, 15g or 20g long is perfect for dwarfs. A thin layer of sand (optional), a couple flowerpots, and a simple sponge filter is all you really need. Most of my tanks are at least moderately planted (mostly because I just like a well landscaped tank), but it's not at all a requirement, and out of all my tanks only one has a power filter. Be careful, once you move from rams to apistos you are dangerously close to getting a sig that looks like mine, and is always growing. :p:

[VTwinFanatic]

Well I have a small 10 gal right now with just a cory (had more but they died) a zebra oto and 3 blue tetras, but I'm thinking about giving this to my neighbor and good friend bc she wants to have just a small one to look at and take care of. So I'm going to replace this 10 with a nano cube...probably 12 gal bc of the price, but id love to have the 24 for the space