new world biotope

[Barnett8]

I am trying to recreate the amazon basin to have a biotope for my Dwarf Panda Cichlids. Anyone know what the bottom looks like??????????? :dive:

[Barnett8]

Well take your time, I have until like July. (But I'd perfer answers sooner, please.)

[dorkfish]

I've tried and tried, your not gonna get much info on biotopes over the net. On the other hand look for a book on aquarium biotopes, should be much easier. And BTW I don't even know what a panda cichlid looks like, so I can't tell you anything about where they live.

[fiske]

From watching National Geographic programs, the amazon basin has various habitat types but for the most part the bottom is an organic goop of decomposing forest and grassland litter collected during massive annual floods. The amazon is really too large to make a generalization and I'm not familiar with panda cichlids but there are a few biotype descriptions written for some tetras and discus and if you can find one with the same water requirements you should be able to find a biotype setup that will be authentic. The only fish I've seen leaf litter recommended for is the leaf fish, which is also from the Amazon.

[Sploke]

Check out www.mongabay.com, there's some good info on all sorts of biotopes, amazonian in particular. The amazon biotope is characterized by mostly muddy-clay substrate with lots of decomposing leaf litter, etc. Very few rocks if any at all, lots of driftwood. Pretty bare bottom, lots of open swimming area with few plants. In my amazon tank I used red flourite and I have a few amazon swords and I want to get a few vals as well. I have a few pieces of rock, but I'd like to get rid of them and get more driftwood.

[ChileRelleno]

In a unplanted tank I would go with a earth toned gravel, smooth textured, fine to med size, perhaps mix some dark sand in with it.
I would pick the size/texture according to your cichlids as they will undoubtedly want to dig.

[mooman]

Your panda cichlids are either Apistogramma nijsseni or Apistogramm panduro. using the term apistogramma will get you a ton more hits. Unfortunatley the natural biotope of most Apistogrammas would make a horrible display tank. They usually come from shallow water (only a few inches in some cases) with a substrate of sand or mud overlaid by several inches to several FEET of leaf litter. The forage among the leaves for aquatic inverts and insect larva. They lay thier eggs in curled up leaves and other "cave-like" structures. The water is soft and often tinted with tanins leached form the leaves (also lowers ph).

In an aquarium, I would use sand for sure. Black or black mixed with a little white looks nice. Multiple caves made out of slate or even PVC (if your not into the natural thing) are mandatory. If you really want to go biotope appropriate throw in a handful of Oak leaves. They decompose slowly and will tint the water and lower ph slowly over time (just suck em out when they start to fall apart.)

A. panduro is one of my all time favorites. Once the pair bond between the two is established, it is very strong, and the couple should get along very well.

Try www.apistogramma.com , www.thekrib.com and www.aquarticles.com for some good info.

[Star_Rider]

to add to mooman's suggestion

you can also use the pvc covered with the substrate.

you can get some aquarium silicone..spread it lightly on the pvc then roll the pvc(silicon coated) in some of the substrate..I always have spare substrate for this purpose.


the caves will look like they were dug out of the bottom.

[Barnett8]

Wow, thank you mooman you seem to know just about everything about cichlids. Would a piece of pvc covered in like roots and some of the clay for planting plants work as a cave. what kind of roots should I use, oak? ty

p.s. they are apistogramma nijsseni

[Harry Tolen]

I have also used maple leaves with success. But keep up on your water changes, and replace the leaves every few weeks or so.

[Barnett8]

ty every1, and i need some advice, i want them to breed but i dont want an RO unit and distilled water is too dependent on the grocery store, so...

p.s. could i carve a cave out of wood?

[mooman]

Ha, the more I learn about cichlids the more I realize how little I do know. Besides, by knowledge is pretty restricted to SA dwarf cichlids. I wouldn't know a rare mbuna if it swam up my......well anywho......

They will accept anything as a cave, but the females seem to prefer very small spaces with one small hole. I usually just pile up some slate.

what are your water parameters? I've found alot of apistos will breed in average tap water (some more than others), and all the ones I've kept can be maintained in it indefinatley. If you want to spawn them, simply maintain them in tap water while you condition them with lots of bloodworms, mysis, and live bbs (you'll need them for the fry, so might as well get good at hatching them). When the female looks good, do a 50% or larger water change with straight RO water. This will most likely trigger a spawning. Once the babies are a week old, or so, then you can start doing WCs with tap again.

I did not have a whole lot of success with my panduros (similar to nijsseni). They got along great in their 10g, and even spawned a few times with fertile eggs, but they always dissapeared after hatching (usually apistos are excellent parents but this pair was crappy)

[Barnett8]

ok tyvm im using maple roots as a backround too, and its good to know that i can use tap water.

[managuay86]

best advice i can give u is a lot of live plants and a sandy, if not, fine gravel bottom. also add some drift wood to soften the water. temperature at 82 and basically ur set... :thm:

[Barnett8]

o thats a good tank for white, or clearwater but im after blackwater. which has white sand and no plants.

[greendeltatke]

I have also used maple leaves with success. But keep up on your water changes, and replace the leaves every few weeks or so.


Do you mean dried leaves?

[mooman]

Yup Dry leaves. Although I remember hearing that Oak species whose leaves turn red are allelopathic, and should not be used in aquariums. It was awhile ago though.