40g Breeder - Apistos?

Clurin

Clurin

Melf
Sep 14, 2005
157
0
0
44
Maynard, MA
Hey all. I'm in the exploratory phase for a new tank I'm considering setting up. I have been poking around the 'net and on the forums here, and I am very impressed by a number of Apistogramma species, notably the triple red. If I set up a 40g breeder tank with sand substrate and lots of caves/rocks and break up line of sight every 6" or so, is it possible to have 3-4 pairs of apistos?

Can you have multiple species? Which ones would work? As I said, I'm just starting to think about this tank, so it's at least a few months from being setup. Just kind of looking for ideas and possibilities. If I can do 3 pairs or so of apistos, would a small school (5-8) of hatchet fish be okay as dithers and to liven up the top of the tank? Since a 40 breeder is so shallow, I am thinking mid-dwellers could be under constant harassment from the apistos, so most tetras are out.

Are apistos okay with ottos or a bristlenose pleco? (I like the ottos better, but figure a pleco might be able to take a little harassment better.)

Thanks!
 
A 40g breeder is an excellent Apisto tank, but I don't think there's any way you could do more than two males. They have surprisingly large territories for such small fish. The nice thing is that you can have multiple females for each male. Even with the two males, you will want a ton of structure (caves plants, bogwood) covering the bottom of the tank, and some kind of visual screen (stack of rocks, bogwood) around mid-tank so that the males are not always catching sight of the other male and going into a peeing contest. I would go with 3 females per male. When a male only has a 2 female harem, he can sometime favor one of the females and then they both put the beat on the third wheel (a third female spreads out the aggression). As with any cichlid, have accomodations ready in case any of the fish need to be removed (this genus is know for sudden outbreaks of violence towards conspecifics)

One or two species is up to you. If I were going through all the trouble of aquascaping for two males, I would get two species (make sure they're size compatable. One thing that you MUST do is add all the fish at once. If any fish is in the tank for even 24hrs before the others, then you will have major problems. It would be well worth the effort to find a group of juviniles and put them together when young. Last warning, I would not intentionally try to spawn them in a crowded setup like that (someone will get killed). Keep them in water that is too hard to allow for fertilized eggs. You could pull out the males and a female to spawn in tanks of their own, and then reintroduce them to the main tank of females if you want (again, reintroduce males simultaneously).

Hatchets will make perfect dithers, and either otos or bristlenose will work fine. Pencil fish also make good top-dwellers for apistos. Good Luck.
Check out www.Apistogramma.com for a more expert opinion on this setup. Good Luck
 
40breeders are awesome apisto tanks like Moo said, they have a larger foot print than a 55gal.

I would only do one species and 1 male to 3-4 females. More than one male your asking for problems.

The apistos don't really harass any other fish other than some of the lower dwelling catfish that venture too close. So the tetras would be fine.
 
On futher thought, if you do 2 males, maybe one species would be best. That way if the males simply cannot coexist, you could remove one and still have a harem situation, instead of a bunch of females with no male to defend thier "super territory"
 
Thanks for the information! I might have stumbled on a tank faster than expected.. found a "50 gal" (it's the 40 breeder based on the dimensions.. 36x18x16) on my local craigslist, just posted today, for $59 with glass top and tube of sealant in case it has any problems.

I still need to save for things like a stand, lighting, decorations, etc, but getting the tank for so cheap would get one of the big expenses out of the way.

I didn't realize Apistos were harem breeders. That makes things smoother. One thought on the 2 male instance.. would halving the footprint with a divider be an acceptable amount of space for 1 male and his 3-4 females? I could have one ready to go in case problems arose. I'll probably only go with one male and a bunch of females anyway, but it's a thought.

The other possibility (maybe) would be a Lake Tang (not even gonna try and spell it! :laugh: ) tank with multis and... anything you all might suggest. ;)
 
now like they said, you need to add them all at once otherwise that would not be a happy outcome for you. And from what I have seen apistos average roughly $22 a pop. You are talking two males/6 females roughly from what I've gathered from other posts that is $140 in fish. Make sure your water is all cycled properly before you purchase because like was just said, they are expensive and I would hate for you to loose an apisto. My female cac killed one of my males a while back and i about poo'd my pants. you will soon learn that they are a great fish! good luck and keep us up to date. Ps... go apisto not lake tang
 
I would get in touh with a private breeder and make arrangements to purchase the fish when still young and in the right ratio. Shipping costs pretty much blows any savings when ordering fish online, but purchasing multiple juvi fish would probably be cheaper online (only one shipping charge).
 
Tangs are easier to come by, and just as neat as Apistos, many aren't much larger, and make great choices for a 40breeder.

http://www.southernapistos.com

Mike Jacobs is a great guy and has some awesome fish, check him out. If your looking for something give him a call as well.
 
Awesome, thanks, Nat!

moo: know of a method to find a local breeder, or someone with juvies online? I did get the tank with lid off craigslist for $80. Not bad. They also have a Fluval 303 that they'll clean up and sell to me for $25 if I want it. I searched some old threads, and talked to someone at my LFS, and the 303 is supposed to be one of the good models, so I think I'm going to take them up on it.

I just ordered a bunch of driftwood from Aquaric Eco-Systems as well. Now I need to find a decent stand. I think I'm going to go with the one from Big Al's. It's laminated particle board, and certified for aquariums. For $80 + about $25 in shipping, I can't find a much better deal.

That leaves me with lighting and cycling. ^^
 
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