VioletEmber
Aquarium Advice Freak
So I have been shuffling my feet outside of the cichlid forum for weeks now-- wondering if I really want to enter the cichlid realm. Seems like y'all have 175g tanks filled with fish I can't pronounce or identify and get excited about gadgets with numbers after them that I have no idea what they do... It's kinda intimidating!
But lately I've been reading about cichlids in community tanks. And I saw pictures of apistogrammas and fell in love. I seem to like the south and central American species and dwarf cichlids.
So although my normal inclination is to want to set up a species only tank with all the right parameters and decorations (I like a challenge) I am thinking I should start slowly. That said I see so many conflicting opinions on whether apistos and rams are "starter" fish or really difficult. And whether they can be in a tank together and if they can be in a 10g, or need a much bigger tank... You know the drill!
Bottom line: I love planted tanks so a plant friendly species...
I have a 10, a 20 and a possible 33g coming from a neighbor.
What would you do? A pair of apistos or rams in the 20 and see how I do? Set up the 33 for them?
But lately I've been reading about cichlids in community tanks. And I saw pictures of apistogrammas and fell in love. I seem to like the south and central American species and dwarf cichlids.
So although my normal inclination is to want to set up a species only tank with all the right parameters and decorations (I like a challenge) I am thinking I should start slowly. That said I see so many conflicting opinions on whether apistos and rams are "starter" fish or really difficult. And whether they can be in a tank together and if they can be in a 10g, or need a much bigger tank... You know the drill!
Bottom line: I love planted tanks so a plant friendly species...
I have a 10, a 20 and a possible 33g coming from a neighbor.
What would you do? A pair of apistos or rams in the 20 and see how I do? Set up the 33 for them?