Dwarf cichlid experience?

[CharlieKlein]

I'm starting a "dwarf based community tank and was hoping to hear success stories keeping semi aggressive fish! I would also appreciate if you could post a picture of your setup so I can know what kind of cover to provide

1 dwarf gourami
1 Bolivian ram cichlid
1 apistogramma
1 swordtail
1 guppie( wil he be eaten?)
2 bumblebee gobys
4 Pygmy Cory's
1 oto
7 cherry barbs
Any input would really help! Also I want to add a colony of 10 shrimp( ghost and cherry) and 3 nitrate snails

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

I'm starting a "dwarf based community tank and was hoping to hear success stories keeping semi aggressive fish! I would also appreciate if you could post a picture of your setup so I can know what kind of cover to provide

1 dwarf gourami
1 Bolivian ram cichlid
1 apistogramma
1 swordtail
1 guppie( wil he be eaten?)
2 bumblebee gobys
4 Pygmy Cory's
1 oto
7 cherry barbs
Any input would really help! Also I want to add a colony of 10 shrimp( ghost and cherry) and 3 nitrate snails

Hi! A few things:
1. Bumblebee Gobys need brackish water so they probably don't have a place in that community.
2. What size tank?
3. Otos need a group of probably 4+ really.
4. I wouldn't add a shrimp community to the tank as they will most likely be eaten.

 

[bud29]

Hi! A few things:
1. Bumblebee Gobys need brackish water so they probably don't have a place in that community.
2. What size tank?
3. Otos need a group of probably 4+ really.
4. I wouldn't add a shrimp community to the tank as they will most likely be eaten.

I agree that with otos you probably want more than one. Also a tank size would be helpful. However, I think Ghost Shrimp would be OK in that tank as they are bigger and less likely to be eaten. Cherry shrimp would become dinner quickly, though. Also, there are two types of fish sold under the name "bumblebee gobies": one type is fully freshwater the other is brackish. You can tell the difference by looking at their stripes; the freshwater ones have complete stripes, while the brackish ones have "broken" stripes.

 

[CharlieKlein]

29 gallon

 

[CharlieKlein]

And I am positive the gobys are fresh due to their distinct stripes! Also 350b penguine filter

 

[bud29]

I think you would be overstocked if this is for a 29 gallon. This is a suggestion:

2 of the three: Dwarf gourami, Bolivian Ram, Apisto
7 Cherry Barbs
1 Guppy
2 Bumblebee Gobies
4 Pygmy Cories
3 Otos

 

[CharlieKlein]

I think bill do without the ottos and then do a swordtail, bn pleco, instead! Also, y only 2 of the 3

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

I think bill do without the ottos and then do a swordtail, bn pleco, instead! Also, y only 2 of the 3

Well to me, I'd really only do one of the 3 but do a pair. You don't want to keep an Apisto with a Ram as there will be territory aggression, especially in a 29. You can do a Dwarf Gourami with one of those dwarf cichlids

 

[bud29]

You don't want to keep an Apisto with a Ram as there will be territory aggression, especially in a 29.

You can keep an apisto with a ram in a 29, just like you can keep 2 rams.

I think bill do without the ottos and then do a swordtail, bn pleco, instead! Also, y only 2 of the 3

I said only 2 out of the 3 because IMO all 3 would be a bit too much.

Also, swapping 3 small otos with a pleco and swordtail is not an even change off. I would do just the BN pleco as it would stay in the same region of the tank as the otos would have.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Hen Mabye I will do the ottos, but I am really wanting the swordtail

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

You can keep an apisto with a ram in a 29, just like you can keep 2 rams.

I have to disagree with you there. A 29 is too small to keep an Apisto with a Ram. Both are territorial; with a 29 not giving enough room to create physical boundaries to reduce aggression.

I think you're better off with a male with 2 female Apisto trio or a male and female pair of Apisto.

 

[CharlieKlein]

1 apisto
1 gbr
1 dg
1 swordtail
2 bumblebee gobys
4 Julii Cory
3 ottos
5 cherry barbs
1 guppy
I am going to try that. I cut down the cherrywood by 2 so I'd have room for a swordtail. Will the guppy be eaten? And aqadvisor has me at 100% with that, but I've heard that people say they are fine when aqadvisor is at 125% is that true?

 

[bud29]

I have to disagree with you there. A 29 is too small to keep an Apisto with a Ram. Both are territorial; with a 29 not giving enough room to create physical boundaries to reduce aggression.

I think you're better off with a male with 2 female Apisto trio or a male and female pair of Apisto.

Apistos are very very similar to rams. If it's OK to keep 3 Apistos together, why would it not be OK to keep 1 ram and 1 apisto? I have kept 2 different types of dwarf cichlids in a 29 gallon together and I had no aggression issues.

1 apisto
1 gbr
1 dg
1 swordtail
2 bumblebee gobys
4 Julii Cory
3 ottos
5 cherry barbs
1 guppy
I am going to try that. I cut down the cherrywood by 2 so I'd have room for a swordtail. Will the guppy be eaten? And aqadvisor has me at 100% with that, but I've heard that people say they are fine when aqadvisor is at 125% is that true?

The guppy wouldn't be eaten. I don't know, something about that seems overstocked to me, I think it's the swordtail. I really think nixing the swordtail would be a good move on your part, when full grown they take up quite a bit of space.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Apistos are very very similar to rams. If it's OK to keep 3 Apistos together, why would it not be OK to keep 1 ram and 1 apisto? I have kept 2 different types of dwarf cichlids in a 29 gallon together and I had no aggression issues.

They are very similar. Rams were actually once named under the Apistogramma name. You can keep 3 Apistos together in a 29 as long as ONLY 1 of them is a male. If you had 2 males, there is not enough room to run away. I have 2 Apistos in a 29 at the moment. 1 male, 1 female and my male does not like her. I repeat, not enough room to run away. The best chance for keeping an Apisto and a Ram in a 29, would be to luck out and get them both females. But the drawback to that is that females are never as pretty colored as the males.

I do agree with you though about the stocking. Seems overstocked to me. I'd avoid the guppy and the swordtail.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Then if I took out the guppy, even though its small would it still be overstocked? And how do guppys do alone? Should I add another? I really like the swordtail so if there is a way to incorporate it I would appreciate it!

 

[bud29]

They are very similar. Rams were actually once named under the Apistogramma name. You can keep 3 Apistos together in a 29 as long as ONLY 1 of them is a male. If you had 2 males, there is not enough room to run away. I have 2 Apistos in a 29 at the moment. 1 male, 1 female and my male does not like her. I repeat, not enough room to run away. The best chance for keeping an Apisto and a Ram in a 29, would be to luck out and get them both females. But the drawback to that is that females are never as pretty colored as the males.

but very often there is only a spar after being introduced to the tank, and then there is no aggression afterwards. There have been very few instances in which it hasn't worked out between them and it has worked so many other times. A 29 gallon is 30" long, 10 times the body width of a ram or apisto. Especially if there are several decorations or plants, there is plenty of room for territories to be set.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

but very often there is only a spar after being introduced to the tank, and then there is no aggression afterwards. There have been very few instances in which it hasn't worked out between them and it has worked so many other times. A 29 gallon is 30" long, 10 times the body width of a ram or apisto. Especially if there are several decorations or plants, there is plenty of room for territories to be set.

Well I suppose we're going to have to agree to disagree then.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Well I think I'm going to try three
Here's my stock, that is 100% full on aqadvisor
1 dg
1 gbr
1 apisto
1 swordtail
2 bumblebee gobys
5 cherry barbs
3 otos
4 Pygmy Cory's
1 guppy
I've heard that some people have stocked seccessfully using aqadvisor at 125% stocked!?! If that's true I'd bump the Cory's and barbs up 2 each

Personally, I'd remove the DG, Swordtail, and Guppy if you bump those up. But, you do seem a little set in your ways. I hope everything works out for you.

 

[CharlieKlein]

Sorry, here's what I absolutely want
1 dg
1 apisto
1 swordtail
1 gbr
5 cherry barbs
4 Cory's
The rest, although is not much, I am willing to change.

 

[Aquatic_Adam]

Sorry, here's what I absolutely want
1 dg
1 apisto
1 swordtail
1 gbr
5 cherry barbs
4 Cory's
The rest, although is not much, I am willing to change.

I think you can try that. I do have some hesitations on the Apisto/GBR combo but it seems that there are some experiences where it had worked. Cichlids always have personalities and it depends on what those fish have. With the above stocking you can bump the Cory's up by at least 4 (presuming they are still the Pgymys).