15 gallon tank, looking for dwarf cichlids

[jigagummyz]

Hey there!
I have a 15g cycled tank and I'm eyeing the cockatoo apistogramma and the german blue ram as my centerpiece fish. will my tank's accommodation be suitable for these fish? Ideally, I'm looking for either a single male or a pair since I'm not interesting in spawning\breeding and males have the best colors. If it's possible to house these fish in this tank size, what community fish would you recommend? I don't really care for neon tetras as I've had them for a long time and would like to switch things up. There are plenty of plants and rocks in the tank for dispersion if needed.

Thank you in advance everyone!

 

[HoldenOn]

Hey there!
I have a 15g cycled tank and I'm eyeing the cockatoo apistogramma and the german blue ram as my centerpiece fish. will my tank's accommodation be suitable for these fish? Ideally, I'm looking for either a single male or a pair since I'm not interesting in spawning\breeding and males have the best colors. If it's possible to house these fish in this tank size, what community fish would you recommend? I don't really care for neon tetras as I've had them for a long time and would like to switch things up. There are plenty of plants and rocks in the tank for dispersion if needed.

Thank you in advance everyone!

Do you know your waters general hardness? That is what we need to recommend fish.
You can't mix the species, I'm sorry. Also german blues are not an easy fish. They need super warm water, meaning they aren't suitable for community tanks.
Is the 15 gallon standard (24″ x 12″ x 12″)?
I can give you some recommendations once I know your water hardness, but know that 15 gallons is as small as one can go for dwarf cichlids, so some species may not work.

 

[jigagummyz]

Do you know your waters general hardness? That is what we need to recommend fish.
You can't mix the species, I'm sorry. Also german blues are not an easy fish. They need super warm water, meaning they aren't suitable for community tanks.
Is the 15 gallon standard (24″ x 12″ x 12″)?
I can give you some recommendations once I know your water hardness, but know that 15 gallons is as small as one can go for dwarf cichlids, so some species may not work.

My tank measurements are pretty much 24,12,12. I'm not sure about my water hardness but I'm housing neon tetras and corydoras perfectly fine.

 

[HoldenOn]

My tank measurements are pretty much 24,12,12. I'm not sure about my water hardness but I'm housing neon tetras and corydoras perfectly fine.

Alright that's good about the tank measurements. Would you mind googling "city name water hardness"? Dwarf cichlids are sensitive fish, and will be way more colorful in the right water.

 

[Wills]

Hi welcome to the forum It would be possible to house a single male of either of these species but it would depend on if your water is soft enough if you can accommodate them.

I would recommend finding out your water hardness as it can have a big effect on the fish in there. It does not really affect them in the short term but it can seriously limit their lifespan. One of our members was keeping Neon Tetras in hard water and they would live for 18-24 months, then he changed to RO water mix to soften it and his school is 6 years old now and there are a bunch of other examples around but this one always stays prominent for me.

Wills

 

[jigagummyz]

Alright that's good about the tank measurements. Would you mind googling "city name water hardness"? Dwarf cichlids are sensitive fish, and will be way more colorful in the right water.

I don't live in the U.S. and haven't had much luck finding my city's general water hardness level. Although, the hardness level in Israel is usually pretty high from what I've read. Although I live in a city I suspect that the hardness level is pretty high. Is that good or bad relating to the cichlids? and is there anything I can do if it is bad?

 

[HoldenOn]

I don't live in the U.S. and haven't had much luck finding my city's general water hardness level. Although, the hardness level in Israel is usually pretty high from what I've read. Although I live in a city I suspect that the hardness level is pretty high. Is that good or bad relating to the cichlids? and is there anything I can do if it is bad?

Dwarf cichlids are usually better suited to soft water, that being said there are varieties that could do well in harder water. I'll look for some species for you .

 

[jigagummyz]

Dwarf cichlids are usually better suited to soft water, that being said there are varieties that could do well in harder water. I'll look for some species for you .

Thank you! do you know if there is any way I could possibly introduce a water softener without harming the fish?

 

[Essjay]

Water softeners often use salt, and these should not be used for fish. But pure water can be used to reduce hardness. Reverse osmosis water is water that has had all the minerals removed. A lot of fish shops sell it (though I don't know about Israel), or you can buy the equipment to make it in your own home.

 

[Wills]

Am I right in thinking that Israel use big seawater conversion plants for most of your freshwater? Which could help explain why you have hard water. RO water would be recommended for keeping South Americans. You could look at some of the small Lake Tanganikans like shell dwellers which would do much better in hard water.

Wills

 

[threecharacters]

Where do you get your fish? I believe there are some notable fish farms in Israel. Here is a little video about it. If your local store stocks fish from these farms they may be suitable for your tap water even if the wild fish wouldn't be able to survive in hard water. I know that at least one of these farms is known for producing the Dark Knight color morph of the Ram Cichlid (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi). If you could get your hands on some locally-bred Rams (don't have to be Dark Knight Rams, I think those are pricy) they might work with your water.

 

[jigagummyz]

Where do you get your fish? I believe there are some notable fish farms in Israel. Here is a little video about it. If your local store stocks fish from these farms they may be suitable for your tap water even if the wild fish wouldn't be able to survive in hard water. I know that at least one of these farms is known for producing the Dark Knight color morph of the Ram Cichlid (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi). If you could get your hands on some locally-bred Rams (don't have to be Dark Knight Rams, I think those are pricy) they might work with your water.

That's interesting, I didn't know that there are cichlids in Israel have adjusted to harder water!
In any case, I've recently gotten a 55 gallon tank for an amazing price so I might be able to extend my scope of cichlids to purchase, I'll have to do some research on those videos, thanks for the info!

 

[threecharacters]

That's interesting, I didn't know that there are cichlids in Israel have adjusted to harder water!
In any case, I've recently gotten a 55 gallon tank for an amazing price so I might be able to extend my scope of cichlids to purchase, I'll have to do some research on those videos, thanks for the info!

I don't guarantee that the cichlids will be adjusted to hard water. It's possible the farms use RO water. I would ask your local fish store. You could look into African dwarf cichlids. Some lesser known examples are Dwarf Egyptian Mouthbrooder, Pelvicachromis species, and Nanochromis species.