Apistogramma Cacatuoides(Cockatoo) And Angel

the fish would demonstrate more natural and interesting behaviour if kept in groups

edit: cockatoo apistos are quite peaceful and i really doubt u would observe any trouble from a 1m2f trio in such a large tank (large in comparison to the size of these fish anyway)


You find the apisto really chilled untill they take on breeding colours 1:2 ratio chances are they will pair. The females have a high chance of fighting to death. Now its only a chance depends if you want the hassle, i have about 60 cacs here but my last 2 breeding females did fight to the death. They will show no difference in behavior 1:1 or 1:2 in a tank so save the hassale and go for a nice pair :good:
 
I was thinking, the Ph on my tanks is 7.6. Isn't that a bit high for a apistogramma cacatuoides?

yes a little but they will adept just make sure you acclimatise, you prob find they wont breed in that ph
 
In regards to Ph, I am reading a lot of contradicting info. It says that if they are home bred they are fine in a stable higher Ph, but prefer acidic? Temperature wise would they be fine at 26/25 C? I suppose the corydoras and pleco can live with them, except the pleco will take over one of the driftwood caves.

I can't see to find too much info on compatibility with male guppies/platies though?

I prefer a couple the most, so you think a male and a female would be ok, socially wise?

And I don't really want to breed them, so that don't matter to me.
 
I keep one tank with apisto and corys @25.5c so they will be fine, cant help with guppies/platies never housed them both, the bright colours may set the apisto's off but im speculating. A male and a female will get on with almost any community style tank :good:
 
Thanks very much.
I think I may try, I'll just watch them carefully I guess.

Do I need to add any caves or any particular type of decoration for them?
The driftwood in the tank has two caves in the trunk itself, one of them quite big, but I don't know yet where the pleco will position himself yet. There is another cave near the intake tubes of the filter made of a few stones as well.
Should I add something else, like a coconut or similar?
 
i have a single angel and a single apisto in my tank, and they generally ignore eachother. its not ideal as i was put in a tight spot with these fish, but luckily its worked for me. ive got lots of wood in my tank, the apisto would definitely appreciate a cave or somthing to call his territory. angels and apistos are both cichlids, and as such they have more individual temperaments than most other fish. which means you might get a totally relaxed one, or a headcase. or somewhere in between. the more hiding places the better. i also have 2 rams in my tank, also dwarf cichlids, and these get on ok with the angel and apisto aswell, though they dont much like eachother :lol:
 
I think I'll delay the angel idea for a while, although this tank is perfect for them.

The tank is a 4f 330 litre. So far the stocking will be:

20-ish guppy and platy males

6 albino aeneus corydoras

1 pleco-still small

2- the probable pair of cockatoo cichilids

The shop where they sell the cockatoos can order for me peru green corydoras for a tenner each. I would like to get 6 of them. Would that be fine with the current stocking?

I think that's about it, unless I can fit something else you think?
 
i'd say the cories will be ok, you have sand or very fine gravel in your tank yeah ? cories much prefer/need it. i think you could probably have 1 or 2 centrepiece fish in there maybe, and to be honest the angels would certainly fit the bill. maybe let the apistos settle in, then get some young angels, so they grow up hopefully knowing there place with the apistos.
 
Yes, it's sand. I specifically got it for the corys and pleco as they are living in a gravel tank at the moment(not that they seem to mind though).

Are the cockatoos bottom fish mostly?

The guppies and platies are considered top tank dwellers, but I can tell from experience that this is at all not the case. I actually see them more at the lower level rather than the top of the tank, which is unfortunate for the pleco and corys :lol:

And yeah, angels will really suit the tank dimensions if not anything else. There won't be fry in this tank so as long as they don't eat grown up guppy I may consider getting a few small ones?

Edit: Well, the stocking will take some time as I am fully intending to quarantine the new fish. So it must happen in stages.
 
angels look great in nice tall tanks. i rarely see my apisto more than 5 or 6 inches off the ground, the angels will generally stay in the middle, obviously their fins make it diffcult to be anywhere else. though i catch mine sleeping almost on its side when i get up in the morning and the tank lights are off. :lol: :lol: :lol: maybe an angry full grown angel might have a bit of a nip at a guppy tail, again growing up with them and depending on the temperament of your particular angels will affect this.
 
Yeah, I presumed I should get them small if I want to go this way. The tank is quite high, so it will definately suit them.
The fish shop though has some absolutely marvelous looking angels. They are huge and litterally shiny. They have some silver/gold colouring with a bit of black.

Edit: Sorry for the explanation, but I don't know too much about the type of angel species :sick:
 
niether do i to be honest. mine is totally jet black, looks pretty menacing, and hiding in the dark side of the tank is almost totally invisible. then he just appears out of nowhere. koi angels are mostly white and yellow with black markings, as the name suggests similar to koi carp markings. one of my lfs has a breeding pair of adult koi angels in, they are mega.
 
I looked at the koi angels online and they don't really look like those I saw, but what do I know :lol:
I am going to the shop this evening so I may ask what they are if they are still there.
 
General rule for cacs is have 1 more cave then females, males dont need a cave as they will patrol the area while the female blocks the entrance of the cave with sand
 
What type of caves are you using yourself for them?
And how big the cave should be inside I wonder?
 

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