Starting Again

[njstockley]

So in a 30G you would be looking at like 4-5 males and 8-10 females. Which doesnt sounds anywhere near as bad as the 50 per 10 gallons.

I think that 50 per 10G rule would only be appropriate in much larger tanks. I would try and keep the female ratio up and go 4M 10F. Some of the apisto species have some nice looking females so you wont be missing out on colour. My plan was to fill the tank with Mopani roots and heavy planting that went right to the top. Would give plenty of hiding spaces and thought it would look cool too. Then a nice big shoal of something too - a bit more to it then than the standard community tank.


Agree with Wills on suppliers. I was out at Wildwoods last weekend and they have some really nice ones in. What put me off in the end was the cost of apistos in the shops near me - much better if you kind find a couple of local breeders.

 

[kizno1]

Cant say ive ever been to great with plants so i think loads of twisted branches would be better for me. Plus since Apisto spend most of there time near the bottom i dont think having cover at the top of the tank will matter to much.

Around here even the common types are £8-9 each so for 14 your looking at £112+

 

[njstockley]

Cant say ive ever been to great with plants so i think loads of twisted branches would be better for me. Plus since Apisto spend most of there time near the bottom i dont think having cover at the top of the tank will matter to much.

Take a look at some of the silk plants available on SeaPets. Look better than most and not a bad price. You can also use the Vivarium hanging plants and sucker them to the back of the tank. I've got one in my Malawi tank. But like you say you'd only need plants if you've got something other than the Apistos.

Around here even the common types are £8-9 each so for 14 your looking at £112+

Ouch! Get on AC and see if there's a deal to be had.

 

[kizno1]

Im not a big fan of silk plants. I think with enough wood and leaves i can get away with it without needing plants. Ill have to try and find a few different sources for them because if i get them off just 1 breeder its fairly likely they will all be from the same spawn.

 

[kizno1]

Right ive got to confess. I went to an lfs with the intention of seeing if they wanted the Laetacara dorsigera and Banjo catfish but instead i ended up coming back with 4 more Laetacara dorsigera. Ive never really seen them round here much before and one of the males they had was stunning. The Apisto tank is still on the cards in the future but its something i would want to look into a lot more before i do anything.
The plan for this tank at the moment is
6 Laetacara dorsigera (until i get a pair)
3 Clown plecs
3 Banjo catfish
and maybe a trio of wild Swordtails or something for the upper levels.
Ill try and get some picture later.

 

[Wills]

Haha I have had a day like that went out looking for plants and came back with some wood and nearly a Synodontis, Clown Knife Fish and a couple of Angels (of all things!) made me think about them!!

There is nothing wrong with Laetacara at all Dorsiger is one of my favorite fish

Will

 

[kizno1]

Haha, yeah ive done it a few times before. How is you tank now anyway?

Yeah there great little fish. In the shop there was about 10 of them and there was this male with stunning colours he was almost black how dark he was with this bright red throat so i couldnt turn him down. Then i got 3 what i think are females so im guessing i have 3 males 3 females but i could be wrong.

 

[kizno1]

The Laetacara are colouring up and settling in already. They seem to be spending a lot more time in the mid level of the tank rather than at the bottom like my last lot but that might have something to do with most of the caves being removed and there being loads of wood in the mid levels.

 

[kizno1]

I got 4 Swordtails in the end. In the shop it looked like 1 male 3 females but turns out its 1 male, 1 female and 2 that look like late developing males not the best combination but so far they have left the female alone. Ive rearranged the tank a bit so all the fish look a bit pale but heres a few pics


Im not that keen on the look of the tank now, i dont like all the caves but without them the Clown plecs are even more timid.





Just found this and it made me laugh, this is how the tank started a few years ago

 

[kizno1]

Ive addded 15 large Amazon frogbits to the tank now and hoping to get a small shoat of surface dwellers. Im thinking Hatchets or Pencil fish, Any other ideas?
Ive also got 10 Hygrophila and 25 Sagittaria subulata coming in the next few days.

 

[kizno1]

Think the Swords are going to have to go back. The just way to boisterous for the Laetacara. Maybe a shoal of Hatchets or Endlers instead.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

My six Nannostomus beckfordi are lovely little things, bought as youngsters from MatsP, who has a breeding group of ~20. I'd imagine something similar would make great dithers for the Laetacara.

 

[kizno1]

My six Nannostomus beckfordi are lovely little things, bought as youngsters from MatsP, who has a breeding group of ~20. I'd imagine something similar would make great dithers for the Laetacara.

They seem like a good choice. From what ive read they aren't the most boisterous of fish eater so hopefully wouldnt out compete the Laetacara

 

[aly_starh]

ahh kiz your back! so am i... don't know if you still remember me?! tank looks amazing! love the scape

 

[kizno1]

ahh kiz your back! so am i... don't know if you still remember me?! tank looks amazing! love the scape

Haha, course i do, What are you keeping now? Its been rearranged a bit and had some plants added ill put some more pictures on soon.