New World Tank

[LoveTheFishies]

I've seen some really nice pix of new world cichlids, so I am thinking about putting together a tank of dwarf cichlids.  I have a 60 g cube (24x24x24) that is being used as a holding tank to grow up some fish for my 195 gal show tank.  Anyway, when that is set up ( in the next month or so), now I am thinking about putting some new worlds in it. 

What do you guys think about some of the following and how many of each:
german blue rams
Apistogramma borellii
Apistogramma cacatuoides
Apistogramma agassizii

Any other suggestions.  Thanks

[linuxrulesusa]

I'd go with one pair or possibly trio of apistos...maybe also a pair of rams, depends on the apistos and the tank décor/arrangement.  My apistos did not bother my rams, or vice versa, but the apistos had major issues with some nannacara anomala. 

I would not mix apisto types because they will fight and because of the possibility (however low) of crossbreeding.

An ideal tank for a pair/trio of apistos would be a 20 long (30x12).  Provide caves for the male to hide from the females after breeding because they will beat on him, per my experiences with my pair of agassizi.

They will also eat their eggs, possibly three times, possibly more.  I sold my pair after the fourth time because I didn't feel like artificially hatching the fry and was tired of separating them to let the male heal up.  Granted, I had them in a 24x12 15g long and should have provided more hiding places, so that was my mistake.

[djlamonica]

You got a 60 gallon cube no need for dwarfs get some real south Americans. 

[Ogre44]

I have some Keyhole Cichlids, Cleithracara Meronii, and I find them quite nice.
They get up to 6" but are very quiet and peaceful for Cichlids.

[LoveTheFishies]

You got a 60 gallon cube no need for dwarfs get some real south Americans. 

So what species would work together.  Not interested in breeding.  3-4 tanks for me.  Not 34.  lol

[linuxrulesusa]

You got a 60 gallon cube no need for dwarfs get some real south Americans. 

So what species would work together.  Not interested in breeding.  3-4 tanks for me.  Not 34.  lol

I'm not sure what real SA's he's talking about for your cube - you have lots of nice volume but not a lot of length to get territories, so I'd be hesitant about anything much bigger than the keyhole cichlids recommended above.

Nannacara anomala (golden dwarf cichlid) are nice and seem to mix OK with angels and/or rams but not apistos (at least not apisto agassizi or apisto...I forget the other species I had that didn't like the nannacara either.

Angels and rams (either pair of German Blue or pair/trio of Bolivian) have mixed well for me in a 50 long and a 75, as well as briefly in a 29 high (30x12x18) which is closer to the dimensions of your tank but yours is deeper front to back.   Or you could do a single of each species.  The reason for getting a pair is that angels will often kill each other if you get two of the same gender in a confined space (under 4', in my opinion), and rams will chase each other around though not typically kill if you have two males or two females.  On the other hand, a single angel may nip but shouldn't team up and take out other teammates, so that might be a better option to get a single.

You may already know this.  These are some options if you're talking strictly cichlids. 

If you expand to catfish and tetras, I like SA bumblebee catfish and some of the smaller plecos like bristlenose or L201/inspector/contradens, etc. 

Many tetras will get eaten as the angels mature but black neon tetras seem to do well and are much hardier than their blue/red cousins.   Also lemon tetras, rummynose tetras, and similar are higher-bodied than neons so have a better chance in with angels.

You can do a group or two of livebearers like guppies..but especially if small the angel may pick off a few.

[djlamonica]

You could easily do a pair of severums in that foot print at least for a year maybe 2, they length does stink but they width is awesome.  You'd be surprised what you could put in there and make work.  Not interested in breeding though I'm not sure community's are defiantly not my thing any more,most of the larger guys would have to be moved after a year or 2.  I kept a very heavily stocked 60 g for about a 1 1/2 with very little problems. granted thats 4' but only 12" wide.  I think you could do a small group of geos, severums, acaras, angles, could actaully even do a bunch of discucs depends on how committed you are to water changes.  I over stock, over filter and do tons of water changes.  Some people aren't, like that.

If I had that tank right now and wanted a show tank I'd pick up 4-6 or so discus different colors small, maybe a couple plecos, and a small group of schooling fish and maybe a group of corys or something.  That's just off the top of my head.

[LoveTheFishies]

I like the look of the blue rams.  Are there any SA that I could put individual's in, like a display tank is done with haps and peacocks?

With the tank size, I was thinking dwarf because it isn't long.  Otherwise I guess I could do a fish only salt water, but am hesitant, since they are "high maintence".

[LoveTheFishies]

Do discus do OK in that size tank?

[linuxrulesusa]

You could easily do a pair of severums in that foot print at least for a year maybe 2, they length does stink but they width is awesome.  You'd be surprised what you could put in there and make work.  Not interested in breeding though I'm not sure community's are defiantly not my thing any more,most of the larger guys would have to be moved after a year or 2.  I kept a very heavily stocked 60 g for about a 1 1/2 with very little problems. granted thats 4' but only 12" wide.  I think you could do a small group of geos, severums, acaras, angles, could actaully even do a bunch of discucs depends on how committed you are to water changes.  I over stock, over filter and do tons of water changes.  Some people aren't, like that.

If I had that tank right now and wanted a show tank I'd pick up 4-6 or so discus different colors small, maybe a couple plecos, and a small group of schooling fish and maybe a group of corys or something.  That's just off the top of my head.

This makes sense.  I was thinking if they want to leave the fish in the cube 'for life' so to speak many SAs wouldn't work. But juvies, yeah, you could keep a nice mix for a year or more.  I did redhead severums for 3-4 months in a 40 breeder and they grew maybe 1-1.5"?

[djlamonica]

40 B area a good size for severums and really good for atleast 2 maybe even more years, the height becomes an issue after a while not the length.   I defiantly wouldn't say they are a fast moving fish, although they can be at times.  when it's a just a pair they really very calm.  The aggression I've noticed has always been female to male which is a bit odd.

[Regalblue]

Since I'm partial to Centrals...
 I'd recommend looking into the Cryptoheros genus with that footprint. 

[greg y]

I really like Bolivian Rams, I think they're really underrated or "German Blues are overrated" in comparison

[greg y]

[linuxrulesusa]

Since I'm partial to Centrals...
 I'd recommend looking into the Cryptoheros genus with that footprint. 

Nanoluteus if you can find them and keep alive would be nice, or chetumalensis, or cutteri/spilurus, maybe a pair of sajica.

I'd think for a while you could even get away with a small pair or group of Thoricthys e.g. pasionis or aureum or the like.  I had two breeding pairs in a 50 long for a while and I think a single pair would have been fine in a 24x24 cube.

The main thing to keep in mind with Centrals is they will dig so if you're thinking a planted tank, look toward rams and angels because they will not dig/dig nearly as much.  If you don't need a planted tank, consider centrals.  Nice rock structures and tree root looking driftwood are nice to create a biotope type tank.  I forget the name of the blog/book but there's a guy working on a beautiful book on CA cichlids including biotope ideas.  Blair probably remembers the name/title.

See also here: http://www.borstein.info/profiles/central/