Stocking 46l Fluval Edge, Apistos?

[OllieNZ]

Hi All,
I've inherited a 46l fluval edge (the tall one) and I would like some advice stocking it.
I planning a soft/black water setup and I'm quite keen to have a go with apistos, just not sure which species (if any) are suitable.

 

[Crumbs]

Hi Ollie

Apistogrammas tend to require a minimum of 60l (which I still think is a bit small). Certain species are pair forming whereas others do better in harems, with the male courting a number of females. From those i've seen, Panduros remain relatively small and are pair forming to a certain extent...

Smaller quantities of water are harder to maintain too remember, though I'm sure if you're willing to put in the maintenance things will work out. See what some of the more experienced folk say first though. Were you planning on going through any special measures water-wise?

 

[Claire]

You could keep a single male of one of the bigger species too instead of a pair of smaller if you liked as a feature fish, along with some cardinals or other blackwater shoaler. Or badis if you can get them in your area are great little fish that you could keep 3-4 of in a tank that size.

 

[OllieNZ]

Just to update this, after much reading and alot of humming and harring I decided to go with a pair of caucatoides and half a dozen green neons and must be doing something right as I have just had my first sight of free swimming fry this morning

 

[OllieNZ]

 

[Gruff]

That's an awfully small footprint in the tank to keep those fish in, perhaps sparkling gourami would have been a better choice.

 

[OllieNZ]

That's an awfully small footprint in the tank to keep those fish in, perhaps sparkling gourami would have been a better choice.

Like I said I did plenty of resecarch and alot of humming and harring before deciding to give a go, I do have the ability to separate them if needed but there's been no issues so far and it seems I have provided a sufficiently complex environment along the bottom and vertically for the fish to avoid each other if they need too and according to my research this is key. If the tank wasn't well structured then I doubt things would be going so well.