[Twisted_Angel]

Hello everyone!

Well, I am officially hooked :P I am thinking on doing a 20-29 gal "dwarf cichlid" community as well as the angel based community. I was going to put blue and gold rams in it instead of the 55, and I was going to add some of the appistogrammas and maybe a Keyhole Cichlid or two. The thing is, I don't know if dwarf cichlids can be kept singularly or if they have to be kept in pairs/groups. I have heard arguments on both sides. Can someone with more experience help me out here?

Thanks

[Lupin]

IMO, there isn't a problem with keeping two species of dwarf cichlids in that size of tank as long as you provide several hiding places for them to establish. Research deeper into the apistos and you'll see that most apistos form a harem where there is only one male with several females.

If they spawn, the problem lies there because they will defend their fry and territory viciously at this time but it will be the least of worries if you manage to provide sufficient number of hiding places.

[Twisted_Angel]

KK, thanks a bunch. BTW, I LOVE your avatar. I'm a major Lupin Fan!

[Falina]

Originally Posted by Twisted_Angel

KK, thanks a bunch. BTW, I LOVE your avatar. I'm a major Lupin Fan!

Who is Lupin? I always thoguht it was just a random name Lupin had picked. I see the wee guy in the avatar, but I've never seen it before.

I think the keyholes would probably get a bit big for a 20g. They grow to about 6" long. I would stick with apistos, rams or some of the shelldweller species. Unfortunately I know nothing about the shelldwellers, but I don't thnk you could keep them with the others. Best have a tank dedicated to shelldwellers if you go down that route.

HTH

[tophat665]

Shellies are rift lake cichlids and might as well be marine for all they are compatible with freshwater fish from other areas. They need hard alkaline water with a particular mix of salts. Very cool fish, but not what you're after here.

South American Dwarf cichlids need soft, acid water. I was just reading the other day that they congergate in large groups in the wild, but prevailing aquarist wisdom seems to be to keep them in pairs or small groups. Make sure you have multiple caves and you aquascape to divide the tank floor up into distinct territories with broken sight lines if you are going to have multiple pairs, whether or not they are multiple species.

[Twisted_Angel]

Thanks. I am probably going to go species tank with blue and gold rams.

Lupin the III... its a cartoon. If ur in the US, it used to come on cartoon networks "Adult Swim" block.

[Twisted_Angel]

I have heard of people keeping all one gender in the same tank to prevent breeding. Is this adviseable?

[Lupin]

Originally Posted by Twisted_Angel

I have heard of people keeping all one gender in the same tank to prevent breeding. Is this adviseable?

Definitely not. I see no reason why you should do the same.

[tophat665]

Hey Lupin, ol' buddy, ol' pal. You want to expand on that a bit? I was on the cusp of saying the same thing simply based on the general behavior of groups of adolescent males of, well, any species at all, but what happens with a tank of multiple female apistos? Perpetual hairdressing? Always bugging you to take them to Hot Topic? Umbrella drinks? :D

Seriously, though, my gut reaction is that this is a bad idea, but why?

[Lupin]

Originally Posted by tophat665

Seriously, though, my gut reaction is that this is a bad idea, but why?

There isn't a reason why we should keep them separated unless there is.;) This one was a matter of building a community.

Cheers for the umbrella drinks.