[jennesque]

I've got a 28gal planted tank.. Soft and acidic water. I've been doing a South American theme in the tank. Let me first say my original plan was just to have cories, cardinals, and marbled hatchets. Currently in the tank, I have 5 cories and 10 cardinal tetras..

I went to LFS earlier this week to pick up the cardinals and they've got cockatoo dwarf cichilids in stock. I held off on buying them on an impulse and I've been reading up on them a bit. I was curious what might look best in your opinion.. I was debating on getting one male cockatoo. If I do get him though, I'm unsure of how to procede with stocking. I don't know if I should still get the hatchetfish or not.. Or what woupd be the best numbers for my schools of fish.

I'm also not 100% sure if I want to get the cockatoo at all.. I was trying to keep the fish stocked in this tank very small to make the tank sortof seem larger. But if this fish os a good fit for my tank, and as beautiful in the pictures as I have seen, I may cave in and buy one. Suggestions?

 

[Byron]

First, there are several colour morphs of this species. I mention this because the fish in the store may be very different from any photos you have seen. Our profile mentions some of the varieties, and there are photos but only of two of these.

If you get this species, one male and 2 females would be best in your situation. You will still be fine for hatchetfish.

However, there are some issues with any dwarf cichlid. They will spawn, frequently, and the females can be very nasty when they do. Corys are often targeted, since they are on the substrate and the egg clutch will be on the substrate or close, and the fry when they hatch will be shepherded around by the female close to the substrate. I have had several species of Apisto over the years, and frankly every time it didn't go that well in community tanks. I have also had females that killed the other females, often, and this was in a 4-foot tank heavily planted. Last, if you do want to raise the fry, be warned that with nocturnal fish like corys and any other substrate fish you may decide later, the eggs or the fry will be highly unlikely to survive.

Byron.

 

[jennesque]

They're pretty small at the store so I think they're still fairly young. They don't have a ton of color to them, but a couple of them had that sort of red leopard pattern on their tail.. Not sure if they'll get any more color to them as they mature like most fish seem to.

I don't want any aggressive spawning, which is why I would really only get one if I got any. I had a bad enough time with a pair of bonded rams.. I don't like to put that stress on the other fish.. Especially in a 2ft tank. I'd just never seen them in stock before, so I got excited.

They've got freshwater blennys in stock too.. Which I wish I could've planned a tank around them! They seem like a cool fish.
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[Byron]

They're pretty small at the store so I think they're still fairly young. They don't have a ton of color to them, but a couple of them had that sort of red leopard pattern on their tail.. Not sure if they'll get any more color to them as they mature like most fish seem to.

I don't want any aggressive spawning, which is why I would really only get one if I got any. I had a bad enough time with a pair of bonded rams.. I don't like to put that stress on the other fish.. Especially in a 2ft tank. I'd just never seen them in stock before, so I got excited.

They've got freshwater blennys in stock too.. Which I wish I could've planned a tank around them! They seem like a cool fish.
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The only dwarf cichlid I would keep as a single fish is the Bolivian Ram. Other species I feel are always better in pairs or harems depending upon species. The fish interact a lot, and this keeps them healthy and in brightest colouration. The Bolivian is a true exception, but it seems to live isolated naturally, only coming together to spawn, as it notes in our profile; so that which nature intended for this species, it is wise to provide in the aquarium.