Six

Just top clarify- they are Pelvicachromis. I figured you meant that... hehehe.


Kept them in planted tanks and never had an issue with them digging. They spawn in caves and may clear pits for the fry to sit til they are free-swimming and not substrate hopping... but that's just a depression, no more than a footprint in the sand would destroy a beach.

Oh yeah. I posted some fry on aquabid and a guy ruthlessly harassed me. Cussing me out, saying I'm a complete moron for thinking they weren't sacromontis. He e-mailed me with so many cuss words it was disturbing.
I wished the fish were sacromontis!
I eventually gave the breeding group to a friend in the fish club and he killed them. Oh well. Not very productive pulchers- they were really aggressive to eachother, but never to death.

geeks_15

I wanted to add a few suggestions that were not yet mentioned. Keep in mind that, all dwarf cichlids may become too aggressive during breeding to keep any other fish in a 20 gallon.

Easy fish you are likely to find at a LFS:

Kribs (pelvicachromis pulcher) - These guys are common, but an all time favorite. Get them in your tank and when they are comfortable they really color up. Very hardy. Easy to breed. One of my favorite fish.

Bolivian rams - hardier than blue rams. Peaceful. Not as colorful as the blues.

Keyhole cichlids - a little larger than true dwarves. Peaceful. Harder to find than the other two.

Others to look for:

Pelvicachromis taeniatus - as previously mentioned, hardy, beautiful color, easy to breed. I expect them to really gain in popularity in the coming years, but they can be hard to find locally. Mine spawned in moderately hard water and I have about 40 growing fry.

Nannacara anomala - beautiful color, hardy. Can be hard to find. The female is quick to lay eggs, but becomes a terror to the male when she does. Females have been known to kill males, so you will need a plan to occasionally separate them if you get a pair. Mine spawned in the quarantine tank and again in my 75 gallon and I've only had them for 5 or 6 weeks.

As for apistos, be careful. These are not fish for newbies. I have 2 groups of apisto cacatuoides. One group will not eat any prepared foods, besides frozen. Despite being probably the most hardy apisto, these are still sensitive fish. These will live in moderatly hard water, but are unlikely to reproduce successfully in it. I had some apisto borrelli that lived, but did not flourish, in moderately soft/hard water.

As for blue rams, I have given up on most of these. I am looking for some locally raised blue rams to give them another shot, but I will no longer buy imported rams or rams from fish distributors.

geeks_15

I should add a couple things regarding pelvicachromis taeniatus. There are many varieties. Some are hardier than others. Some breed more easily. Some require different water conditions (hardness, pH).

My p. taeniatus 'moliwe' have breed without much help from me. I've fed the fry baby brine shrimp and they have done the rest.

My p. taeniatus 'lobe' on the other hand, laid eggs in the quarantine tank. The eggs didn't hatch and they have shown no interest in breeding since. Maybe I should put them back into the QT.

gonathan85

Kribs (pelvicachromis pulcher) are actually available as 1 inch specimens at the LFS. They look pretty colorless, but are fun to watch in the tanks.

I'm slowly being turned off to the Dwarf Cockatoo Cichlids, and might attempt them after trying a pair of Kribs. The Kribs will give me some experience with dwarf cichlids that I am lacking at this point. I'm not one to jump into something that is out of my league (cockatoos), and realize that I might just end up killing them.

Should I go with 1 pair of Kribs? Should I try for 1 male and 2 females?

ddavila06

i did a trio and didn't go so well, two paired and i felt bad for the left-aside-lone-female...they had bunch of babies and the only regret i have is that they won't let anyone get close so the tank looked like crap...dirty and algea everywhere for some reason in their side. i just saw one new fry come out today, oh no! now it starts over...they are great fish though!!! and is so funny seeing the female herding the babies around

Six

I'd just get a pair. Pair bonding it pretty easygoing with them. Some species do best if you give them mate options, im never had an issue with kribbies.

Good luck!

geeks_15

A pair of kribs would be a good choice. Just beware, you may become dwarf cichlid addicted like me and end up with 20 aquariums. Then you can get the cockatoos after you've gained some experience, and maybe some rams, and borrellis, and panduro, maybe some shell dwellers, a colony of julies.........

Jeanine

I would have to go with the Kribs. I had a pair once in a 20 gallon tank and they did well. I think they are smart too. And loyal to each other. One time the female got stuck in a large shell she was using as a cave, and the male totally freaked out, swimming wildly against the glass every time I walked by. He got my attention, and I found her stuck, but still alive. He never behaved that way before or after. They make great parents. I love them.

Philosophos

IMO A. cacatuoides is as easy as you will get for apistos. If you can keep your pH neutral and water change 50% weekly (happens anyhow if you use EI) then there's nothing really to worry about.

Kribs are a rather agressive fish compared to south american dwarfs. Use hearty dithers, not sensitive tetras with them. It's hard NOT to spawn these guys, and at very least one of them will be good parents, if not both. Definitely a good intro to dwarf cichlids if you have harder water or infrequent water changes. Otherwise, I actually found them harder on other fish in the tank, but easier to spawn than apistos.

-Philosophos

Six

Yea, apistos are often pushovers which can make them delicate and hard for people who are new to fish compatibility. Just dont do some expensive wild caught rare .5" rasbora or something crazy with the pelvics. they are great beginner cichlids because they are easy to care for and not killers. you'll do great with 'um.

GL!