How many Apistogramma spp. can be kept in a 1.10m x 0.45m x 0.5m tank?

[apistolero]

hello,

is there somebody who can tell me how many apistogramma you can put in an aquarium 1.10m X0.45m X0.5m?
how many species can you hold in such a tank?


how do you find beautiful apistos?
those here in belgium are just not so colorful

[genes]

Hi apistolero

If you are intending to breed them and expect the brood to be raised successfully in the tank, i would recommend at most 2 pairs for the tank of your size. And even at just 2 pairs, there must be ample hiding places to avoid constant aggression from any of the breeding pairs.

If your intention is just to admire them in the tank, not bothering if they breed or not. You can put much more (however, you cannot rule out the possibility of deaths from squabbles since these fishes are territorial in nature). One of our member have kept 10pairs in a 4ft tank without issues. I too have kept more then 20 juvenile apistos in a 2ft tank without issues.

[quix]

An add on question here, some of the large cichlid keepers believe in crowding them to balance out or reduce aggression. Does this theory work on dwarf cichlids too?

[genes]

Yes, as mentioned earlier, a member had 10 pairs in a 4ft and i have more then 20 juveniles in a 2ft without any major issue. By overcrowding them, the aggression towards a single piece is reduced significantly. However, your chances of finding any surviving fries if they breed is rather minimal.