My first setup for apisto

[joopsg]

I have bought a more than 1 ft but less than 1.5ft for my pair of Apistogramma Caca. Double Red. They are bought from Charles @ Biotope.
My tank setup consist:
1. Ehiem Liberty 100 as the main filteration, biological is setup.
2. Heater to keep water temperature @ constant 30- 31C
3. Gravel which is 2inch thick.
4. Plants but dun know what are they but they are striving in my tank.
5. Lighting is PL light. Brand Kotobuki.
6. There is a piece of small driftwood n a piece of lava rock to provide shelter for the female to hide n lay eggs if she dun like the driftwood.
7. I feed them with Hikari BW, Hikari Brine shrimp, BeefHeart and occasionally
live food like brine shrimp or BW
8. Other Tankmates are 2 Panda Corys, 3 Ottos n 2 African Butterflies
Is my setup up good enough?
Note: I added Tetra Black water extract to the water n use Dennerle S7 supplement.

[Simon]

2. Heater to keep water temperature @ constant 30- 31C
any reason y u use a heater? my apisto readily spawn without the aid of a heater, in fact, some of my apisto in my 4ft spawned in water ard 26-27deg

7. I feed them with Hikari BW, Hikari Brine shrimp, BeefHeart and occasionally
live food like brine shrimp or BW
good to give variations... but with the tank size, i suggest u do more water change or siphon uneaten food

8. Other Tankmates are 2 Panda Corys, 3 Ottos n 2 African Butterflies
i wouldnt advise u on having corys, since they r bottom feeders and r said to on some occasion eat up fry

Note: I added Tetra Black water extract to the water n use Dennerle S7 supplement.
u might wanna consider ketapang leave or peat moss instead of Tetra black water extract, coz both gives u the same tannic staining

[joopsg]

----------------
On 2/17/2003 11:15:59 PM

2. Heater to keep water temperature @ constant 30- 31C
any reason y u use a heater? my apisto readily spawn without the aid of a heater, in fact, some of my apisto in my 4ft spawned in water ard 26-27deg

7. I feed them with Hikari BW, Hikari Brine shrimp, BeefHeart and occasionally
live food like brine shrimp or BW
good to give variations... but with the tank size, i suggest u do more water change or siphon uneaten food

8. Other Tankmates are 2 Panda Corys, 3 Ottos n 2 African Butterflies
i wouldnt advise u on having corys, since they r bottom feeders and r said to on some occasion eat up fry

Note: I added Tetra Black water extract to the water n use Dennerle S7 supplement.
u might wanna consider ketapang leave or peat moss instead of Tetra black water extract, coz both gives u the same tannic staining

----------------

2.I had lower the temperature for the heater to 26C.

I had also added peat into the tank rather than using the tetra Blackwater

[zmzfam]

----------------

2.I had lower the temperature for the heater to 26C.

I had also added peat into the tank rather than using the tetra Blackwater
----------------

is your heater turning on? the ambient temp in a non-aircon house shld be above the heater setting right? cause my tank temp is always arnd 26-27C with fans.

[joopsg]

Yes, it did turn on once in a while cost my hse in the highest level. It is rather windy n it can get quite low in temperature if it rain non stop. The even lowest temperature that i had in my 2ft tank and this tank is 22C. That is when i decide to have a heater installed. During the few day, I lost my school of cardinal due to white spot.
I have tested my pH for the first time since i added the peat last night n the reading seems to be lowered to 5.5 or lower.
I used a aquamedi one, anyone tried it be4??
Is it reliable??

[Trevor]

I prefer a species tank, with just a pair in there.[]

And i don like corys cause they eat ma apistos eggies, and otos irritate the apistos. As for the butterflies, i belive they're surface fish ? Shouldn't be a problem then.

Cheers mate

[zmzfam]

----------------
On 2/19/2003 12:04:26 PM

I have tested my pH for the first time since i added the peat last night n the reading seems to be lowered to 5.5 or lower.
----------------

isn't ph 5.5 a bit low for apistos?

[kubrich]

i have a 1 ft tank with nisso volca soil as gravel and some peat under it,i also have a small sock stuffed with peat in it and some plastice flower pots tt i cut to make the cave like structures and also have one small driftwood inside.However my pH never goes below 7. anyone can help? filtration is just a sponge filter

[vinz]

What do you use to measure you pH? Chemical test kit or a pH test pen. For test pen, the calibration may be off.

You adding anything else to the tank? Rocks?

[kubrich]

using jbl pH test kit. No rocks just plastic pot,gravel,peat and small driftwood.

[Trevor]

Take out the plastic pots ?

And erm.. try experimenting.. add some volca soil into a small volume of water.. after sometime go measure the pH ?

ermmmmmm......

[vinz]

I thought Nisso volcanic soil is acidic?

[kubrich]

doesn't seem to work...quite dissapointed with the product actually,cos i use it in all my apisto tanks and pH doesn't seem to drop.I can understand that maybe in the other tanks could be cos of the rocks and all.but in this case...find it quite weird tt the pH doesn't drop.

[Alfa Low]

The ADA amazonia aquasoil is better than NVS in bringing down pH. Anyway, both of them are good for demanding plants despite of the granules of NVS is fragile,IMHO.

[Simon]

i thght aquasoil is the same? its gradually turns soft

[Alfa Low]

Yes, all of them will crush eventually. However the ADA Amazonia aquasoil is the hardest one among the artificial soil such as ADA Malayan soil,ADA African soil, Nisso Volcanic sand.........etc.

[Fei Miao]

Just a query, can apisto be kept with eyespot rasbora?

[Simon]

fei miao, shldnt be a prob