Amazing Apistogamma setup!!!

[Leon]

Good Sunday Everybody!!! Please do not feel cheated by my headline!!!
HOPE WE DO REALLY SEE!!!

newbie here saw some wonderfully beautiful setup among some of the posts...
is it possible to post setup photos with some comments on the ingredients involve???

newbie here needs some HELP lah!!!
theory have learned abit... practical abit lousy leh!!!
needs to pamper incoming... treat them like King and Queen!!!
HELP MUCH APPPRECIATED

[Apistoinka]

Above is a 2ft tank partition into 3 section in order to keep 3 species in a tank and not hurting each other... Many will
Not recommend that but due to space constrain and had too many species that interested to keep so no choice... But all are doing well so far...

Equipment wise for me I'm using are
1) 2ft tank partition into 3 ( DIY partition )
2) Ada Africana soil ( help to lower ph till 5.5 good for Apisto )
3) air pump with 3 way spliter with 3 cheap sponge filter
4) plants will be java fern and ( frogbit to dim the area )
5) any light will do best get those for planted incase change of plan still can use back example like t5 light set...

That all i can remember... Enjoy this poison... I think bro chris 618 is letting go partition tank u can go check...

[Leon]

hey Apistoinca... Thanks for the reply!!! looks Good but i cant zoom leh

Soil... like you say is ADA to lower the PH (many recommended) but do you put coral chips or the PH wont go lower??? change water???

so you prefer sponge filter, any reasons??? ... i kinda prefer HOF for it take up lesser space and kinda looks cleaner in the setup so got myself a GEX Slim S to test for a 1feet cube tank!!!
but after a week... i felt its kinda strong current so i half the valve at night... next morning... 5 CRS i bought, up lorry and the temperature hits 29-30!!! internal motor heats up because i restricted the flow??? wonder it better with the HOF GEX external motor type... but abit more bulky!!! or should change to those GEX S, M, L type of tank... using Large as its longer yet narrower with the HOF GEX Slim S!!!
any more recommendations??? or someone have actually tried??? cant be running around buying and trying then left with some many 'things'!!!

Thanks

[Lucrado]

First of all,
You have to cycle your tanks. The cycle depends on the tanks itself.
Some will take 2weeks or more.
You can make the cycling process shorter by using Concentrated bacteria solution.ADA Bacter balls(powder form),old mature filter media etc.

ADA Africana is able to push down the pH to a favourable pH of 5 -6 for apistos,enabling them to breed easily.
The water becomes softer as a result.

Personally i used a 3feet tank to keep a apistogramma pertensis wild pair.
My Substrate would be ADA Africana + Peat.

Used to use canister filter as mean for filtration.
Canister filter is able to keep the tank cleaner,able to hold a bigger capacity of healthy bacteria in the filter media.
Can consider pre-filter as well so you just have to clean it instead(easier cleaning)
Canister filter takes up more space around the tank but not inside the tank..

Here's a picture of my tank.
tank.jpg

[guppee]

nothing like good old fashion ktp leaves Lucrado.

[Leon]

Lucrado... your apistogramma pertensis pair live in Luxury!!!
canister is kinda expensive... and space but great for the water!!! i foresee a rack for me so canister is out!!!
well... ADA soil drops the PH... and peat makes water soft??? or??? thinking just clear water... peat and ketapang same effect???

almost all my equipment is left from keeping Betta and after which Pleco... so not so bad... change water change water... n a small piece of sotong... added substrate pro into the GEX filter compartments for bacteria plus a good dose of my trusted mircobe-lift!!!

[Lucrado]

Peat will make the pH and hardness of the water drop even further.
But,it will lose the pH buffering capabilities eventually.

[guppee]

Thanks for the pm Lucrado, will call you tmr.

[Panpierce]

Looks Cool. Would like to try in keeping apisto one day.

[Apistoinka]

Ada Africana soil is good enough to lower ph till 5... I use sponge filter is because mine is a partition tank so if I use hof it's gonna have too many wire that is why I used just that... As I said if you want to just keep a species a small external canister will do and cost about a blue note for brand new not that expensive... And best if one species keep in 2 feet tank will be nice for them...

[Lucrado]

Haha Rocky bro, remember the external canister we bought together :P?
Still in use?

[Apistoinka]

No more bro... Change to a better one already... Up grade already...

[Leon]

hey Apistoinca... you were using the Shiruba 303 for your 2 feet tank??? was it good??? saw there is also a pre-filter available!!!
... what better filter you got??? ehiem???

[Leon]

Looks Cool. Would like to try in keeping apisto one day.

hey Panpierce... this place have many information to start... go thru them and its Dream Time... then you be POISON!!!
and many bros will give you much information if you ask and ask and ask!!! hahaha

[Wackytpt]

Do a search of my previous post. I did a planted setup for my pair of imported Viejita from wilehmi.

[Leon]

so i search for planted tank or apisto???

[Apistoinka]

I the most ex canister I used is shiruba 303... The flow rate for 2ft tank I can say is suitable if heavy planted... Else you can use a rain bar to slower the flow rate... I had never used eheim before but want to try I have no $$$

[Leon]

... does the rain bar spoil the look??? or like its always raining for the apistos??? too much water movements???
saw that Shiruba does have a pre-filter... does that actually slow down the flowrate??? hmmmm....

[Zenislev]

Leon, you don't really need a real planted tank. Just get some nana or java ferns, a clay pot and some substrate ....i recommend ADA africana. Use some simple sponge filters will do....most important of all is to cycle your tanks first like what Lucrado mentioned.

[Loudness]

Bro Apistoinka , may I know where you got the apisto cave. Looking for something like that.