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Hi everybody!

I want your personal suggestion for a single centerpiece fish that is Central or South American and is somewhat small, around 3 inches or so.
It would go in a 20g with cories and black neons.
Thanks!


~Morgan~

*German Blue Rams
or
*Bolvian Rams
or
*Some kind of Apisto. However I've seen some mean apistos before that bite cories
or
* Keyhole Cichlid

There is more than this probably, but that's all I can think of at the moment. Probably other people will reply here too

let's see, my favorite is hands down, the Bolivian Ram, followed closey by a German Blue Ram or a German Gold Ram..... I love them Rams!

Thanks for the ideas Hague and Scott!
I do like the Rams a lot, but i have never had apistos before. What is their temperment like besides the mean ones? Because I have had a German Blue Ram before and he was very skiddish, and he was the biggest fish in the tank so I dont know about the rams (and there are no Bolivians around here)...

I looked up the Keyhole Cichlid; looks like a nice fish but maybe too big? I'm afraid he'll eat the Black Neons. And haven't seen any of them either.

If I do decide to get one beside German Rams, do yall recogmend a web site to get them off of that you don't have to buy a whole lot - i've seen some sites where you have to buy like 50 dollars just to ship something.

But any way, I might like to get an Apisto, its something ive never had before and I think they are quite pretty.


~Morgan~

Apistogramma cacatuoides

That is a mean one. They always bit at the bronze cories in the same tank at the LFS. There was plenty of room in that tank. But those apisots were just mean. But before I noticed that bitting, I had one and it bit at my panda cories so he didn't stay long in my tank, I returned it to the LFS.

Apistogramma agassizii

Not 100% sure about this one. My brother bought 4 of them, and had it in the 10 gallon with 3 skunk cories. 1 of them would attempt to bite the skunk cories but was always too slow. The others were peaceful. So I put his skunk cories in my 20 H tank. But then my brother converted that 10 into a 20 X tank (same W and L as 10 gallon but like double the hight). He also got new plants. So I put the skunk cories back in there. They are all peaceful again, that 1 apisto doesn't try to bite the cories any more.

I looked up the Keyhole Cichlid; looks like a nice fish but maybe too big? I'm afraid he'll eat the Black Neons. And haven't seen any of them either.

No chance. I keep two with WCMMs and a small species of Hyphessobrycon tetra in a 38 gallon tank. They leave all the small fish alone. Heck, they don't even get mad at each other (they're both males); they act like best friends, cruising around the tank.

Good to know about the apistos and keyhole. Both would be something new to try (if I should find any ) and I still dont know witch I want...

Next question: Which would "do" best in hard water? My pH here is around 8.4. Or, what is a good way to lower the pH?


~Morgan~

(umm, no one answered so i'll ask again)

Which of the fish (Keyhole, Apisto, Bolivian or German Ram) would be the most hardy and compatible with a high pH?


~Morgan~

I keep bolivians in 7.8 - 8.2 range of PH if that helps

Thanks for your input as always, Shane
http://thetanklog.blogspot.com/ - [ Thanks to ScottF ]
http://www.natureaquariumclubofutah.com/main.html

Try Laetacara curviceps, the Flag Cichlid.

Probably about as close as you'll come to a 'pacifist' Cichlid in the size range and geographical origin category you specified.

For that matter, most Laetacara species are regarded as being pretty tame, it's just that curviceps is the best known. It's worth hunting for some of the rarer ones though if you're looking for something a bit special. Some of the newer Laetacara species are quite something when you see them for the first time - try this male specimen of Laetacara sp. "Buckelkopf" and see what I mean!

Check adult sizes though. Most of the Laetacara species top out at around 3 inches, but at least one - Laetacara thayeri - will hit 6 inches with ease. Avoid that one if space is limited!


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002