# I need help with my biotope!!!!



## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

I am about to set up a biotope of, but I just learned that fish will eat the apisto fry. So I changed the fish to marble hatchetfish, which will not eat the fry

That is why I chose these:

2 Apistogramma Eremnopyge
7 marble hatchetfish
3 otocinclus

All in an Eclipse 12 tank.

The tank will be planted with a cover. The main question is, are hatchetfish active in a group of 7? I have only seen videos where they are still and look lifeless....is that their true personality?

Please halp me out

Thanks in advance

-Nick


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

also, do they school tightly? Do you think Endler's would be a better choice?


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

do you think the hatchets could harm themselves by jumping into the cover on my tank? If so, should I just buy endlers?


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

Hatchets are nice fish. I had them in a tank with a partial open cover and they never jumped out. They move around, but like most schooling fish they will sit in the current and not move around too much. They really like frog bit or some other type of floating cover to hide around. You could just go with neon tetras or something small. They won't eat the fry, unless the apistos are bad parents. Actually, if you plan on breeding the apistos, then you shouldn't leave them in the tank with the parents as they will eat the fry sometimes.


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

I think it depends on the individual fish, as do other people. Fish have personalities, just like us. We can be bad parents, just like fish can. You are just lucky if you get a good caring parent.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

I have 10 hatchets in a 29 gallon tank and they just hang around loosely and sometimes they swim lower and hang with my group of 15+ lemon tetra (the tetra are breeding, I didn't put that many in the tank). They don't tend to move around much unless it's feeding time or they are establishing the pecking order and they only form a school when something startles them. I've heard them jump into the glass cover but they've never hurt themselves. I have had a couple of jumpers when cleaning the tank, but I scooped them up and plunked them back in without any problems.


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

After that I am rethinking, but I think the footprint of the tank is too small still. 20" long x 10" wide is a little small for 7, since they are always in the same area as the other hatchets. My main 2 fish to choose from now are Endler's and Cardinal/Neon/Green Neon Tetras.

These are the many biotope setups to choose from, check it out, there are many:

Venezuela:

pair of --Apistogramma Hongsloi or Apistogrmma Elizabithae
7--Endlers
3--Otocinclus Vittatus

Brazil:

pair of--Apistogramma Trifasciata
3--Otocinclus affinis
7 of 1 species--Neon Tetras or Cardinal Tetra

Peru:

pair of--Apistogramma Eremnopyge
7 of 1 species--Neon tetra or pygmy hatchetfish or marble hatchetfish
3 of 1 species--Otocinclus cocama or Otocinclus Vittatis

Colombia:

pair of--Apistogramma Hongsloi or Apistogramma Viejita
7 of 1 species--Neon tetra or Cardinal tetra or Green Neon tetra or Marble Hatchetfish
3--Otocinclus vittatus

I heard bad things about 2 species. First is the tetras, they are egg eaters an will interfere with Apisto breeding. Secondly, Hatchetfish, pretty, but can be very risky, they require 4-6" of space between the waterline and the top of the tank, which I cannot. I can either take the risky way with tetras (the Brazil, Colombia, and Peruvian biotopes), or go the safe way with the Venezuelan setup with Endler's (provided by you).

Thanks

-Nick


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

sorry about the you people part, I just copied and pasted this from a conversation I had with a member of a different forum.


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

I have a pair of kribs, and they breed like crazy. I also had tetras in the tank. The tetras don't really bother or care about the eggs. Actually the kribs defend their home to the point of driving all the inhabitants to the other side of the tank. I think this is the same as apistos and how they raise their fry. When you get the apistos, if they are a new couple, they will have troubles with keeping the fry alive. After about the second time though they should be successful every time. In the end, don't worry about tetras or really anything eating the eggs. The apistos wil drive them away.


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

here's the updated list incase anyone's interested. What do you think the most beautiful species of Apisto on this list is?

Venezuela:

pair of --Apistogramma Hongsloi
7 of 1 species--Blackwing Hatchetfish or Green Neon Tetra
3--Otocinclus Vittatus

Brazil:

pair of--Apistogramma Trifasciata or Apistogramma Elizabithae
3--Otocinclus affinis
7 of 1 species--Neon Tetras or Ember tetra

Peru:

pair of--Apistogramma Eremnopyge
7 of 1 species--Neon tetra or pygmy hatchetfish or marble hatchetfish
3 of 1 species--Otocinclus cocama or Otocinclus Vittatus

Colombia:

pair of--Apistogramma Viejita
7 of 1 species--Cardinal tetra or Green Neon tetra
3--Otocinclus vittatus

Bolivia:

pair of--Apistogramma Trifasciata
3--Otocinclus Vittatus
7--threestripe pencilfish (very hard to find)


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

The Trifasciata and the Viejita seem to have the most color. Have you looked at A. Cacatuoides? They have nice colors as well. I think the brazil setup with ember tetras would be nice.


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

I am actually deciding on borelli, they have very nice color.


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## cs_gardener (Apr 28, 2006)

The different apistos are all very attractive, it just depends on what suits you. Have you decided on the schooling fish to go with the A. borelli?


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

still no, there are many upsides and downsides to each, I might go with ember tetras, they are small, great schoolers that should be able to be kept away by the apisto parents.


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

Ember tetras are nice. I have been thinking of using them myself for my next tank. I'm just wondering if they will devour the RCS I plan on putting in the tank. 
Have you decided on a hardscape for the tank?


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

no way!!!They would never eat shrimp. They only grow 2 centimeters long. If you are getting apistos, then you should not have RCS. There is a really cool Amazonian Ghost Shrimp I might see if they will get eaten. Hopefully not, they are like the only South American shrimp.


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

oh yeah:










I forgot to add that there will be a cave in the middle of the substrate made of PVC pipe for them to breed in. The branchy things are driftwood covered in moss.


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## Afyounie (Aug 10, 2007)

Oh no, I would never put apistos with shrimp. The tank I'm making is mainly for shrimp, I just want some type of small fish to swim around. I am actually now thinking of going with a shrimp type called black forest shrimp. They are offered on azgardens.com. I think they would compliment the ember tetras better than the RCS, and give the tank a better look.
The tank layout is nice. I can't wait to see how it looks in real life!


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

thanks, I will decide on plants later.


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## fishman9809 (Feb 4, 2008)

OK, now it turns out I can't keep any apistos except Borelli, I will have to get the following:

2 Apistogramma Borelli
7 Ember Tetras
3 Otocinclus affinis

(This would be a Brazilian biotope.)


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