NYCichlidForum.com

As I stated in the welcome post, it will be a few months till i move, but its never too late to plan, is it?

The Plan is a dwarf cichlid tank with mainly apistos. I plan to create my own background, Stand, and Canopy.

I plan on using Sand as a substrate, and as one member asked, i plan to plant heavily.(never had a planted tank so i will need some help with that) I was also wondering about some PH tricks. Ive read that driftwood lowers the PH which ill need to do, but i also remember reading if correctly that limestone? highers the PH. I plan on having Slate and or Lace rock throughout the tank also.

The original plan was to have a cannister and HOB filter but that might be changing.

Any questions or ideas, shoot. Any help is great.

depending on your pH, limestone will raise your pH to 7.6 or 7.8 I believe. More importantly, it buffers the water if your water does not have a high mineral content (soft water) so that you are less likely to have a pH crash.
I think apistos like soft neutral water or slightly acidic; pH 7 or slightly below.
I may be mistaken as I am a Rift Lakes keeper.

Keep digging in the archives!

Yes, they do prefer softer water. A PH within the 6 range is best, Ive read.

Lace rock is sharp and can injure your fish if they dart in to it. It will also buffer your water up. I would keep away from it.

Are you looking to make a fairly accurate Biotope tank? Or just what ever you want? Check out YouTube for "Fish From Venezuala" (remember when you click on a link on this forum, you need to use your back button to get back here. You can also open a second window and use it to follow the links while you keep the other on the forum) http://www.youtube.com/user/fishfromvenezuela and look at some of his underwater video's in the Amazon drainage area. The owner of Shark Aquarium in Hillside, NJ is a friend of this person and was on some of the trips when these video's were taken. It will give you a good idea of what the home of Apisto's looks like. It could help you decide what you want or don't want.

I'll be glad to help you on plants. You need to decide what lighting you are going to have, or what plants you want. Wood will look good. Get Manzanita because it is branchy and looks like a fallen branch. Mopani wood is too bulky. http://www.manzanita.com/ Peat Moss will give you darker black water and lower the pH. Low conductivity water with very little in the way of anything in it is typical in the Amazon basin. Low pH. Even down to 5.5.

Have you thought about CO2 injection? You don't have to at first, or even ever, but the plants really take off with gas. It will also lower your pH. Don't go over 30 ppm CO2 or you will suffocate your fish.

I was thinking of going with somewhat of a biotope. Atleast in the sense of Plant species, Driftwood, and/or Rock.

About to check out those youtube videos, im sure theyll give me some great ideas. As with the peat moss, are you recomending to use that as a substrate? (never heard of it used before is why i ask).

As for Co2 injection. I know nothing about that, so i may wait or leave it out altogether, but if im feeling frisky then youll deffinetly be the guy i ask for help with.

Also any idea on to what rocks are indigenious if any to south america?

The peat moss is usually used in a filter. You can bury some in the substrate, but this will not help the tank water. It will also be exposed when you get some digging.

When I think SA Amazon, I don't think rocks at all. I think fine branches/roots, plants, mud/clay-laterite, sand/gravel, dead leaves. Don't use sand of one grain size. Mix in various sizes of fairly rounded sand, gravel. It will be stained dark by the tannins in the water. The water will round any gravel on the bottom.

Perhaps this will help: http://fish.mongabay.com/biotope.htm

Great link Joe. Thanks.

Jerry and Joe have proved some awesome links. Thanks guys.

What size tank do you plan on using?

Here is how I would do it.

1st: what kind of apistos? Generally , yes they like soft water. but some want to be around pH 4- some around 7.
2nd. Depending on what you like the temp may vary. Apistos from colombia will enjoy wte at 80F. Apistos from Uruguay and southern Brazil may like to be around 70f or lower.
3rd substrate for me has always just been peat moss. maybe some sand
4. Plants are nice. hagen has the idiot's proof CO2 system. If you can pour water every 30days you can do it.
5.Some are harem breeders. some breed as pairs. You getting an established group or going with the rule of 6?
6. How big is the tank? Dont fall into the pitfall of jamming fish into 10s because they are small.
7. Wild or F1+?
8. Visit the Shark Aquarium in Hillside. easily the best CA/SA collection with tons of apistos.

All of the apistos ive been looking at prefer the same range of temp and ph.
The agassizii, cacatuoides, and the nijsseni. Ive also been looking at the Amazon puffer which also prefers temp and ph around the same area.

I still havent decided yet on Blue rams or Bolivian rams.

Im going to use sand as my substrate with bunches of almond leaves also, hopefully the leaves and driftwood will lower the PH enough for me.

Its a 120 gallon so im more scared of it being empty then i am with it being overstocked. Wild or not isnt a big deal to me.

AQ strain vs wild does make a difference. the further removed from F0 a fish the easier to except a wider range of pH and temps.

For instance. Ble rams from Venezuela like the temps high. Think 78-80. The Bolivians like to be be closer to 75.

Also bear in mind not to get similar complex apistos. They may cross and will fight often.