Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlids setup-- Need ideas!

I have wanted some of these ever since I have heard of them but they have been impossible to find locally. I finally found a LFS that *might order them if they got enough interest but would charge me an arm and a leg for them. Now I'm hopefully getting some from DRAF (Kory's trip) and I am trying to figure out what type of substrate to use for them. If I use sand I'm afraid it would alter my water quality too much for them. My water pH is usually at about 7.4 and in my cichlid tank due to the sand and lots of rock the pH is at 8.0. I have gravel in the tank they're going in right now and the water parameters are perfect for them, I just need to know what type of substrate would be best without altering the pH or turning my soft water into hard water (like in my african cichlid tank). Any ideas would be much appreciated. I will be ordering 2 males and 6 females and the profile for these fish is listed below:
Scientific Name: Apistogramma cacatuoides (Red)
Pronunciation: -ps-t-grm- k-k-t-oi-dz
Common Name(s): Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid
Geo. Origin: Rio Ucayali & Amazonas (Peru); Rio Solim
Habitat: Leaf litter
Diet: Omnivore
Gender Differences: Dimorphic
Breeding: Substrate Spawner
Temperament: Peaceful
Conspecific Temperament: Mildly Aggressive
Maximum Size: 3.5"
Temperature: 80°F
pH: < 7.5
Water Hardness: Soft

I was thinking of possibly using large stones on the bottom with about 11 clay pots on the bottom, but I'm not entirely sure yet.

I was doing more research and apparently my best bet would be a fine gravel.... with the clay pots and a densely planted tank. If anybody else knows of any other ideas, please let me know!

They will do fine in water with p/H OF 7.5 Yyou should keep them in harems 2 females for each male if that is possible the males tend to be ruff on 1 female. Also use live plants if you can cocanut shells and or lots of caves for the females to hide when they spawn they are very good parnets. they are some of the easyst apitogmmas to keep good luck

I bred my Apistagrammas in ten gallon tanks......pH6.0 to 6.5 moderately soft.....78*F.............Lots of plants with a clear area in the center for free swimming.....I used coconut shell halves with a 3/4 inch hole in the top and placed it like a little igloo toward the back of the tank...................If you see a female go into the shell and not come out for several days, you prpbably have eggs in there Here is a pic of some A Agassizi that I had and a pair of A. Cacatouides[img]https://i.servimg.com/u/f17[url=https://servimg.com/view/14674569/17]/14/67/45/69/02411.jpg[/img][/url]

How is this setup?


Should I turn the pots upside down instead of on their side? I read that darker gravel brings out their color better... Is that enough plants?

How many fish are you planning to put in the tank?.......Take out all the pots and use a Dremel tool with the carborundum cutting wheel to cut rectangular openings near the bottom edge with about half the opening extending onto the bottom.

Put one pot at each end of the tank with the big open end embedded in the substrate with the hole you cut at the top.

I put 2 males to three or four females in a twenty long tank or 1 male with 2 females in a 10 gallon........Watch them when they do the mating displays as to which ones are doing it the most.......If a female goes into the pot and stays in there for a couple of days, get the other females out....She probably has eggs in there.............Get your micro worms and freshly hatched baby brine shrimp ready when she brings the fry out.

That water looks cloudy......You will need a pH 7.0 or less moderately soft at 78*F or so.......no ammonia and low nitrate.

There are gurus that may tell you different, but I was successful.

More plants. They love a heavy planted tank with lots of cover. The more cover hey have the more out going they will be. It looks good. The sand should not change your ph. I use play ground sand in all my tanks and my ph is 7.0. If you use lime stone or sand for SW tanks that could be why you ph when up. Normal pool filter sand or play ground sand should not mess with the ph. Quartz, granit and slate are safe rocks to use that will not bring your ph up.

I have been keeping my eye out for some for years now and never see them. They are also kind of pricey.

me too, im always on the hunt for dwarf cichlids, but no one has them
how big is your tank?

I got these from Daves Rare Aquarium Fish (one of our sellers on this site) and they were only $7 each (as opposed to the $70 each price tag I've seen on them in the past). I'm picking up more plants today... they're in a 20 gallon high right now, but they're only an inch long right now. Once they get bigger I'll be transfering them to at least a 37 gallon. I have 8, I think, with only 1 or 2 males... The only male I've seen in there is gorgeous and I can't wait to get some decent pics....

Mmmmm nice piece of Driftwood would be awesome. I really like driftwood in the SA/CA tanks that require softer water and lower PH. but, all i can say is CONTGRATS on your new FISH....

now i know where to get some,
i have a 40 breeder that will one day house some appistos.
the soil in the tank is actually making my water a little on the softer side.

Yup... I've got some drift wood, I just need to boil it so that it doesn't murky up my water! There's just something about a piece of driftwood that gives a certain flair to almost any fish tank... (saltwater excluded- that would look a little out of place and quite quickly look nasty, lol!)

good luck with your apitos they are great fish as long as they have lots of caves and driftwood. they are not hard to spawn

I would love to have some of these! Dwarf cichlids are awesome!

first time ive seen dwarfs and i like em. post some more pics when your done