P. Maccus biotope stocking question

[thijs]

Hi all,

I have a 200 litre P. maccus biotope stuffed full with wood and some floating plants. There is a decent flow (1100 L/h).
The fish are:
5 P. maccus ( 1oldie 7,5 cm and 4 younsters of 4,5/5 cm)
4 Carnegiella marthae (once 15, until I forgot to clean the filter)
10 Nannostomus eques
7 Apistogramma hongsloi (3 adults and 4 young)

The apisto's are not wild form. So I decided to give them away.

And now the first question: What would be a nice species (Llanos, driftwood area) to replace the Apisto's. I consider Apistogramma macmasteri and Biotodoma Wavrini, but some non-cichlid could be nice as well. Has anybody a good suggestion?

The second questions: Can I add some Carnegiella marthae and perhaps some Cory's without overstocking the aquarium?

Thanks in advance,
Thijs

[Shane]

Your two biotopically correct small cichlid choices would be rams or the macmasteri.

Sticking with catfishes you would have huge choices from small auchenipetrids (Entomocorus, Centromochlus, etc), loricariids (Rineloricaria, ottos, Hypoptopoma, and others), banjo cats, and llanos corys.

Non catfishes opens llanos tetra spp, llanos killies, and of course wild type guppies.

I would suggest Machado-Allison's (1993) Los Peces de Los Llanos de Venezuela: Un Ensayo Sobre su Historia Natural (scientific but with good habitat info and spp listings)

Uribe, Garces, and Salazar (1996) Peces del Llano (focuses on Colombia, photo heavy)

Also Benigno Roman's many books to include Peces de Aqua Dulce de Veneuela (Vols I and II), Peces Ornamentales de Venezuela, and Peces de Los Llanos de Venezuela Vols I-III (Vol II covers catfishes).

-Shane

[thijs]

Thanks Shane,

Do rams and the apisto's also occur in the driftwood tangles? Because I recently installed a bigger filter, and the Nannostomus do not seem to enjoy the extra flow. I guess they normally inhabit pools and small streams in the Llanos, and not the rivers.

The books look cool, I will take a look if I can get the picture-heavy one, since my spanish is not so good...

Thijs

[Shane]

Do rams and the apisto's also occur in the driftwood tangles?

I never found any in driftwood tangles, but you will find them in the same body of water. Depending on the area and season the rams and apistos will either be near aquatic plants or leaf litter. That said it may only be a meter or two between where you catch an apisto and where you catch a Panaque.
-Shane

[thijs]

Sweet, food for thought. I hope to post pictures of the tank soon...
Thanks a lot!

[thijs]

Hmmm, soon took me 2 years...

Some fish came and went, but at the moment the stocking is as follows:
5 Panaque maccus (possibly 1 or 2 are other maccus-like L)
2 Lasiancistrus L92(?)
8 Nannostomus eques
7 Corydoras aeneus
1 Abramites hypselonotus

I know that the Abramites actualy needs a bigger tank, but i really likes his behaviour and he does seem to be doing well.

[Shane]

Congrats. It looks great.
-Shane