40 breeder rio Orinoco biotope aquarium

Alright! Seems perfect, I found a cory I REALLY love, I think the orange aneus Cory The keyholes a German black knight male and German female (I don’t know if different colors can pair) the yellow-blue keyholes and then the hatchetfish idk what type at the top crusing around and then the awesome looking pleco I might try blue or green phantom instead I am not sure What kind of plants should I try? I am leaning towards orange seam as they would be less likely to uproot because they were smaller. I definitely want some floaters and some form of carpet but not dense I’m doing dirted so I need a lot of plants

Are you sure you want to stick to a Rio Orinoco biotope? Stocking density is a factor, and that many species don't coexist in a space that small. Another point is that the GBR has to be a specific strain- the wild form of them. biotopes are usually lightly stocked to reflect the stocking density of a river- its getting a bit off track.

 

from my observation the keyholes inhabit the top of the tank and are very slow and graceful.

From owning them, you couldn't be more wrong. You do you.

blue ram are gbr - they are not really temp compatible with the rest of the stocking

Hadn't even gotten there yet, 78 is about the max that Keyholes should be kept at. 82 is about where GBR should be.

In that tank I doubt there will be any aggression between the rams and keyholes.

Care to expand on that? I've owned them both, currently still have Keyholes and I'd be willing to bet you money that if you cram them in too small a box with too many other critters crowding them in even more, the Rams are going to bully the Keyholes. They don't tend to stick up for themselves the way Apistos and Rams would with each other.

 

Cichlids simply aren't suitable fish to search for the limits / boundaries. you're staying within those or are way over them. There is no "in between".

A 40G is a perfect habitat for several species dwarf cichlids. So why going for bigger ones to get over these limits.
If Orinoco I'd go Dicrossus filamentosus for instance and give them a stressfree environment without bigger (also territorial) fish.

Same for the Pleco.
Baryancistrus demantoides – Green Phantom Pleco, L200 — Seriously Fish

You are joking about the Congo tetras aren't you ?

What I seriously don't get : There are several members sharing their experiences with different species and giving the cons they are experiencing. The info from the internet still rules though ?

 

My one idea is doing Congo tetras idk if they come from Orinoco

Congo tetras.... from the CONGO river... in Africa......... hmmmm...

if you really want a large tetra, a good South American alternative is the Colombian tetra. Also big, but from South America instead of Africa.

 

Can you expand on why the Mesonauta aren't suitable or was the issue with his total stocking. I had look at the flag cichlid previously and on the surface i don't recall anything that as an individual fish suggested they were not suitable for a 40g.

Cichlids simply aren't suitable fish to search for the limits / boundaries. you're staying within those or are way over them. There is no "in between".

A 40G is a perfect habitat for several species dwarf cichlids. So why going for bigger ones to get over these limits.
If Orinoco I'd go Dicrossus filamentosus for instance and give them a stressfree environment without bigger (also territorial) fish.

Same for the Pleco.
Baryancistrus demantoides – Green Phantom Pleco, L200 — Seriously Fish

You are joking about the Congo tetras aren't you ?

What I seriously don't get : There are several members sharing their experiences with different species and giving the cons they are experiencing. The info from the internet still rules though ?

 

Can you expand on why the Mesonauta aren't suitable or was the issue with his total stocking. I had look at the flag cichlid previously and on the surface i don't recall anything that as an individual fish suggested they were not suitable for a 40g.

What species of Mesonauta are we talking about? Assuming we're talking about M. fesitvus, they can grow up to 4-6" in length. Not only that, but they do best in a group since they are a shoaling species. A four feet long aquarium is ideal for the fish.

 

Not only that, but they do best in a group since they are a shoaling species.

Just one pair of festivums can live quite happily in a 40 gallon.

 

Just one pair of festivums can live quite happily in a 40 gallon.

Even then, they may fight or breed, which limits the amount of fish that can be kept in a 40. It's best to keep them in a group of at least 5 or more to reduce long term aggression. A 40 gallon is too small to house at least 5+ festivums, so it's best to keep them in a large aquarium such as a 4 feet long as the minimum. If the OP is not trying to breed them and just want to keep them, then a pair is not suitable as all species of Mesonauta are a shoaling species.

 

So yay or nay, 4 keyhole chiclids, a pair of German rams, 6-8 corydoryas Venezuelansis “orange” 6 hatchetfish and a Orange seam pleco

 

So yay or nay, 4 keyhole chiclids, a pair of German rams, 6-8 corydoryas Venezuelansis “orange” 6 hatchetfish and a Orange seam pleco

That sounds much more reasonable. I would do Bolivian rams instead of German blues because they like the same temperatures as keyholes. German blues like it warmer.

 

What do dark knights like?
Mabye I should to stick to smaller things like rams, apistos, and checkerboard and smiling acara and nannacara

 

I would probably do one species of cichlids if I were you.

What do dark knights like?
Mabye I should to stick to smaller things like rams, apistos, and checkerboard and smiling acara and nannacara

Dark knight is just another variant of the GBR.

 

I want some variety i honestly prefer them over the tetras and stuff
Quick question, are Pothos hard to grow emerging? I want to hve a root structure in the tank

 

Would p. Leopoldi be a good choice for a 40 breeder, I was thinking a group of 6 they can get 2.5”

 

What are some fun South American biotopes?

 

I want some variety i honestly prefer them over the tetras and stuff
Quick question, are Pothos hard to grow emerging? I want to hve a root structure in the tank

pothos isn't native to south america and would undermine your plan to create a biotope. water hyacinth is a large leafy floating plant native to the amazon that i believe also occurs frequently in the orinoco, and has large, extensive root systems.

depending on the state you live in though, it can be heavily regulated, as it's highly invasive. if you aren't incredibly diligent about disposing of trimmings responsibly, that would rule water hyacinth out.

 

do those water Softening pillows work? I am gonna have half rodi in the first fill and occasional rodi wc And have peat filter and leaf litter, I kinda want a checkerboard chiclid group and like a pair of apisto With Pygmy cories and neon tetra and like some tetras?

 

What are some fun South American biotopes?

There are as many and varied South American biotopes as there are streams, tributaries, basins, rivers, and puddles on the continent. Many devoted biotope hobbyists are interested in creating hyperspecific environments. There are a few broader categories of environment types that those biotopes fall under, though. The Igapo biotope is becoming pretty trendy within the blackwater niche. The Whitewater river environments are really fascinating to me as well, though. Look up the Meeting of Waters to see something really cool.

 

Would p. Leopoldi be a good choice for a 40 breeder, I was thinking a group of 6 they can get 2.5”

Are you serious?