Can you keep keyholes singular?

[Maxwell09]

Planning to add this fish to my 40 gallon community, with Pearl gouramis, corys, kuhlis and some small tetras. I don't want a pair because I don't want any aggression when breeding.

 

[tinylostwine]

You should not keep one alone; in a 40b i would recommend 4 to 6; this fish can be quite timid if alone. If you want just a pretty male cichild i'd look else where - perhaps a male a. borelli or one of the pretty a. agassizii (if you have soft water).

 

[Maxwell09]

You should not keep one alone; in a 40b i would recommend 4 to 6; this fish can be quite timid if alone. If you want just a pretty male cichild i'd look else where - perhaps a male a. borelli or one of the pretty a. agassizii (if you have soft water).

Could I do two? I don't want to overstock the tank. And if I do two, will they be very aggressive?

 

[tinylostwine]

Could I do two? I don't want to overstock the tank. And if I do two, will they be very aggressive?

I can't answer that - i mean you can certainly buy 2 but i've always read they should be kept in a group and i keep mine in a group. Given that this specific species can be timid i really would try a different fish - another fish that is quite lovely but also inexpensive would be a single male nannacara amolae - they are solitary fishes for the most part; they are not flashy in colour but they have a good personality and are fairly inexpensive like keyholes. In the case of nannacara amolae i would NOT keep 2 males in the same aquarium as they will not get along.

 

[kansas]

Two male apistogrammas would likely fight and a pair may breed and become aggressive when they do.

 

[Maxwell09]

Two male apistogrammas would likely fight and a pair may breed and become aggressive when they do.

I mean two keyholes. Even if they are the same gender

 

[tinylostwine]

I mean two keyholes. Even if they are the same gender

They won't fight. It just likely wont' reduce the timid behavior.

 

[TClare]

Not sure, two keyholes might be fine, it may depend partly on the amount and temperament of other fishes in the tank and amount of cover available, a group would be better but I don't think the tank is really big enough for a group.