New South American Planted 30 Gallon

HI everyone I’m new to the forum and have just come back to fishkeeping, I’ve kept a few aquariums in the past so know the basics I’m looking for some advice on my stocking idea, my new tank is a fluval flex 123l (32.5 gallon) which is currently cycling, I intend to make it a South American planted tank with lots of low tech plants and driftwood which I’ve never done before and the fish I’d like to keep are 2/3 apistogramma agassiziI fire red, 10 neon tetras, 10 serpae tetras and 6 panda cories, can anyone see any problems with that stocking idea?? thanks I’m advance for any help and advice!

 

Welcome to fishlore!

Serpae tetras are pretty nippy fish and I would worry about them and the apisto's fins.

I would up to the cory school to 10-12. You have room and they are happier in larger groups.

 

Yeah if there is enough room I’ll happily get more corys! If serapes will nip the apistos what is another a good alternative to them as id like two big schools of different tetras if possible

 

Red phantoms 100%. They are a bit smaller than serpea and redder. Completely docile.

Maybe kerrI tetras instead of neons (unless you can find some healthy ones). They haven't been too healthy lately. Cardinal likes warmer temps than panda cories can tolerate.

I love SA tanks! I have a 120 gallon SA tank myself! If I didn't have as much plants as I do, I would have made an Amazon biotype, with blackwater and a garden growing emersed. So instead I just made a 20 gallon blackwater tank.

 

Yeah red phantoms look more or less the same as serpaes and if they’re less nippy that’s a win win! I’m not keen on the KerrI tetras I like the blue of the neons, yeah I much prefer South American species to anywhere else, so if I change the serpae tetras to red phantoms does my stocking list sound okay? I’ve fallen in love with the fire red apistos with the idea of a couple of schools of tetras above them, I’m looking forward to trying live plants in an aquarium never done that before so any good beginner plant ideas would be appreciated

 

Well then.......Amazon sword (or melon swords of you don't want them to be too big), ludwigia repens, ludwigia sp.minI for more color, anacharis, stargrass (one of my faves), dwarf sag or chain/micro swords, hygro angustifolia or pantenol, vallineria, giant duckweed, riccia, frogbit, water lettuce.

A little harder to grow (for me anyway)
ReneikI (minI is a nice one), staurogyne repens, cabomba, hygro araguaia,
I feel like I'm forgetting a bunch......but there's a start.

I plant my swords in dirted pots and that keeps them better under control. Otherwise a single Amazon sword can root the whole substate footprint.

 

okay that’s great thanks I’ll look into those plants when I go to the pet store near me, what about the stocking does that seem okay now??

Good tip about the amazon swords too thanks!!

 

I think so. As long as you keep temp lower like around 76°f because panda cories can't take the heat. Can't see an issue anyway......

 

Well that’s great let’s hope it goes as well as planned, will I be better off getting a pair or a trio of the apistos?

 

I haven't kept apisto yet, but my friend had two females and a male in a 40 gallon and it went ok I think. Normally trios don't work well for cichlids though, it could be apistos don't really bond. For me, I keep rams and 3 females to one male seems best. But my rams like to chase eachother, so one is Alfa and the other is chased. 2 other females gives the male more to chase instead of just the one. It could be a different story for apistos though. I'm sure someone in the know will be around soon!

 

Yeah I read that apistos breed in harems and in pairs and I saw some people say that more than one female can stop the male harassing one female all the time but yeah hopefully a apisto expert can come fill us in on that, I was looking at German blue rams originally but heard they was really finicky with their water and also needed it hotter than most things and I’m not keen on Bolivian rams so looked at the fire red apistos