Any new world suggestions?

[emartin]

Any new world suggestions for a 15g/20g/29g tank?

I'm looking for one that's easy to breed, hardy, etc. I only have experience with malawi mouth brooders so I figured I'd finally give new worlds a try...

So far the few genus' I've been looking at are:
Cryptoheros
Amatitlania
Apistogramma

I know very little of these fish, so feel free to tell me anything you want about any of those genus's or others that would do fine as a pair in any of those three tanks I mentioned...

~Ed

[chris1932]

I would go with Apistogramma but I am biased

[fischfan13]

After seeing Chris' Apisto's I have to agree!
They are beautiful.

[AlishanAS]

If you want a gorgeous pair of the orange flash cacatuoides, get in touch with Mark Denaro. Chris brought some beauties over yesterday.

[Bev N]

I think the tank raised apistos are some of the easiest fish to get to spawn. Easier than angelfish. You can sex them at a young age and they mature way faster. They come in such a large variety of colors and due to being so far removed from the wild they adapt to a larger variety of conditions. I have some in tanks with no heat, it's pretty chilly in those tanks, and they are just pumping out the babies. There are spawns in the grow up tanks. If you want something easy to try either the Borellii opal or paraguay, any of the cacs and some of the aggies. Although the aggies seem to be more difficult for me. Panduro and any of the tank raised macmasteri strains are a little more difficult but not a lot. There are a large number of viejita names out there that are just different color variations on the macmasteri. According to Mike Wise, the real expert, true Viejita are not seen in the hobby today.

As for wild I've only had the Iniridia spawn and they are supposed to be one of the most difficult. I just got lucky there. Julie got a group of those from me and I'm hoping to see that the f1's prove to be a little easier to spawn than the wilds. I've tossed a bunch in my community tank and have seen courting going on but no fry yet.

The checkerboards are also another fascinating dwarf but are also not one of the easiest to breed. Mine just now, after a year, have freeswimming fry. Some of these guys require a ton of patience.

The biggest problems with apistos are skewed sex ratios and marketing. Some of them are slow to show color and the lfs won't take little gray fish because they can't sell them. When it comes to retail the old adage still holds. If it's red and swims it sells.

They are some of the best parents out there and there is nothing cuter than mom with a brood of fry parading around the tank.