Fruju

Cool build man!

I would go with the options on list 2, doing what David said and grow them up from juvies. A nice american cichlid male trumps any africans for sure imo. However, they can change their temperament randomly if the composition of the tank changes, so you have to be prepared to move something on quickly if that happens. HFF albany has a female jag that has babies currently (10cm), and another nice male in another tank at the same size showing good colour. They also have salvinis but they are quite shy and small atm, a few nice looking texas cichlids, a couple of GT's but think they are female, HEAPS of oscars and a couple of EBJD's. All at a good size for growing out together. Could try a 6 bar distichodus? But they get agro

Putting leaf litter on the bottom of that tank would look cool, make it a real blackwater setup.

Grow these up and see what they look like first!

Nice!

Looking good bro!Still waiting for that red to pop!

They are still stocking it until it runs out, so buy it now.

HFF

Checked out the apistogramma.com site and most recommend pencilfish as safe to add to a breeding tank.

Contributes to interesting tank

Heard the opposite about black neons actually haha.

Well, sorted out the tank stock. And now hopefully I can get some successful breeding activity. Tank = 180L, 1200L x 45H x 30D. Ammonia = 0, Nitrite = 0, Nitrate = ? Haven't got a test kit. PH = <6 5 Apistogramma Agassizii double red, 2 m/3f (One male needs to get bigger, other male is much more mature, 2 females look like they are in breeding mode). 2 GBA 1 Royal whiptail catfish, but gonna get maybe a couple more (I like them). 4 red eye tetras (moving out asap), gonna replace them with a few rocket pencilfish which are apparently fry safe. Might get some ottos too. Planning on turning this into a riparium tank. BTW: How sensitive are apistos to O2 in the water?

Haven't seen Nijsseni before

What dwarf cichlids are about these days? Agassizi, Trifasciata...

Could be interested in a clipping later on; making a kind of paludarium for my dwarf cichlids

Yeah; I'd certainly they utilise all of my 180L tank.

What size is your tank DennisP?

My female now has a swollen eye too, trying to fix it.

Nope. Haven't set up a tank for that.

Yeah I will do, in the process of freeing up the tank. Btw, would bristlenoses/GBA's eat the eggs? Even if the mother is guarding them?

Haven't made it to fry stage yet.

Not long term

All eaten again.

Round 2 spawning event! She appears to have laid a bit more eggs than last time and I actually caught them in the act this time. Laid over 20 at least on the rear glass near the substrate in between a dense bit of twigs; tbh that's the best possible place she could have done it. Hasn't been seen eating eggs yet but she is defending the area. I'm trying to get rid of my pictus haha, decided I should make the tank more suited for fry rearing.

Haha those plecos are meeesssaaay