Apistos and Synodontis Petricola

[RTCfan86]

Can they peacefully cohabitate since they both occupy the bottom of the tank? Tank size is 15 gallon - don’t have either yet.

 

[Reiner]

Totally different water requirements and 15 is too small for petricola since they do much better in groups

 

[tlindsey]

I had Apistogramma cohabiting with Banjo Catfish. The Banjo Catfish bury in the sand most of the time so don't see them often.
Corydora would work Pygmaeus are a dwarf shoaling specie that would be ideal.

 

[duanes]

I had Apistogramma cohabiting with Banjo Catfish. The Banjo Catfish bury in the sand most of the time so don't see them often.
Corydora would work Pygmaeus are a dwarf shoaling specie that would be ideal.

Agree with tlindsey, you'd be better off with Corys, they are small enough for such a tiny tank, and geographically correct, and their water requirements are often similar.
Most Apistos (and many Corys) prefer soft, low pH, to neutral water, while the petricola prefer hard, high pH water (and even the dwarf petricola get too large for 15 gallons).
There are around 100 different species of Apistogramma, some larger, some smaller than others.
There are some (like A. commbrae) that come from cooler areas of S America in Argentina and Uruguay, and may need a slight winter cool down.
I have kept dwarf petricola and wouldn't;t keep then for any length of time in anything under a 50 gal tank.
the ones below were @ 4"-5" (IMO) to large for 15 gallons.

Better choices are Aspidorus and Corydorus

Aspidorus spilotus above (@ 2")
A Uruguayan Cory erhardti below (@2"-3")

 

[RTCfan86]

Thanks duanes . I’ll definitely stick to the Corys. Last time I had the s. petricolas was in a 50 gallon. I’ll hold off on them till my wife lets me upgrade, haha.