Agassizi Dwarf Cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

Agassiz's dwarf cichlid is a small, mostly peaceful cichlid for the bottom of a planted, soft-water tank. It needs a little more skill than the easiest fish. Agassiz's dwarf cichlid comes in several color forms tied to where it was collected. Red, blue and yellow tail variants all show up in the trade. Two fish that look quite different can still be the same species, just from different river systems.

Caring for the Agassiz's dwarf cichlid

Keep one male Agassiz's dwarf cichlid with one or two females, in a tank of 20 gal (75 L) or more. Use plants and wood to give plenty of broken sightlines, over sand and leaf litter. Give each female her own cave, such as a coconut shell, to hold as a territory.

Soft, acidic water at 72 to 84°F (22 to 29°C) and a pH of 5.5 to 7.0 keeps them in good shape. Feed small live and frozen foods such as brine shrimp and daphnia, with micro pellets as backup.

They spend most of their time low in the tank, picking through the substrate. They are mostly peaceful but get protective around a spawn.

Males grow larger and more colorful than females. The species spawns in caves and is often polygamous, with one male tending the territories of several females. The female guards the eggs and fry, and breeding at home is difficult.

Good to know

Agassiz's dwarf cichlid is an Apistogramma in the family Cichlidae, with a long tail. It is not considered threatened.

In the wild

Agassiz's dwarf cichlid comes from the Amazon basin in Brazil, where it lives in slow streams, river edges and floodplain pools. The bottom is covered in leaf litter, and the water is warm, soft and acidic.