Agassiz's dwarf cichlid

Quick facts

Adult size

8 cm

Lifespan

can live up to 5 years

Tank zone

bottom

Temperament

semi-aggressive

Difficulty

intermediate

Typically wild-caught

yes - acclimate slowly

Water parameters

Temperature

24–29°C

pH

5.0 to 7.0

Hardness

1 to 10 dGH

Tank requirements

Minimum volume

80 L

Minimum length

60 cm

Flow

low

Lighting

low

Substrate

sand

Driftwood

preferred

Hiding spots

needed

Feeding

Diet: omnivore, feeds primarily at the bottom.

Carnivore-leaning omnivore. Frozen bloodworm, frozen brine shrimp, frozen daphnia, live blackworms, and live baby brine shrimp are the preferred foods. Accepts high-quality micro pellets and some flake, but live and frozen food brings out better coloring and breeding behavior. Feed twice daily. Males are bolder at feeding time; females may need targeted feeding if the male monopolizes the food drop zone.

Compatibility

• Territorial male that defends a cave and surrounding area. The territory radius is about 25–30 cm. Outside of it, relatively peaceful toward fish that aren't competing for the same resources.
• Keep one male with 2-3 females in a 75 L tank with multiple caves and sightline breaks. Two males in a tank under 120 L results in the subordinate being confined to a corner and stressed.
• Good tankmates: small tetras, pencilfish, rasboras, otocinclus, and small corys. Avoid anything that competes for bottom territory or that's large enough to be threatening.
• Shrimp safety depends on the individual and the shrimp size. Adult cherry shrimp are usually left alone, but shrimplets are fair game. Some individuals ignore shrimp entirely; others hunt them actively.

Habitat

Native to tributaries of the Amazon basin in Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia. Found in slow-moving blackwater streams over leaf-litter substrates with submerged roots and branches. The species occupies the leaf litter zone, hunting small invertebrates among the decomposing leaves. Males are significantly larger (8–9 cm) than females (5–6 cm) and much more colorful: iridescent blue-green body, orange to red caudal fin, and bold lateral stripe. Females are smaller, yellow-olive with a rounded caudal fin. The species shows extreme geographic variation in male coloration, and dozens of location variants have been collected for the hobby trade. Names like "double red," "fire red," "blue," and "super red" refer to these variants but are inconsistently applied by exporters and retailers. Apistogramma agassizii was described by Steindachner in 1875 and has been in the aquarium hobby since at least the 1960s. Wild-caught and tank-bred specimens are both available. Wild-caught fish from specific localities are popular with Apistogramma specialists, while tank-bred fish (often of mixed lineage) dominate the general market.

Breeding

Cave spawner. The male establishes a territory containing one or more caves (coconut shells, driftwood cavities, clay pots). The female enters the cave and deposits 40-100 adhesive eggs on the ceiling. She then assumes primary brood care: fanning the eggs, removing fungused ones, and guarding the cave entrance. The male patrols the outer perimeter but doesn't enter the cave. Eggs hatch in 3-4 days. Fry are free-swimming in another 4-5 days and the female leads them around the tank in a tight school, defending them against all comers. Her body color changes dramatically during brood care: she turns bright yellow with black markings, a signal to the male and other fish. In a harem setup (one male, multiple females), each female can be brooding simultaneously in separate caves within the male's territory. Fry eat baby brine shrimp and microworms. Raising fry in the community tank is possible if it's well-planted, but survival rates are much higher in a dedicated rearing tank.

Common problems

Sensitivity to water quality. Apistogramma in general are less tolerant of ammonia and nitrite than most community fish. Nitrate should be kept below 20 ppm. Soft, acidic water (pH 5.5-7.0, GH below 10) is preferred; hard alkaline water causes stress and suppresses breeding. Hole-in-the-head disease (Hexamita) appears when water quality lapses or the diet is poor. Treat with metronidazole. Internal parasites are common in wild-caught specimens, causing wasting despite eating. Treat with praziquantel or levamisole. Male aggression toward females is a concern in small tanks without enough caves and hiding spots; a female with nowhere to escape a persistent male will be harassed to death. Always provide more caves than females.

Bioload

Bioload coefficient: 2.5 (small cichlid, moderate waste for the size).

Bioload coefficients are calibrated against the neon tetra as the anchor (1.0). See the methodology page for the formula and how each value was derived.

Further reading

• How to cycle a fish tank
• Stocking ideas by tank size