Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid
Apistogramma agassizii
Cichlidae
About
Agassiz's dwarf cichlid is a slender, brilliantly coloured Amazonian dwarf cichlid whose males flare a spade-shaped tail and bodies washed in blue, orange and red, depending on the regional form. Native to soft, warm blackwater and clearwater tributaries across the Amazon basin, it is a cave-spawning harem breeder in which one male tends several females. Relatively peaceful in a community, though males defend territories from one another and females become fiercely protective of a brood.
Care
Keep one male with two or three females over soft sand in warm, soft, acidic water, giving each female a cave to claim among broad-leaved plants and leaf litter. Peaceful but territorial when breeding; needs clean, stable, well-filtered conditions.
Diet
Carnivorous micro-predator; feed frozen and live bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia and cyclops, supplemented with quality sinking pellets for variety.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (33)
Possible with care (145)
Avoid (93)
Computed by the AquaSage engine for a spacious reference tank — always check the full verdict for your exact setup in the calculator.
Telling males from females
What works for this species, most reliable first.
- Extended finsStrong · from about 8 months, and later in a suppressed male
On many cichlids and killifish the male's dorsal and anal fins draw out into trailing points as he matures, while the female's stay rounded.
- VentingA hint only · only on a mature fish, easiest when she is in breeding condition
The method breeders use when the answer has to be right. Hold the fish upside down in a wet hand or soft net and look at the two openings ahead of the anal fin. The forward one is the anus; the one behind it is what you are reading.
- Adult sizeA hint only · only across animals of the same age
In many cichlids, catfish and loaches one sex simply grows larger — usually the male, though there are well-known reversals.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid need?
- A Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid needs an aquarium of at least 90 litres (23.8 US gallons) with a footprint at least 75 cm (29.5 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid need?
- Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid does best at 23–29 °C (73.4–84.2 °F), pH 5–7.5 and a general hardness of 0–12 °dGH.
- Is the Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid suitable for beginners?
- Agassiz's Dwarf Cichlid sits in the middle of the difficulty scale — manageable for a careful beginner who has done the reading, but it has specific needs worth researching first.