Highfin Dwarf Cichlid
Apistogramma hoignei
Cichlidae
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About
This is the Apistogramma that asks least of your water. Seriously Fish gives it pH 5.0–7.0 and 0–179 ppm hardness — ten degrees of general hardness, and wider than the band on any other Apistogramma profile checked for this batch — aqua-fish.net recommends 6.0–7.5 and 5–15 °N, and Aquaticcommunity 6.3–7.1. Compare that with the panda's 0–72 ppm or elizabethae's 18–54 ppm and the difference is the whole map: hoignei comes from the Venezuelan llanos, the Río Portuguesa and the lower Orinoco, not from a forest creek stained black with leaf tannin. It belongs to the A. macmasteri complex within the A. regani lineage, which puts it next to macmasteri and viejita rather than next to the blackwater specialists. Two things follow. The first is how thin the record on it is. FishBase gives it no English common name at all, and the only care sheets that cover it are two hobby pages, one still carrying a '© 2004-9' footer. Seriously Fish captions its own photographs of the species as captive-bred fish, so tank-bred stock exists; how often wild ones are imported is not something any source here states, and this entry will not fill that in for you. The trade calls it the highfin dwarf cichlid after the male's extended dorsal. It is also one of the larger dwarfs — Seriously Fish gives 50–60 mm standard length and FishBase 6.0 cm SL, which makes it bigger than A. trifasciata or A. elizabethae, and the two care sheets independently print 6 cm. The second is social. Both hobby sources say the same thing in almost the same words: keep one male to four females, and Seriously Fish adds that while a pair will live on a 45 × 30 cm base, a group needs 'significantly larger quarters' — a stronger phrase than the plain 'larger quarters' it uses for its congeners. So the tank is sized by the harem, not by the fish: five cave-holding cichlids, each female needing a cave she cannot see the next one from. The name honours Emil 'Leo' Hoigne, an Argentinian aquarist and collector who moved to Valencia in Venezuela and died in 1996. One curiosity for anyone who reads several Seriously Fish profiles in a row: this page suggests a bag of aquarium-safe peat in the filter, where the site's own A. trifasciata and A. elizabethae pages say there is no need for peat and that collecting it is unsustainable. Use leaves and alder cones and the question does not arise.
Care
One male to four females is what the care sheets ask for, so plan on about a metre of tank and 100 litres — five territorial fish, and every female wants her own cave out of sight of her neighbours. If you only want a pair, Seriously Fish accepts a 45 × 30 cm base and that is an honest smaller option. Fine sand, wood, flowerpots or coconut shells, dried leaf litter, dim light and gentle flow; Microsorum, Taxiphyllum, Cryptocoryne and Anubias are the plants for that light and the fish leave them alone. Water is the easy part here: pH 6–7 at 25–28 °C, in anything up to about 12 °dGH. That is a wide band for this genus, but do not read it as tap-and-go — Lithuanian supplies typically run 15–20 °dGH, above the top of it, so plan on cutting the tap with rainwater or RO. What this fish does not need is blackwater chemistry, and that is the real saving over the panda or elizabethae. Keep the changes small and frequent rather than big — Seriously Fish suggests 10–15 % weekly in a lightly stocked tank. Captive-raised fish suit a general community; wild ones are better alone or with pencilfish, and no Apistogramma should share a tank with another Apistogramma. Expect a fussy eater at first: live and frozen food wins them over, dry food comes later. The mistake to avoid is buying one male and one female because the shop only had two, then adding females later into a tank he already owns — start the harem together, or start with a pair and leave it at that.
Diet
Carnivorous micropredator on bottom invertebrates. Frozen and live Artemia, Daphnia and bloodworm as the core, with a small sinking pellet rather than flake for the dry portion. A newly introduced fish is often reluctant to take dry food at all and needs live or frozen to start.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (209)
Possible with care (155)
Avoid (54)
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.
Also in these lists
Similar species
Same category and the closest water parameters — if this species isn't quite it, start here.
Sold in Lithuania
These Lithuanian shops listed this species in their public catalogue (checked August 8, 2026). Stock moves — ask before you travel.
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Frequently asked questions
- What tank size does a Highfin Dwarf Cichlid need?
- A Highfin Dwarf Cichlid needs an aquarium of at least 100 litres (26.4 US gallons) with a footprint at least 100 cm (39.4 in) long — for this species, swimming length matters as much as raw volume.
- What water parameters does a Highfin Dwarf Cichlid need?
- Highfin Dwarf Cichlid does best at 23–29 °C (73.4–84.2 °F), pH 5–7.5 and a general hardness of 1–12 °dGH.
- What group size does a Highfin Dwarf Cichlid need?
- Highfin Dwarf Cichlid is a social species — keep a group of at least 5 so natural behaviour emerges and stress stays low.
- Is the Highfin Dwarf Cichlid suitable for beginners?
- Highfin 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.