Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid
Apistogramma cacatuoides
Cichlidae
About
Apistogramma cacatuoides, the cockatoo dwarf cichlid, is the most widely kept and forgiving of the Apistogramma genus. Males are spectacular, with a spiky raised dorsal fin evoking a cockatoo's crest and fins splashed in orange, red and black. Native to Peruvian Amazon backwaters, it is a cave-spawning harem breeder in which one male courts several females. Captive strains tolerate a broad range of water chemistry.
Care
Keep one male with two or three females over soft sand, with caves for each female to claim. Provide gentle flow and warm, soft-to-neutral water; hardier than most apistos but still needs clean, stable conditions.
Diet
Micro-predator; feed frozen and live bloodworms, brine shrimp and daphnia, supplemented with quality pellets for best colour.
Tankmate compatibility
Gets along with (10)
Possible with care (29)
Avoid (2)
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