Apistogramma nijsseni, male (left) Apistogramma nijsseni, female (right)
Photos taken at Wharf Aquatics
© Sean Evans
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| Common name: | Panda dwarf cichlid |
| Scientific name: | Apistogramma nijsseni |
| Synonyms: | (none) |
| Size: | Male up to 2" (5cm), female smaller. |
| Origin: | South America (Peru) |
| Tank setup: | Planted tank, with rock or bogwood caves and sand or fine gravel. |
| Compatibility: | A generally fairly peaceful cichlid, but they will become territorial when spawning. |
| Temperature: | 24-28oC (75-82oF) |
| Water chemistry: | Soft and acidic, pH 5.5 - 6.8 preferred. Although the fish are more likely to look their best
and breed in their preferred water, they will usually adapt to slightly harder alkaline water in the aquarium. |
| Feeding: | Omnivorous: Should take dry foods, but live or frozen foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and mosquito larvae will be preferred. |
| Sexing: | Males are larger and have a blue colour sheen and a red-edged tail. Females have a distinctive yellow colouration with black blotches, resulting in
the common name of Panda dwarf cichlid. |
| Breeding: | Soft and acidic water of excellent quality required.
Can be bred as a pair or a harem with several females holding small territories. Provide caves with a very small entrance.
The female normally guards the fry, while the male defends the wider territory. Fry are normally free-swimming in about a week. |
| Comments: |
A colourful dwarf cichlid with the male and female providing different but distinctive colouration. Another attractive species, Apistogramma pandurini, looks quite similar.
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