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WaterPond
Jun 15th 2007, 04:59 PM
Apistogramma cacatuoides

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Female

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Male


Common name:Cockatoo Apisto, Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid, Crested Dwarf Cichlid

Scientific name: Apistogramma cacatuoides

Family:Apistogramma

Origin:Peru to Brazil

Adult size:Males up to 8cm, Females slightly smaller at about 6cm

Tank Specs:

Minimum Tank Size: 10G, 37.8L
Water Parameters (PH/GH/KH): pH: 6.5-7.5, 10 to 12 dH
Temperature: 22°c-27°c
Special Requirements: Planted tank preferredSuitable Tankmates:Most community fish which will not eat these fish or be eaten by these fish.

Minimum Group Size:If breeding it is best to have multiple females, but this is not necessary.

Diet:Omnivore

Sexing:Males have more colour and have a large dorsal fin called a crest.

Breeding and Reproduction:Egglayer, Cavespawner. A female that is ready to breed will turn bright yellow and will stay yellow while guarding eggs. The female will become somewhat aggressive to the male during breeding as it is the female who lets the male know she is ready to spawn. Female will lay eggs on the ceiling of a cave of on broad leaves. The eggs will the hatch to be ‘wigglers’. The female will pluck each ‘wiggler’ off one by one and place them on the floor. This is when they become called ‘swimmers’ or free-swimming fry. Feed baby brine shrimp and other micro foods.

Notes:This fish comes in many different varieties.Most have mainly an orange colour, although mostly blue in the wild. Some of the modified strains are double red, full red, and orange flash. Wild type has only a small amount of red/orange on its crest and many flecks of iridescent blue on its fins.