Allpahuayo dwarf cichlid

Apistogramma allpahuayo

Also known as Black chin apisto

FreshwaterFish

Allpahuayo dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma allpahuayo) — Memelukas · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 4.5–6.5
Adult size: 2 in (5 cm)
Minimum tank: 16 gal (60 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Allpahuayo-Mishana reserve blackwaters near Iquitos, Loreto, Peru
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

A pair does well in 60 liters with caves, leaf litter, and gentle filtration; a small harem needs more floor space. Feed small live and frozen foods first, with quality sinking granules as a backup. It is peaceful toward tankmates but firm about its caves, so pick small surface-oriented company like hatchetfish or pencilfish. A tight lid matters, since startled apistos jump.

In the wild

This apisto comes from blackwater streams inside the Allpahuayo-Mishana national reserve near Iquitos, Peru, where tea-colored water runs over white sand and deep leaf litter. Recreate that with fine sand, botanicals, dim light, and soft acidic water at 24 to 28 degrees Celsius, pH 4.5 to 6.5. It looks washed out in hard, bright tanks and colors up dramatically in the right ones.

Good to know

Apistogramma allpahuayo was described in 2012 by a large team led by Uwe Römer, from a reserve famous for white-sand forest endemics. Males reach about 5 centimeters and carry a black chin and throat, which gave the fish its hobby name of black chin apisto before description. It belongs to the cacatuoides lineage within the genus.

Did you know

Its entire known wild range sits inside one Peruvian nature reserve, which is why the species carries the reserve's name.

Tank mates

Allpahuayo dwarf cichlid is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks match on water type, temperature, pH, size and temperament.