Double-stripe dwarf cichlid

Apistogramma diplotaenia

Also known as Diplo apisto

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 79–86°F (26–30°C)
pH: 4.5–6.0
Adult size: 1.6 in (4 cm)
Minimum tank: 15 gal (55 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Middle Rio Negro between San Carlos and the Arirara river, Brazil and Venezuela
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

A specialist fish for a mature, quiet softwater tank of 55 liters or more. Feed newly hatched brine shrimp, microworms, and other small live foods; it handles fine frozen food once settled but ignores most dry food. Keep it alone or with a few tiny, calm companions. Breeding follows the usual cave pattern but demands blackwater-level softness and warmth, and broods are small.

In the wild

This tiny apisto lives over pure white sand in the middle Rio Negro, in warm blackwater with almost no measurable hardness. It shelters beside sunken leaves rather than caves and sifts the sand for food. Keep it on fine sand with a thin leaf scatter and very soft, acidic, warm water: 26 to 30 degrees Celsius and pH 4.5 to 6.0. Stability matters more than numbers.

Good to know

Apistogramma diplotaenia was described by Kullander in 1987. The name means double stripe, for the split lateral band that runs the body as two parallel lines, unique in the genus. At about 4 centimeters it is one of the smallest Apistogramma, and its slender build fits a life spent hovering over open sand instead of hugging structure.

Did you know

Instead of the single dark side stripe nearly every apisto wears, this one wears two thin pinstripes, as if someone drew the pattern twice.

Tank mates

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