Blue-cheek dwarf cichlid

Apistogramma eunotus

Also known as Eunotus apisto, High-back apisto, Blue cheek apisto

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–82°F (23–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 2.6 in (6.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Common
Origin: Ucayali and Amazon tributaries in Peru, into the Yavari and Japura systems
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

One of the best first rare apistos: a robust fish that takes prepared food without fuss and breeds in ordinary soft tap water. A pair needs 75 liters; a harem needs a bigger footprint with a cave per female. It holds its own alongside peaceful tetras and corys. Females guard cave broods and shepherd fry across the floor for weeks.

In the wild

A widespread Peruvian apisto of quiet stream margins and pools in the Ucayali and upper Amazon drainages, usually over mud or sand with leaf litter. Unlike the blackwater specialists it often lives in near-neutral water, which makes it forgiving in captivity. Keep it at 23 to 28 degrees Celsius with pH 6.0 to 7.5 over sand, litter, and caves.

Good to know

Apistogramma eunotus was described by Kullander in 1981; the name means well-backed, for the tall body males develop. Males reach about 6.5 centimeters with turquoise cheeks and an orange-edged tail. It is the namesake of the eunotus complex, a cluster of stocky Peruvian species that sort out by cheek pattern and tail shape.

Did you know

Because it shrugs off harder water than most of the genus, eunotus is the apisto that often works in tanks where blackwater species would sulk.

Tank mates

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