Norbert's dwarf cichlid

Apistogramma norberti

Also known as Tahuayo apisto

FreshwaterFish

Norbert's dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma norberti) — The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 5.2–6.8
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: Rio Tahuayo basin south of Iquitos, Loreto, Peru
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

An unfussy rare apisto: a pair in 60 liters with cover eats frozen and sinking dry food readily and spawns in caves without extreme water chemistry, though softer is still better. Males can be pushy with a single female, so either give her escape cover or run a small harem. Peaceful litter-loving corys and small tetras coexist well.

In the wild

Apistogramma norberti lives in the Tahuayo drainage south of Iquitos, in shaded forest pools and stream edges with sand, litter, and fallen branches. Water is soft and mildly acidic rather than extreme blackwater. Keep it at 24 to 28 degrees Celsius, pH 5.2 to 6.8, in a leaf-littered tank with caves and gentle filtration.

Good to know

Described by Wolfgang Staeck in 1991 and named for the aquarist Norbert Zarske's circle of Peruvian collectors, this compact species reaches about 5 centimeters. Males show a tall front dorsal and a dark caudal spot framed in amber, and the species sits in the cacatuoides lineage. Females are classic apisto yellow in brood dress with sharply defined black markings.

Did you know

Collectors find this fish in water barely deeper than the fish's own body, hiding under single leaves at the flooded forest edge.

Tank mates

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