Rosita dwarf cichlid

Apistogramma rositae

Also known as Sword-tail apisto

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 4.8–6.5
Adult size: 2 in (5 cm)
Minimum tank: 16 gal (60 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lower Rio Tigre blackwaters, Loreto, Peru
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

An expert-keeper fish: pair tank of 60 liters, blackwater chemistry, live and frozen foods, and patience. Cover and low light decide whether you ever see it behave naturally. Breeding requires very soft, acidic, warm water; broods are small and fry delicate. If you get a line going, share fish with other keepers, because imports cannot be counted on.

In the wild

Apistogramma rositae comes from blackwater streams in the lower Tigre drainage of Peru, another leaf-litter specialist from water with almost no minerals. Keep it in a dim, litter-heavy tank on sand with caves, at 24 to 28 degrees Celsius and pH 4.8 to 6.5, and hold the hardness near zero if you want more than survival.

Good to know

Described in 2006 by the Römers and Hahn and named for Rosita Römer, this species reaches about 5 centimeters. Males extend the tail's upper and lower rays into short swords tipped with red and blue, an unusual shape in the genus. It is closely tied to intact blackwater habitat and scarce in both the wild trade and captive breeding programs.

Did you know

The male's tail ends in twin painted swords, so a displaying fish looks like it borrowed its fin from a much fancier killifish.

Tank mates

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