TankBud

Tucurui dwarf cichlid

Apistogramma tucurui

Also known as Tocantins apisto

FreshwaterFish

Tucurui dwarf cichlid (Apistogramma tucurui)

Care at a glance

Temperature
77–84°F
25–29°C
pH
5.0–6.8
Adult size
2.2 in
5.5 cm
Minimum tank
16 gal
60 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Cave spawner · Hard
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Lower Rio Tocantins around Tucurui, Para, Brazil

Overview

The Tucurui dwarf cichlid is a small, mostly peaceful apisto for a soft-water tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish and suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The Tucurui dwarf cichlid is named for the dam town that flooded part of its home range. The reminder is written straight into its species name.

Caring for the Tucurui dwarf cichlid

Keep a pair of Tucurui dwarf cichlids in 16 gal (60 L) or more, with heavy cover. Give them the usual apisto frame of sand, leaves, caves and subdued light. They stay near the bottom.

Keep the water soft and warm, at 77 to 84°F (25 to 29°C) with a pH of 5.0 to 6.8. Feed frozen foods and fine dry foods. The fish are mostly peaceful and safe with community tank mates.

Pairs follow the standard cave-spawning script in soft, warm water, though breeding them is hard. Collections from the lower Tocantins are rare, so hobby lines carry weight. Raise the broods when you get them. Keep notes on your population's look, since forms vary along the river.

Good to know

Wolfgang Staeck described the Tucurui dwarf cichlid in 2003, from a region transformed by the Tucurui dam. That dam is one of the largest hydroelectric projects in the Amazon. The species belongs to the regani lineage of the cichlid family, Cichlidae. With its floodplain habitat altered, documented captive populations are more than a curiosity.

In the wild

The Tucurui dwarf cichlid comes from the lower Rio Tocantins around the Tucurui reservoir, in Para, Brazil. It lives in litter-lined stream mouths and shore shallows, in warm, soft water.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Tucurui dwarf cichlid is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the bottom. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Tucurui dwarf cichlid need?

A Tucurui dwarf cichlid needs at least 16 gal (60 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Tucurui dwarf cichlid need?

A Tucurui dwarf cichlid is comfortable at 77–84°F (25–29°C) with a pH of 5.0–6.8.

What does a Tucurui dwarf cichlid eat?

A Tucurui dwarf cichlid eats frozen foods and fine dry foods.

How big does a Tucurui dwarf cichlid get?

An adult Tucurui dwarf cichlid reaches about 2.2 in (5.5 cm).

How does a Tucurui dwarf cichlid breed?

Tucurui dwarf cichlids spawn in a cave in soft, warm water, the standard apisto way. Breeding them is hard. Since collections are rare, raise any brood you get.

Related species