Cockatoo cichlid

Apistogramma cacatuoides

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 72–84°F (22–29°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Adult size: 3 in (7.5 cm)
Minimum tank: 18 gal (70 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Brazil, Peru
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

Keep it as a pair or as one male with two or three females, giving each female her own cave so the male can split his territory. It sits in the lower and middle levels and eats small invertebrates in the wild, so feed micro pellets and quality flake plus live or frozen daphnia and brine shrimp. Aim for soft, slightly acidic water, pH 6 to 7.5 and around 22 to 29 C, in a tank of about 70 liters. It is mostly peaceful and fine in a calm community, but gets defensive when guarding fry.

In the wild

The cockatoo cichlid comes from shallow, slow backwaters in the Amazon basin of Brazil and Peru, over sand and mud among thick plants and leaf litter. That cover is what makes it comfortable, so a planted tank with sand, driftwood, and small caves like a coconut shell or flowerpot works well. The water there is soft and acidic and warm, in the mid 20s C.

Good to know

Apistogramma cacatuoides is a dwarf cichlid in the family Cichlidae. Males reach about 7.5 cm with the tall, spiky dorsal fin the species is known for, while females are noticeably smaller. It is a cave-spawning fish, and the female guards the eggs and fry inside a sheltered nook.

Did you know

The cockatoo is one of the easier Apistogramma to breed and comes in selectively bred lines like double-red and orange-flash with even more color in the fins. Those tank-bred strains are far more colorful than the wild fish.