TankBud

Panda uaru

Uaru fernandezyepezi

Also known as Atabapo uaru, Fernandezyepezi uaru

FreshwaterFish

Panda uaru (Uaru fernandezyepezi)
The Wet Spot Tropical Fish · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
4.0–5.8
Adult size
9.1 in
23 cm
Minimum tank
159 gal
600 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Substrate spawner · Medium
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Rio Atabapo, Orinoco basin

Overview

The panda uaru is a tall, deep-bodied blackwater cichlid for a big, soft-water tank. It is a demanding fish for experienced keepers.

Did you know

The panda uaru's fry feed on mucus grazed from the parents' skin, like the fry of discus and of the common uaru, its cousin. In their first days of life, the young eat their meals directly off their mother and father.

Caring for the panda uaru

A group of panda uarus grows large and needs a big tank of at least 159 gal (600 L). Furnish it with a dark substrate, bogwood, leaf litter and plenty of vertical cover, and keep the light dim. The fish spend their time in the middle of the tank, among the wood and shade.

Keep the water soft and stained with tannins, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 4.0 to 5.8. Above all, hold conditions stable, since the panda uaru reacts badly to swings in water chemistry.

The panda uaru's diet leans heavily toward vegetable foods. Feed plenty of greens, spirulina foods and blanched vegetables, along with some frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp.

Keep a group of five or more, much as you would keep discus, so the fish feel secure and spread out mild social tension. Panda uarus are peaceful enough to share a tank with other calm, soft-water fish. They are open substrate spawners, and breeding them is of medium difficulty.

Good to know

The panda uaru, Uaru fernandezyepezi, is a cichlid of the family Cichlidae. Juveniles wear the bold black-and-white blotches that give it the name panda, while adults change to a smoky pattern with a dark mask. Tank-bred panda uarus remain uncommon.

In the wild

The panda uaru lives only in the Rio Atabapo, a tea-black tributary of the Orinoco on the border of Venezuela and Colombia. The water there is warm, extremely soft and very acidic, over a bottom of sand and drowned wood.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The panda uaru is a mostly peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. 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 panda uaru need?

A panda uaru needs at least 159 gal (600 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a panda uaru need?

A panda uaru is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 4.0–5.8.

What does a panda uaru eat?

A panda uaru eats mostly vegetable foods, such as greens, spirulina foods and blanched vegetables. It also takes some frozen bloodworm and brine shrimp.

How big does a panda uaru get?

An adult panda uaru reaches about 9.1 in (23 cm).

How does a panda uaru breed?

Panda uarus are open substrate spawners. Breeding them is of medium difficulty.

Related species