Striped nannacara

Nannacara taenia

Also known as Taenia dwarf cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 75–82°F (24–28°C)
pH: 5.0–7.0
Adult size: 2.4 in (6 cm)
Minimum tank: 11 gal (40 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Bottom
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Lower Amazon, Pará
Family: Cichlidae

Overview

The striped nannacara is a small, peaceful dwarf cichlid that spends its time near the bottom, so it suits a quiet planted tank rather than a busy community. It is a social fish, best kept as a pair or a small group, and it settles fastest with calm, similarly sized tankmates that will not push it away from food. Feed a varied diet of small sinking foods along with regular live or frozen items such as bloodworm and brine shrimp, which bring it into breeding condition. A tank of around 40 liters suits a pair, with more room needed if you keep a group alongside other fish.

In the wild

This species comes from the lower Amazon region around Belem in Para, Brazil, where it lives among leaf litter and plant roots along slow, soft, warm stream margins. Recreate that with a soft sandy substrate, dark leaf litter and driftwood, gentle filtration, and dim lighting. Keep the water soft, warm and on the acid side, around 24 to 28 C and pH 5.0 to 7.0, with steady weekly water changes.

Good to know

Nannacara taenia belongs to the cichlid family and is one of the smaller members of its genus, reaching only about 6 centimeters. Charles Tate Regan described it in 1912, and it remains one of the least often imported dwarf cichlids, marked by fine dark stripes that run the length of the body. It is a substrate spawner of moderate difficulty: the female tends the eggs and guards the fry while the male holds a wider territory.

Did you know

The species name taenia means ribbon or band, a nod to the fine dark stripe running nose to tail, and this remains one of the least often seen dwarf cichlids in the hobby, long used as a test of careful identification.

Tank mates

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