The super red cockatoo cichlid carries red and black on four fin sets, the soft dorsal, caudal, anal and ventrals. It tops an informal scale, and some shops sell the same fish as a quad red. It suits a calm, planted community tank and is best with a little experience.
Did you know
The super red cockatoo cichlid's grading scale has no owner. The forum answer to what defines a super red is that there is no official set of characteristics and it depends on the seller. The terms have drifted enough that hobbyists count the patterned fins themselves rather than trust the tag.
Caring for the super red cockatoo cichlid
Give super red cockatoo cichlids at least 18 gal (70 L), planted, with sand and driftwood. Add small caves such as a coconut shell or flowerpot, since cover is what makes them comfortable. Keep the water soft and slightly acidic, at 72 to 84°F (22 to 29°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.5.
In the wild the species eats small invertebrates. Feed micro pellets and quality flake, plus live or frozen daphnia and brine shrimp. Keep a pair or one male with two or three females, with a cave for each female so the male can split his territory. They are mostly peaceful and fine in a calm community, but they get defensive when guarding fry.
Males carry the grade, which is why Aqua Huna lists them sexed as males. Males also grow the tall, spiky dorsal fin the species is known for. Buyers report you cannot guess the extent of red from the label.
The species spawns in caves, and the female guards the eggs and fry inside a sheltered nook. Breeding is hard, though the cockatoo is one of the easier Apistogramma to breed.
Both parents have to be picked for coverage, and the fry still spread out across grades. A super or quad red pair throws double and triple reds as well. Breeders on the apistogramma forums advise picking the most intensely pigmented female and hoping for the best.
Good to know
Super red describes how much of the fin carries pattern, not a distinct gene. It is scored by eye at selling size. Edge color alone does not count, and the fin needs real patterning.
In the wild
The super red cockatoo cichlid is a trade line selected from the same captive cacatuoides stock as the other red grades, over many generations. There is no wild counterpart, and no breeder is credited with the name. Seriously Fish lists the red grades among the ornamental line-bred forms. Wild fish show nothing approaching four patterned fin sets.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
The super red cockatoo cichlid 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.
Is a super red cockatoo cichlid a different species from the cockatoo cichlid?
No. A super red cockatoo cichlid is a variety of the cockatoo cichlid, Apistogramma cacatuoides, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.
What size tank does a super red cockatoo cichlid need?
A super red cockatoo cichlid needs at least 18 gal (70 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.
An adult super red cockatoo cichlid reaches about 3 in (7.5 cm).
How can you tell a male super red cockatoo cichlid from a female?
Males carry the grade, which is why Aqua Huna lists them sexed as males. Males also grow the tall, spiky dorsal fin the species is known for.
How does a super red cockatoo cichlid breed?
A super red cockatoo cichlid spawns in a cave, and the female guards the eggs and fry inside a sheltered nook. A super or quad red pair still throws double and triple reds, so the fry spread out across grades. Breeding is hard.
3 in (7.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)72–84°F (22–29°C)
3.3 in (8.5 cm)18 gal (70 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)
2.6 in (6.5 cm)18 gal (70 L)68–79°F (20–26°C)
2.2 in (5.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)68–77°F (20–25°C)
3 in (7.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–84°F (24–29°C)
3 in (7.5 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)