Super red is the top of an informal scale: red and black on four fin sets, the soft dorsal, caudal, anal and ventrals. Some shops sell the same fish as a quad red. Edge color alone does not count, the fin needs real patterning, and buyers report you cannot guess the extent of red from the label. Aqua Huna lists them sexed as males, which matters because the males carry the grade.
In the wild
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, and wild fish show nothing approaching four patterned fin sets.
Good to know
Super red describes how much fin carries pattern, not a distinct gene, so it is scored by eye at selling size. Both parents have to be picked for coverage and the fry still spread out across grades, since 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.
Did you know
Nobody owns the grading scale. 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.
Weekly picks
Tank mates
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.
How big does a Super red cockatoo cichlid get?
An adult Super red cockatoo cichlid reaches about 3 in (7.5 cm).
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)