Umbrella cichlid

Apistogramma borellii

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–79°F; 20–26°C
pH: 6.0–7.0
Adult size: 2.6 in; 6.5 cm
Minimum tank: 18 gal; 70 L

Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Cave spawner · Hard
Rarity: Rare
Family: Cichlidae
Origin: Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina

Overview

The umbrella cichlid is a mostly peaceful dwarf cichlid for a planted tank. It is best with some experience.

Did you know

The umbrella cichlid is one of the more cold-tolerant dwarf cichlids, which fits its more southern range. It is comfortable down around 68°F (20°C), where many apistos start to suffer.

Caring for the umbrella cichlid

Keep umbrella cichlids as a pair, or a male with a couple of females, in at least 18 gal (70 L). Give them a sandy bottom, dense planting, sight breaks and hiding spots, including small caves or coconut shells. They work the lower and middle water.

Keep the water soft and slightly acidic, at 68 to 79°F (20 to 26°C) and a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. That range suits an unheated or cooler room tank. Feed small live and frozen foods like daphnia and bloodworms, with quality micro-pellets and flake.

The umbrella cichlid is mostly peaceful, though it gets defensive around fry. Pair it with calm, small tank mates that stay out of its space at breeding time. It is also a useful tank mate for other fish that prefer the lower end of the tropical range.

Males carry yellow color with blue on the face, and females stay a bit smaller. It is a cave spawner, and the female lays her eggs inside a hidden spot. She guards the fry while the male holds the wider territory. Breeding it is hard.

Good to know

The umbrella cichlid, Apistogramma borellii, is a dwarf member of the family Cichlidae.

In the wild

The umbrella cichlid comes from the Paraguay and Parana drainage across Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. It lives in shallow, slow creeks, ponds and river edges with soft bottoms and thick plant growth.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The umbrella 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.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does an umbrella cichlid need?

An umbrella cichlid needs at least 18 gal (70 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an umbrella cichlid need?

An umbrella cichlid is comfortable at 68–79°F (20–26°C) with a pH of 6.0–7.0.

What does an umbrella cichlid eat?

An umbrella cichlid eats small live and frozen foods like daphnia and bloodworms, along with quality micro-pellets and flake.

How big does an umbrella cichlid get?

An adult umbrella cichlid reaches about 2.6 in (6.5 cm).

How can you tell a male umbrella cichlid from a female?

Males carry yellow color with blue on the face. Females stay a bit smaller than the males.

How does an umbrella cichlid breed?

An umbrella cichlid is a cave spawner. The female lays her eggs inside a hidden spot and guards the fry while the male holds the wider territory. Breeding it is hard.