Agassiz's dwarf cichlid care
Apistogramma agassizii · Amazon basin, including the Marañón and Ucayali rivers in Peru
Agassiz's dwarf cichlid is an apistogramma with a spade-shaped tail; males are larger and more colorful, with longer fins.
- Tank size
- 20 US gal or larger
- Temperature
- 75 to 84 °F (24 to 29 °C)
- Group size
- Alone or in a pair
- Temperament
- Semi-aggressive
- Adult size
- 1.7 in (standard length of the largest males, without the tail; females are smaller)
- pH
- 5 to 7
- Hardness (GH)
- 1 to 10 dGH
- Lifespan
- 3 to 5 years
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Care level
- Moderate
In a 20 gallon long
30¼ × 12½ × 12¾ in outsideHow to keep Agassiz's dwarf cichlids
Agassiz's dwarf cichlid is an apistogramma with a spade-shaped tail; males are larger and more colorful, with longer fins. Keep one male with one to three females in a planted 20 gallon or larger tank with caves and dead leaves, soft acidic water and 75 to 84 °F. Females guard the eggs in a cave and lead the fry.
Diet: Carnivore: small pellets, frozen bloodworm, brine shrimp and daphnia. Fish food types compared · how often to feed.
Where they swim: Bottom of the tank.
Agassiz's dwarf cichlid tank mates
Share the temperature and water, and neither side eats, nips or bullies the other. Check the full group in the stocking checker.
X-ray tetra
1.8 in · 15+ gal · 75–82 °F
Head and tail light tetra
1.8 in · 15+ gal · 72–82 °F
Black phantom tetra
1.8 in · 15+ gal · 72–82 °F
Neon tetra
1.6 in · 10+ gal · 70–79 °F
Serpae tetra
1.6 in · 20+ gal · 72–79 °F
Sparkling gourami
1.6 in · 10+ gal · 76–82 °F
Black neon tetra
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 73–81 °F
Glowlight tetra
1.5 in · 10+ gal · 72–80 °F
Keep apart
White cloud mountain minnow: No shared temperature: Agassiz's dwarf cichlids need 75 to 84 °F, white cloud mountain minnows 64 to 72 °F.
Angelfish: Adult angelfish eat fish under about 2 in; Agassiz's dwarf cichlids grow to 1.7 in.
Pea puffer: Pea puffers belong in a tank of their own.
Fancy goldfish: Adult fancy goldfish eat fish under about 2 in; Agassiz's dwarf cichlids grow to 1.7 in.
Cherry shrimp: Agassiz's dwarf cichlids eat shrimp.
Amano shrimp: Agassiz's dwarf cichlids eat shrimp.
What an Agassiz's dwarf cichlid tank needs
A tank of 20 US gallons or more (such as the 20 gallon long) with a cover, and the equipment below.
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Aquarium Co-Op Easy Flow Sponge Filter, Small
A sponge filter gives gentle flow and cannot pull in small fish. It runs from an air pump, with airline tubing and a check valve, all sold separately.
Aqueon PRO QuietFlow Power Filter 10
Rated by the maker for up to 20 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon Agassiz's dwarf cichlid tank without being built for a far bigger one.
Aqueon QuietFlow Internal Power Filter 15–30 gal
Rated by the maker for 15–30 US gal, which covers a 20 gallon Agassiz's dwarf cichlid tank without being built for a far bigger one.
hygger Precise Aquarium Heater 100W
Agassiz's dwarf cichlids need 75 to 84 °F; most homes run cooler, so a heater holds the temperature.
API Freshwater Master Test Kit
Tests ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, the readings that matter most before and after adding Agassiz's dwarf cichlids.
Seachem Prime 100 mL
Removes chlorine and chloramine from tap water at every water change.
Fluval Edge Thermometer
Shows the water temperature at a glance, so you know it stays within 75 to 84 °F.
More choices, each with the reason it is in or out: Filters for a 20 gallon tank · Heaters for a 20 gallon tank. We don’t list fish food: any good brand of the foods under Diet will do. Plan the whole tank's equipment →
Common Agassiz's dwarf cichlid problems
- Two males in a small tank fight; keep one male per tank unless it is large and full of cover.
- Hard, alkaline water and rising nitrate shorten their lives; small, regular water changes suit them.
Test the water first whenever fish look unwell: see what your readings mean, then match the symptom. For disease, a vet who treats fish can diagnose it and advise treatment.
More to compare
Sources
Name and origin checked against Wikipedia: Apistogramma agassizii; adult size from FishBase: Apistogramma agassizii. Temperature, pH, hardness, group size, lifespan and minimum tank size are common hobby guidance, not figures from that article. Ranges are the range the species tolerates; aim for the middle. Minimum tank sizes are for an adult group. Drawings are our own; photo credits follow.
Photo credits
Real photographs from Wikimedia Commons, resized and cropped to fit; each is used under the license named.
- Agassiz's dwarf cichlid Cisamarc, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- X-ray tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Head and tail light tetra Deadlyballistics (English Wikipedia), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black phantom tetra Krächz, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Neon tetra Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Serpae tetra Faucon, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sparkling gourami BEDO (Thailand), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Black neon tetra Debivort, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Glowlight tetra gonzalovalenzuela; cropped by Kyknos, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- White cloud mountain minnow Petrtyl, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Pea puffer Beta Mahatvaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Fancy goldfish Benson Kua, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cherry shrimp TheJammingYam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Amano shrimp Stefanie Leuker, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Discus Patrick Farrelly, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- German blue ram Eric Mengel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
- Cockatoo dwarf cichlid William Kreijkes, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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