2x dwarf cichlid - Apistogramma agassizii "Fire Red" - DNZ pair

Colorful Fire Red Agassiz Dwarf Cichlid Apistogramma agassizi "Fire Red" belongs to the large family of cichlids. Apistogramma agassizi has been one of the most popular aquarium fishes for a long time: this small cichlid from South America has been in the aquarium hobby for over a hundred years. The "Fire Red" variety is distinguished by its bright orange-red fins. The body is gray with a blurred black longitudinal stripe down the middle of the body, starting at the mouth and ending in the caudal fin. The blue-green metallic sheen that covers this great dwarf cichlid is especially beautiful. On the head the shimmer thickens to a blue-green metallic pattern. The iris also shimmers in this beautiful hue. The Agassiz Dwarf Cichlid grows to 10 cm in size, with females remaining somewhat smaller and showing less brilliant colors. In particular, the metallic pattern is usually absent in them. The longitudinal stripe, on the other hand, is sometimes more pronounced in them. The males can also be recognized by their centrally longer extended caudal fin.

The Agassiz dwarf cichlid lives in its South American homeland in slowly flowing water sections with black water. The water bottom is mostly stony to sandy, leaf accumulations are frequent. Gladly these cichlids stand in hiding places under stones or in driftwood and roots. The cichlid should also find a good structure in the aquarium. A sandy bottom or at least a sandy corner will allow it to forage in a manner appropriate to its species. The edges of the aquarium can be well planted, but there should be enough space for swimming. The aquarium should not be too bright. Clay caves it accepts well as hiding places.

Fire Red dwarf cichlids tolerate soft to medium hard water and a slightly acidic to neutral pH. Humic substances contribute quite decisively to the health of this blackwater fish. Water temperatures of 22-28 °C are ideal for an aquarium with Apistogramma agassizi "Fire Red" .

The rather bottom oriented Apistogramma agassizi "Fire Red" can be well socialized in the aquarium for example with more surface oriented tetras from soft water biotopes. In company of larger fish it does not show its beautiful colors. Shrimps are considered as food. We recommend in any case the harem keeping of one male with several females in an aquarium from 100 cm edge length. Fire Red dwarf cichlids live about 3 years in the aquarium.

The breeding of the beautiful Fire Red dwarf cichlids is a bit more complicated. Soft, acidic water is needed for this. The breeding aquarium should have at least 200 liters, because the animals can become quite aggressive among themselves when breeding. Additional fish like tetras and catfishes are nevertheless possible.

Apistogramma agassizi are cave breeders. The female sticks her dark, elongated eggs in a cave on top and guards the clutch and cares for it, while the male guards and defends the territory. Once the young cichlids are hatched, the female lays them in a shallow pit or in a crevice between stones. She always repositions them in the process. When the yolk sac is used up and the young Fire Red dwarf cichlids swim freely, the female leads the young in the swarm through the aquarium and protects them from enemies. After 3-4 weeks, the fry are then on their own. The females even adopt young of another mother. Young Fire Red eat fine live food like artemia euplii, copepods, infusoria and microworms.

The Fire Red likes to forage in the substrate, where it chews through the sand in search of food. It prefers to eat live or frozen foods: small crustaceans and worms, but special foods for carnivorous cichlids such as NatureHolic C ichfeed are also a good choice.

Our food recommendation: NatureHolic Cichfeed is a great staple food for all carnivorous cichlids in the aquarium, perfectly meeting their dietary requirements. The tasty pearls are also very well eaten by larger cichlids. Thanks to their soft texture, NatureHolic Cichfeed food pearls are gentle on the mouth and can be eaten very well by the fish.

Our plant recommendation: Use for planting NatureHolic InVitros. These are free of snails, planarians and other unwanted co-inhabitants. Also free of algae spores, bacteria and fungi.

Expert Tip: We recommend for fish keeping the NatureHolic 3 Phase Liquid. The care set offers the best all-round protection for your animals. It ensures optimal conditions for successful breeding and keeping.