Opal Umbrella Cichlid
Apistogramma borellii
The Umbrella Cichlid is a beautiful fish from South America that likes to stay near the bottom.
- beautiful South American fish
- relatively peaceful dwarf cichlid
- blue to yellow coloring
Choose your variation:
Important data
Product description & details
The Umbrella Cichlid, also known as the Yellow Dwarf Cichlid, is a beauty native to South America and is mainly found in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso and in the Rio Paraguay catchment area. There it prefers to inhabit clear and stagnant to slowly flowing waters that have dense underwater vegetation. Like most Apistogramma species, Apistogramma borellii prefers to stay near the ground between layers of leaves and roots. In the color form “Opal” the male has an intense, metallic blue body color.
Care in the aquarium
To care for the Umbrella Cichlid, a tank with a capacity of at least 150 liters or an edge length of 100cm is required. Since this species is territorial and inhabits very shallow waters in nature, the surface area is significantly more important than the height of the aquarium. For each fish, both male and female, around 25-30cm² of area should be planned as a territory. A well-structured aquarium with dense plants and hardscape such as roots, stone structures and caves also offers opportunities for retreat and helps to define territories. This dwarf cichlid can be kept in pairs or, provided there is enough space, in a harem with one male and several females. Light that is not too bright and a dark substrate also ensure that it feels comfortable. It is possible to socialize the Umbrella Cichlid with fish that are not too hectic, such as South American tetras.
Feeding
In nature, dwarf cichlids of the genus Apistogramma feed mainly on small aquatic animals such as insect larvae, other invertebrates or small fish. In the aquarium, the Umbrella Cichlid can easily be fed with protein-containing flake and smaller granulate food that does not sink too quickly. However, live and frozen food are particularly popular. A wide range of food types such as white and black mosquito larvae, daphnia, artemia, tubifex or enchytraea are suitable for this.
Sexual characteristics and breeding
Most Apistogramma species show very pronounced sexual dimorphism, so males and females usually differ very clearly from each other. Male Opal Umbrella Cichlids have an iridescent blue body with red cheeks and significantly longer dorsal and anal fins. In addition, when fully grown, with a maximum body length of 8cm, they are significantly larger than the females, which can be up to 5cm long. The females, on the other hand, have a black blindfold and a slightly yellowish body color and shine bright yellow during the breeding season. Propagating the Apistogramma borellii in the aquarium is not particularly difficult as long as its basic needs, such as suitable caves and rather soft, acidic water, are met. As cave breeders, these dwarf cichlids lay their eggs on the ceiling of caves or on the underside of plant leaves and look after them together as a pair. The female takes care of the brood, while the male defends his territory and the offspring within it. The young fish hatch after a few days and after less than a week they are already swimming freely. After the yolk sac has been consumed, the little ones can be fed with small live or frozen food, such as newly hatched Artemia nauplii, copepods or Cyclops. They are cared for by their mother for about 4 weeks and shown around the aquarium, which is very interesting to watch.