Panda Dwarf Cichlid

The Panda Dwarf Cichlid, Apistogramma nijsseni, is a beauty native to South America whose distribution area is very small. To date, this species has only been found in a watercourse near the Rio Ucayali on the border between Peru and Brazil. Like most Apistogramma species, Apistogramma nijsseni prefers to stay near the ground between layers of leaves and roots. Due to the strikingly colorful body coloring of both sexes, the Panda Dwarf Cichlid is one of the most beautiful South American dwarf cichlids in aquarium keeping.

Care in the aquarium

To care for the Panda Dwarf Cichlid, which can grow up to 8cm in size, 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 Panda Dwarf 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 Panda Dwarf 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 Panda Dwarf Cichlids have a bright yellow body with a metallic blue iridescence near the tail fin, as well as an orange-red lined tail fin. 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 are also bright yellow in color and have an orange-red lined tail fin. In contrast to the males, however, they do not have a blue tinge, but do have dark to deep black spots on the cheeks, flank and caudal fin root, dorsal and pectoral fins, which form a great contrast to the yellow body color. Propagating the Apistogramma nijsseni 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.