Neo-Tropical Dwarf Cichlid Husbandry
By Andrew Foster
First published in Tank Talk, Canberra and District Aquarium Society, Australia
Aquarticles
Most aquarists are familiar with the family Cichlidae, and over the past
fifteen to twenty years they have become arguably the most popular family of fish kept in
captivity. This family offers something for every taste. Large or small, aggressive or
passive, carnivores, piscivores and herbivores, hard or soft water: there is a cichlid for
everyone. The group for me is Neo-tropical Dwarf Cichlids. This artificial grouping of
cichlids from South America that do not exceed 10cm. in total adult length includes the
families Apistogramma, Microgeophagus, Apistogrammoides, Nannacara and Crenicara,
and some authorities include representatives from Aequidens provided they
meet the size limitation of < 10 cm (4 inches).
Many people are put off keeping the large range of Neo-Tropical Dwarf Cichlids for two
reasons. The first of these is availability - many of these fish are difficult to locate
and fairly expensive when available. The second is the reputation they have gained as
difficult and sensitive fish which are problematic in their keeping. For a determined
enthusiast neither of these should present a problem. Many species are available
sporadically through local outlets and are reasonably common in the larger specialist
stores in Sydney and Melbourne. If these fish are provided with the basic level of
aquarium care, most will do well in their captive environment. With a slightly more
concerted effort, most can be spawned and raised in captivity with little difficulty.
The first step in successfully keeping these fish is selection of the keeping tank,
which should also serve as the spawning tank for at least the initial few attempts. The
best tanks for these fish are large surface area, square based tanks of 45 x 45 cm. or 60
x 60 cm. While these are good choices, the best tanks I have found are 90 x 60 cm. In
tanks of these dimensions, individual fish are able to stake out a reasonable territory
and feel secure. A tank of 45cm. x 2 will enable one male and several females to establish
a reasonably peaceful spawning community whereas the 60 cm. x 2 tank will allow two males
and half a dozen females to establish neighbouring, and in places overlapping,
territories. A larger tank allows more of each sex to be kept and interesting territorial
rituals and displays can be observed. Often a female will establish a territory between
rival males and spawn with either whilst the other is not looking her way. In Apistogramma
I have observed this behaviour in borellii, cacatuoides and macmastefi,
and have experienced it also with Nannacara anomala.
Regardless of the size of tank selected, there should be plenty of cover provided in
the form of driftwood, river rocks (NON-CALCIFEROUS), slate walls and caves. Any tank
containing dwarf cichlids should have the rockwork placed directly on the base of the tank
and pre-soaked driftwood placed following this. The substrate is added last, along with
any small stones or driftwood pieces you may wish to sit upon it. All dwarf cichlids are
great excavators and any object placed upon the substrate is an invitation to them to dig
beneath it. By placing large rocks directly upon the base the danger of a collapse is much
reduced. If you are not sure of the security of a rock, try another in its place or in
place of the base rock. Never allow unsecured rock piles to remain in place. It can not be
over-emphasised how important having cover in the tank is. Not just low down, but to about
2/3 the height of the tank through the rear 1/2 of the tank, and about 1/3 the height
through most of the front 1/2 of the tank. The irony of dwarf cichlids is; the more places
there are to hide, the more often the fish will be out in the open. The feeling of
security is gained through simply knowing there is a bolt hole nearby. Far from substrate
hugging, shy fish, dwarf cichlids in the correct environment will swim at all depths
confidently and without fear.
Because many dwarf cichlids prefer a dim tank, and because of the lack of easily
accessible substrate due to all the structure, plants which will grow on the driftwood and
rockwork in dim light are required. Java fern, Java moss and a number of Anubias
sp. suit these requirements and should be planted as thickly as space or budget permit.
Where possible, crypts should be planted in what substrate is visible in the front of the
tank. None of these plants are native to South America and as such this is not recommended
planting where a bio-typical aquarium is desired. For a tank where the primary interest is
the well-being of the fish, better plants can not be selected.
The best way to encourage spawning is to keep the fish in good condition at all times.
The temperature of the tank should be around 25-26 degrees Celsius for general keeping, pH
6.5-7 and as soft as possible, no more than 5 DH of General hardness or 3 DH of Carbonate
hardness. (90ppm GH, 55ppm KH). There must be no trace of ammonia or nitrite, and nitrate
must be kept as low as possible though regular water changes. Because dwarf cichlids are
not tolerant of fluctuations in water properties, small regular changes are more
beneficial than larger changes on a fortnightly or monthly basis. 5% changed every two or
three days is perfect. Feed the fish three or four times a day with a mixture of frozen
brine shrimp, bloodworms and a mix of three or more quality flake foods, at least one of
which should be weighted in the vegetable department. I feed boiled, skinned peas twice a
week and the fish seem to enjoy this food and benefit from it.
Because of the large amount of organic material being passed into the water and the
cichlids’ intolerance of waste products, a good quality filter unit must be employed
and maintained. This filter should not be of too high a flow if the fish are to maintain
their health for any period of time so select two small internal power filters for the
smaller tanks (rated to ½ the tank capacity per hour) or a small canister filter
operating in conjunction with an internal filter on larger tanks. Any filter used will
require regular cleaning, and will be heavily reliant on mechanical filtration as there is
limited bacterial activity at the low pH often required for spawning these fish, so
biological filtration cannot be relied upon.
In an aquarium that is in an area that has heavy traffic or regularly has people
nearby, it may be necessary to include dither fish to encourage the cichlids to come out
of cover. This can also be done to liven the tank up a little. Remember that when the time
comes for spawning the cichlids it is best done in their own tank, so whatever fish are
included must be either timid enough not to brave the defences of spawning cichlids, yet
tough enough to withstand constant harassment, or easily removed from the tank keeping in
mind all that cover. Tetras such as glowlights and flame tetras are good for the purpose,
as are neon rainbows (Melanotaenia praecox) and, surprisingly, other dwarf
cichlid species. A community of several species of dwarf cichlids works very well in a
large enough tank, I use the 90 x 60 cm tanks for this. In the past I have had up to nine
species of South American and West African riverine cichlids, a total of approximately
twenty five adult cichlids in pairs or trios, in a tank of this size. All species but one
(Microgeophagus ramerizi) spawned and reared their fry successfully on numerous
occasions in this tank and aggression was at an all time low for cichlid tanks; not one
fish was lost as a result of fighting. Do not attempt to keep less than three species that
are dissimilar in appearance and habits. My tank had:
Microgeophagus altispinosa
Microgeophagus ramerizi
Apistogramma borelli
Apistogramma cacatuoides
Apistogramma macmasteri
Apistogramma nijsseni
Nannacara anomala
Nannochromis transvestitus
Pelvicachromis subocellatus
Provided the fish are maintained in good condition, they can usually be triggered to
spawn by simply increasing the temperature by a few degrees. This should be done in
conjunction with a water change - although this is not generally required to trigger the
spawning, it can help with stubborn spawners and means the water is as clean as possible
prior to the act. I find that it is often best to cease all tank maintenance for a couple
of months before a serious spawning attempt. Food is offered once every two days during
the first month and a half of this time, and then three times a day for the final two
weeks. At the end of this period a 50% water change is performed, and the heater
readjusted up a few degrees. For the next week, 10% of the water is changed daily and
heavy feeding continues. At the end of the week, change 25% of the water. Most species
will spawn with this treatment and then the real difficulties begin.
The first thing to do after eggs have been acquired is to decide if they are going to
remain with the parents or be removed for artificial incubation. The only real reason they
needto be removed is to prevent predation from tank mates that are too large for the
parents to dissuade, or from one or the other of the parents themselves. It is common for
the first few spawns to be devoured by the young females but, if given the opportunity,
they usually figure things out and prove to be excellent parents. If the eggs are not
being devoured but are infertile and fungusing there may be several causes. The most
common problem is that the pH and carbonate hardness are too high. Most dwarf cichlids
require a pH of 5.5-6.5 and a hardness of less than 2 KH to have a reasonable viability
level. If these parameters are met and the fertility is still very low, use a new male as
there may be a problem with infertility or low sperm count. The last reason commonly
encountered is inadequate care given by the parent responsible. The developing eggs
require a supply of fresh water to be fanned over them by one or other of the parents.
Eggs that die or fungus and are removed, along with other dirt particles, by the mouthing
the parents subject the eggs to. Some parents never do very well at these tasks; others
require a little practice. In this circumstance, or with parents that continuously devour
their spawn, there is no option other than to incubate the eggs artificially.
In order to incubate the eggs it is necessary to have a small tank or breeding net into
which the surface containing the spawn is placed. An airstone is placed just in front of
this so that there is a constant stream of bubbles rising past, but not over, the eggs.
The eggs must be inspected regularly and any infertile or dead eggs (these are generally
white and opaque) must be removed before they develop fungus, which will spread quickly to
viable eggs and destroy the spawn. After the eggs have hatched, remove the spawning
surface to remove the egg remains before they rot.
The majority of species are large enough to take microworms and brine shrimp nauplii
when they become free swimming and these foods should be offered in abundance. It is
crucial the water quality is maintained during the early period of these fishes lives as
all young dwarf cichlids are susceptible to pollutants, and fluctuations in pH and
temperature. After the first couple of weeks, white worms, small mosquito larvae and
finely crushed flake are added to the menu and the fry should grow rapidly. Regular water
changes and adequate filtration will ensure good health.
Provided with good conditions and adequate quality feeding, these delightful little
fish will live and spawn happily for several years. If space is at a premium and cichlids
are on the wishlist then try keeping some of the dwarfs. They will repay their cost and
the difficulty in locating them many times over with their beauty, interesting behaviour
and character.
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