All fish / Cichlidae

Three-striped Apistogramma

Apistogramma trifasciata

Also known as three-striped dwarf cichlid, three striped dwarf cichlid, threestripe apisto, trifasciata apisto, blue apistogramma, three-striped dwarf ichlid, apisto trifasciata, アピストグラマ・トリファシアータ, トリファシアータ, 三线短鲷, 三线阿卡西

A small, slender dwarf cichlid. Males have tall, pointed front dorsal spines and a blue sheen, and both sexes carry dark stripes along the body that give the fish its name. Keepers like it for its bright colours and interesting behaviour in a planted tank with plenty of hiding places.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

5 cm

Temperature

25 to 29 °C

pH

5.5 to 7

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

One male with one to three females

Diet

Carnivore: small live and frozen foods such as bloodworm, brine shrimp and daphnia, plus quality small pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Paraguay and Guaporé river basins and upper Paraná system: Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, Argentina

Breeding

Females lay their eggs on the ceiling of a cave and look after them and the young, turning bright yellow while they do. Breeding is not hard in soft, slightly acidic water with good cover, but males can get rough with females.

Good to know

Males defend their territory hard when breeding, so give the tank plenty of caves and keep only one male unless the tank is large. It does poorly in hard water or tanks with unstable conditions.