Panda Dwarf Cichlid

1 Breed Introduction

The Panda Dwarf Cichlid’s females and males are easy to tell apart; females have few markings and lower display value. It is a very nervous fish, easily frightened, and a frightened female may eat her own eggs after spawning.

Chinese name: Panda Dwarf Cichlid

English name: Panda Dwarf Cichlid

Binomial: Apistogramma nijsseni

Distribution: Lower Ucayali River, border of Peru and Brazil

Water quality: pH 6, soft water

Water temperature: 27 C

Size: 7 cm (M), 5 cm (F)

Breeding: cave spawner

2 Physical Characteristics

A very sensitive fish, easily frightened; a frightened female after spawning may eat the eggs, so consider artificial hatching for breeding. What does it look like?

The female’s markings explain the ‘panda’ name: large black spots from head to tail on the gill cover, pelvic fins, flank, and caudal peduncle. The male is no less striking, showing a robust body, sapphire-blue flank sheen, and a round caudal with a red outer frame, all key ID features.

3 Housing and Environment

Seeing the female’s markings explains the name; many love its pattern, but how to keep it well?

It is very nervous and easily frightened; a post-spawning female may eat eggs, so artificial hatching is wise. Its native water is very clear: the gently sloping, slow-flowing South American habitats carry little silt, and peat layers on the riverbed form a natural, powerful biofilter, so clarity is natural.

4 Feeding

Omnivorous, taking live and prepared food but preferring live. Note its sensitivity; choose artificial hatching right after the female spawns.

Over 60% of its stomach contents are unidentified, but it is omnivorous and likes almost any food it can swallow; a healthy one eats readily. To train onto prepared food, keep trained individuals with untrained ones and add prepared food; they adapt slowly. There are many training methods, varying by fish.