Description

Apistogramma cacatuoides is one of the most famous of the apistogramma of all, known commonly as the cockatoo dwarf cichlid. Many people have kept these fish at some point in their careers, and many people have also had the joy of spawning them in their tanks as well. These guys are particularly easy to breed, and are the only species of dwarf cichlid that has enough color forms to rival the agassizii. From different numbers of fins that have different patterns, to forms which have different colored bodies, the strains of this fish are gorgeous to look at! This particular color form, tank bred out of Europe, has brilliant bright orange fins that have varying degrees of black striations. This form is known as “mega orange" because the males in particular sport impressive orange hues on their finnage.

Because this fish has been bred for so many generations in captivity, it really does not need the same wild parameters that many other species do, which have been worked with less. It is still important, however, to consider these parameters, and you will want to keep these fish in slightly acidic to neutral water, and try to keep your water hardness below 350ppm. These fish are quite tolerant of different water conditions, and the most important factor is to have clean water and enough space for these cichlids to each stake out their own territory, and enough hiding spaces for subdominant fish to hide. The males of this species are particularly aggressive to each other, and so you will want to keep them in a larger tank or remove some fish if the fighting becomes too intense and injuries are observed.

Some dither fish are most likely a good idea when having multiples of this fish, and sometimes even a good thing to have with only a few. Some smaller, quicker tetras will provide the dwarf cichlids a distraction when they get annoyed with each other, which can often prevent injury. Tetras and some corydoras would be a great addition to have a loosely biotopic community tank. These can be a very fun tank to observe, and often will allow behaviors to come out of your fish that you would not see in a solitary environment. Alternatively, you could keep just a pair and try to breed them, as they readily spawn in most water parameters as long as you provide good food, and are delightful when you watch them parading around a group of fresh babies! In this case, you will want to provide them with a good number of caves in order to allow them to choose the one that suits their purposes best. In a week or so, you will probably see fry swimming out of a cave! These fish ship individually bagged.

Common Name: Mega Orange Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid
Scientific Name: Apistogramma Cacatuoides var. Mega Orange
Country of Import: Netherlands
Prophylactic Treatment: Erythromycin / Ich-X / Metro
Approximate Current Size: 2" Males, 1.5" Females
Temp/pH/TDS: 75F / 6.5 pH / 80

Please be aware that all fish are sold on a BUY THIS WEEK, SHIP NEXT WEEK basis, and fish are shipped only on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. Weekly shipping cutoff is EVERY SATURDAY at 12 Noon Pacific US Time. All fish are shipped via UPS Next Day Air. Minimum order is $50.00 (excluding shipping) and all orders to the lower 48 US States qualify for FLAT RATE $60.00 shipping via UPS Next Day Air. Hawaii and Alaska State Residents: Please contact us if you would like to purchase Live Animals for delivery.

When you place your order, you will be required to agree to our Terms & Conditions of Sale

Warranty Information

All Live Fish are delivered via UPS Next Day Air and are covered by our DOA Protection Guarantee with the following terms

1. All sales are final and no return of goods is possible
2. The shipping cutoff each week is Saturday at 12 Noon, Pacific US Time
3. We reserve the right to delay the shipping of Live Animal orders due to inclement weather and/or other unforeseen incidents; if dangerous weather conditions or other impactful incidents occur, we may delay the shipping of your Live Animals. Customers who wish to cancel their orders under these conditions may do so with a 10% cancellation fee
4. All Live Animals are sold on a Purchase This Week, Ship Next Week basis, and orders are shipped out on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of the week after sale. Tracking numbers are automatically sent to customers via email notification when orders are shipped
5. Once an order is placed, it may be cancelled and refunded upon customer request, however a 10% cancellation fee will apply
6. The minimum order amount for Live Animal orders is $50.00 (USD); we reserve the right to cancel and refund Live Animals orders with subtotals of less than $50.00 (USD)
7. All animals sold are slightly variable in size, color, pattern, and in overall appearance, and may differ from this website's photograph(s) of the animal
8. Live Animals delivered with UPS Next Day Air are covered against Dead-On-Arrivals if the following conditions are met:
   a. Live Animal shipments must be delivered on the first delivery attempt; if for any reason Live Animals were not delivered to you on the carrier’s first delivery attempt, then there is no guarantee against Dead-On-Arrival animals in your shipment and no refund will be issued
   b. Live Animals must be delivered to the original delivery address entered when the order was placed; if an alternate address is chosen and communicated to the carrier by the customer or customer agent, then there is no guarantee against Dead-On-Arrival animals in your shipment and no refund will be issued
   c. In the very unlikely event that Dead-On-Arrival Animals are received in a shipment delivered via UPS Next Day Air, the customer must begin the Dead-On-Arrival claim process by informing us through our website within two (2) hours of the electronically registered delivery receipt of the Live Animal package
   d. All Dead-On-Arrival Claims must accompany photographs clearly showing the Deceased Animal still heat-sealed in the plastic bag that it was originally shipped in, and the photographs must be provided to us during the Dead-On-Arrival Claim Process. Any Dead-On-Arrival Claim which does not also include required photographs will be denied and no refund will be issued
   e. If Dead-On-Arrival Animals are received via UPS Next Day Air but are not reported to us within the first two hours of the electronically registered delivery receipt, then there will be no refunds issued; our Dead-On-Arrival warranty period for Live Animals ends two hours after the Live Animals have been delivered to you, and any claims made to us outside of this strict two-hour claim window will be denied
   f. No other warranty or guarantee applies to Live Animal purchases
9. Shipping Fees paid to us are forwarded to UPS to pay for your Live Animal shipment, and as such, shipping fees are not refundable
10. All refunds are issued in the form of store credit