Mega Orange Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma cacatuoides var. Mega Orange)

Apistogramma cacatuoides is one of the most famous apistos 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 Mega Orange Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma cacatuoides var. Mega Orange) 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 no 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

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