Description

Apistogramma trifasciata was originally called “Apistogramma trifasciata trifasciata”, and was collected with another species called “Apistogramma trifasciata maciliensis”. Since, the latter has been renamed Apistogramma erythrura, and this beautiful three lined cichlid has dropped its second subspecies title. Originally collected in the rio Paraguay, it was later collected from as far south as central Argentina. This is regarded by many as one of the most beautiful Apistogramma, and once you have some that have settled into your tank, it is easy to see why. The males of this species have stark black lines on a bright white base color, which converge around the eyes, and travel along the length of the fish. The fin rays tend to have extremely long filaments, and are tipped in red, whereas the body gets a metallic, sometimes almost neon blue which shimmers above the white. Many also have a yellow mask which spans the eyes, sometimes extending to the area just beyond. All of the colors are so dense they appear to have been painted.

When these fish are collected from the wild, they want to go into soft water, but our tank bred European specimens are much more suited for different water parameters, and the most important factor is having a well cycled filter that is able to handle the fish that you add in. As with many apistogramma species, this one can be fairly messy when it eats, and you may want to have some other things in there to clean up after the food scraps that they may leave. Acidic to slightly alkaline water is fine for these fish, and water hardness up to about 250ppm will still allow them to thrive. They do appreciate the addition of leaf litter and branches, both as a place to hide as well as a place to graze off of when there is no other food being offered. The addition of plants is also appreciated by these fish, for the same reason as the botanicals, but with the additional factor of consuming extra waste, as well as contributing to the oxygenation of the water during the daytime.

When considering tankmates, as mentioned, maybe a small corydoras species to clean up after the food scraps that this fish may create, such as the habrosus, or maybe the rarer hastatus, which both stay less than 1½ inches long, and will not compete with or harm the dwarf cichlids which are the center of the show. You could also consider keeping them with some smaller tetras above, in order to encourage them to come out of hiding. You may also keep a harem of these, but males of this species tend to be fairly aggressive to each other, and you may want to keep a close eye on your group for a while in order to remove subdominant males which may be losing fights. These fish ship individually bagged.

Common Name: Three-Striped Dwarf Cichlid
Scientific Name: Apistogramma trifasciata
Country of Import: Netherlands
Prophylactic Treatment: Erythromycin / Ich-X / Metro
Approximate Current Size: Males 2.75"-3" / Females 2"-2.25"
Temp/pH/TDS: 75F / 6.5 pH / 74

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.

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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