Apistogramma borellii – Borelli’s Dwarf Cichlid

Apistogramma borellii – Borelli’s Dwarf Cichlid

Apistogramma borellii can reach a length of about 8 centimeters. The males have more color than the females, the females are slightly smaller and are yellowish. This species used to be known as Apistogramma reitzigi. In the wild they generally remain smaller; the males up to about 7 centimeters and the females up to 4.5 centimeters.

There are several variants of this species, the yellow and blue variants. The yellow variant has a more or less yellow head and thorax with a deep blue body. In the blue variant, the yellow parts are suppressed, and parts of the head become blood-red. In the trade, you can often find very beautiful specimens with a red head under the name Apistogramma borellii “Opal”.

Etymology

Borellii: the name is derived from the discoverer of this fish, Dr. A. Borelli. Apistos = Greek for unreliable, gramma = line, dash.

Synonyms

Heterogramma borellii, Heterogramma ritense, Heterogramma rondoni, Apistogramma aequipinnis, Apistogramma reitzigi.

Origin

Mato Grosso, Pantanal, Rio das Mortes, Brazil, Paraguay.

The Aquarium

This fish requires an aquarium of at least 60 centimeters for a couple. Furnish the container with dense plants, use driftwood, flower pots and coconut halves to make shelters. The bottom must consist of sand because they look for food particles in the sand. The colors of the fish stand out better with a dark bottom. They like a bit of current. This dwarf cichlid is very sensitive to polluted water, so change the water regularly.

Water parameters

Temperature: 20-28 degrees.
pH: 6.0 – 8.0
GH: 5-19
In the wild, temperatures can vary considerably. The air temperature can drop significantly in winter. In the shallow waters where the Apistogramma borellii lives, this also ensures a lower water temperature that can drop to 16 or sometimes even 12 degrees in some places. So it doesn’t hurt to reduce the temperature a few degrees in winter. A slightly higher temperature is required for cultivation.

Keeping the fish at the maximum temperature all year round is not good for them. They then remain in breeding mode, which can significantly shorten their lifespan. It is wise to set the temperature to around 20 degrees Celsius and let the lights and ambient temperature do the rest. This way you get a day and night fluctuation, and warmer water in the summer.

Diet

Apistogramma are naturally detritivorous, a layer of detritus on the bottom from which they filter their food is ideal. They also take bites of the sand. They chew the sand, leaving food particles on the gill arches after which they are swallowed. They also like black, white and red mosquito larvae, brine shrimp, cyclops, Daphnia and mysis, as well as dry food.

Character

The Blue Dwarf Cichlid is a peaceful fish, but a territory builder, they are suitable as a beginner fish. You can keep them in a couple, but it is best in a harem, so 1 male with several females or a group in a larger aquarium (1.20m), in this case at least 3 males with about 2 females per male. They are not diggers and leave the plants alone. They usually swim in the lower layers of water. Keeping together with angelfish is not always successful, so it is better to avoid this combination.

Breeding Apistogramma borellii

A slightly higher temperature is usually required to get the Apistogramma borellii to spawn. They are cave breeders, 50 to 70 eggs are deposited in a cave. After mating, the male is chased away by the female and she is responsible for breeding. The eggs hatch after about 4 to 5 days. Another 5 to 6 days later the fry can swim freely. The fry can be raised with brine shrimp nauplii.

If you have several females with young in your tank, females may steal young from each other. This results in mixed age groups of fry, where the youngest fish learn from the slightly older ones to follow the mother’s instructions.

Video

Author

Coby – J. de Lange – Jelle Touwen

Copyright images

Erik Bakker
F. Ingemann Hansen – Akvariefotografen.com

References

Frank Schäfer – AquariumGlaser.de