Agassizi Fire Red

Looks how to spot one

scales

The Fire Red variety has a brilliant yellow body with a striking purple or maroon stripe along the top of the body. Its tail is a vivid red, sometimes edged with a white band. Males are larger, more colourful and have longer fins than females.61

Personality what they are like

Generally peaceful towards other species, but males can be territorial with each other. During breeding, they become more protective of their chosen cave. Best kept as one male with several females to reduce squabbling.31

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Moderate. They are bottom-dwellers that enjoy exploring a well-structured tank with caves, roots and plants. They do not need strong water flow.13

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Regular weekly water changes are essential to maintain good water quality. Use a sandy substrate and provide plenty of hiding places such as ceramic tubes, flower pots, roots and stones. Dim lighting with floating plants is appreciated.13

Home where they are happiest

A tank of at least 80-100 cm length (about 30 gallons) is recommended. Water should be soft (GH 0-8 dGH) with a pH of 5.0-6.5 and temperature between 23-29°C. Filtration should turn over 2-3 times the tank volume per hour but without creating a strong current. A sandy bottom and plenty of caves are essential.13

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Omnivorous with a carnivorous leaning. They thrive on live or frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp, bloodworms and insect larvae. High-quality sinking pellets can be used as a supplement, but dry foods alone are not recommended.13

Company who they like around

Best kept as a single male with several females. Males are territorial towards each other, so only one male per tank. They are generally peaceful with other fish species but may become aggressive during breeding. Provide plenty of hiding spots to reduce conflict.13

The story where it all began

The Fire Red variety is a selectively bred colour morph of the wild Apistogramma agassizii. It first appeared around late summer 2006 at the German company Glaser. The wild species was first described in 1875 and has been kept in European aquariums since 1909. The Fire Red was likely created by crossing a pale-bodied population from the Santarem area with domestic red strains, resulting in the brilliant red tail and yellow body that make this variety so sought after.176