Trifasciata Dwarf Cichlid

Looks how to spot one

scales

A small, slender cichlid with a metallic blue-green body and three dark horizontal stripes: one along the back, one through the midline from snout to tail, and one along the belly. Males have tall, pointed dorsal fins and may show red, yellow or blue fin markings. Females are smaller, yellowish-olive, and turn vivid lemon-yellow with bold dark bars when breeding.3

Personality what they are like

Generally peaceful and suitable for community aquariums, but males can become territorial towards other males or females not ready to spawn, especially during breeding. They are semi-aggressive and should be kept with caution when breeding.43

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Moderate. They are diurnal and active during the day, spending most of their time in the bottom to middle levels of the tank. They need plenty of hiding places and visual barriers such as driftwood, caves, and plants.42

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Easy to moderate. Weekly water changes of 25-30% are recommended to maintain pristine conditions. Stable water parameters are essential. They are robust and easily reproduce in captivity.52

Home where they are happiest

Minimum tank size 20 gallons (75 litres) for a pair, larger for a group. Water temperature 20-25°C (68-77°F), pH 5.0-7.0, soft water with low TDS. Provide fine sand substrate, driftwood, caves, coconut shells, and leaf litter to mimic their natural habitat of sluggish creeks and flooded forest margins. Dense planting is recommended.432

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Carnivorous. In captivity they thrive on frozen and live foods such as bloodworms, daphnia, brine shrimp, cyclops, and mosquito larvae. High-quality sinking micro pellets or soft granules can supplement the diet. Live foods help condition breeding pairs.35

Company who they like around

Best kept as a single male with several females (harem) in a well-decorated tank. Multiple males require a very large aquarium (40 gallons or more) with plenty of line-of-sight breaks. They are generally peaceful with other community fish but become territorial during breeding. Not recommended for very aggressive tankmates.42

The story where it all began

Apistogramma trifasciata was first described in 1903 by Eigenmann and Kennedy. It has been a popular aquarium fish for many years due to its striking colours, manageable size, and relatively easy breeding. It is one of the more compact Apistogramma species and is well suited to planted tanks. The species is widely bred in captivity, and commercial bred varieties are less fussy about water conditions than wild-caught specimens.134

Recognised by the official bits

ITIS

Accepted species Apistogramma trifasciata (Eigenmann and Kennedy, 1903)6