robertprice
September 1st, 2013, 10:02 PM
Apistogramma acrensis is one of the lesser known attractive dwarf cichlids of Brazil, found in the Rio Acre and upper Rio Purus in rocky planted areas. Males in good color have a yellow eye and belly, an orange spotted gill cover, a thick dark stripe from eye to bottom of gill cover and small black and blue bars from the eye to mouth. The body and fins are mostly beige and there is a broken black midbody horizontal stripe that terminates with a round black spot on the beginning of the tail. Females are less colorful and have shorter, less pointy fins. males get 2.75 inches long, females about 2 inches. They have pointy mouths as they eat insects and other small items off the bottom. They like soft water of 79-85 degrees and pH 6-7.5
They are good community fish and easy to breed. They should be kept in a 30 gallon tank except for breeding, where a single pair should be put in a 10 gallon tank with one small cave. As with many Apistogramma, a 30% water change tricks them into breeding as it mimics the spring rain. They lay about 100 eggs and are excellent parents. They are territorial and very conspecifically aggressive, and semi-aggressive with other similar cichlids. They eat most commercial sinking cichlid foods. Photos available at "Images of Apistogramma acrensisi."
They are good community fish and easy to breed. They should be kept in a 30 gallon tank except for breeding, where a single pair should be put in a 10 gallon tank with one small cave. As with many Apistogramma, a 30% water change tricks them into breeding as it mimics the spring rain. They lay about 100 eggs and are excellent parents. They are territorial and very conspecifically aggressive, and semi-aggressive with other similar cichlids. They eat most commercial sinking cichlid foods. Photos available at "Images of Apistogramma acrensisi."