▷ Borelli’s Dwarf Cichlid – Opal Apistogramma | All info

Data sheet Borellis dwarf cichlids

German name:
Borelli’s dwarf cichlids, also often called Opal Apistogramma

Scientific name:
Apistogramma borellii

Origin:
South America (Mato Grosso and La Plata area)

Size:
Body length 4 cm to a maximum of 6 cm

Aquarium

Length:
Length from 100 cm width, at least 25 cm water height

Contents:
from 60 liters

water values

Temperature:
22°-27° C

pH:
6 – 7.5

GH:
5° – 19° dH

Behave

Area:
lower and middle area as well as ground level

Lining:
Frozen food, live food, water fleas, artificial food

Behave:
peaceful, shy, easy to socialize with peaceful and/or small fish

Number:
in pairs or in small groups, one male and two females

Difficulty level:
Beginner

Gordon Axmann, Apistogramma borellii, CC BY-SA 3.0

Housing conditions for Apistrogramma borelli

Apistogramma borelli belong to the simple dwarf cichlids, if one can speak of dwarf cichlids. A. borelli are relatively tolerant of the water parameters. GH values ​​between 10 and 12 are suitable, preferably below 10. The carbonate hardness should be between 6 and 10. The pH around 7, better lower. The temperature can be between 22 and 26 °C.

Borelli can be kept in pairs and also in groups in sufficiently large tanks with a capacity of more than 80 liters. Borelli are relatively calm fish and slow feeders. They should therefore not be socialized with fish that are too fast.

If you want to observe the brood care, you should keep one male and two females in an aquarium without any other fish.

A. borelli do not dig at all. There must be at least one burrow for each female. The distance between the caves must be sufficiently large.

Small, half coconut shells, small flower pots, flower pot shards and black film canisters are suitable as caves. Coconuts look a lot more natural than flower pots and film canisters. A hole about the thickness of a finger is drilled into the coconut shell as an entrance. The larger male does not have to fit through the entrance. The females prefer small caves with the smallest possible entrances through which they can just fit themselves.

Sometimes the animals look for their own dens. Sometimes nests are found under plants, roots, and foam filters.

Borelli can be kept together with bee shrimp. They are absolutely not interested in the adult shrimp.

What Apistogramma borelli eat

In principle, A. borelli eat all types of food. Live and frozen food is particularly popular. Some animals only eat live food.

The gender differences

© Maximilian /Apistogramma Borelli – male

The dorsal fin of the males is almost as high as the body and significantly higher than that of the females. The dorsal fin of the males is extended backwards.

The female are smaller, yellow and have smaller fins. As with many Apistogramma females, the anterior pectoral fin ray is colored black. The first ray of the dorsal fin is usually also colored black. The coloring is particularly noticeable during brood care, but is usually easy to recognize otherwise.

Both sexes sometimes have a small vertical black stripe under the eyes. In males, the line is sometimes faint and mood-dependent. In the females, the line is usually easy to see and is also present above the eye.

In the Opal form, the males have a distinct blue sheen on the body that the females completely lack.

When breeding Apistogramma borelli, there is often a clear excess of males. Pet dealers are either unable to tell the sexes apart or want to sell surplus males as well.

Do different species of A. borelli mate?

Whether an opal male will mate with a female of the yellow form of A. borelli is not certain. Such mating should be avoided to keep the species pure.

Breeding should only be started with matching pairs. The offspring should then be less susceptible.

Breeding tips

Apistogramma borelli Photo: Guppy1705 (Forum)

In the case of fish, the time between spawning and hatching of the young always depends somewhat on the temperature. In A. borelli, the larvae hatch after two to four days. After five to seven days, the young fish swim freely.

As with cockatoo dwarf cichlids and A. macmasteri, A. borelli sometimes steal each other’s young. That is why females and males sometimes each have a small school of young fish in an aquarium, even if only one female has spawned.

Some females seem to really specialize in this. At least they are more successful than the others. Apparently it is the dominant animals that can also fight for the best located and largest female territory.

A. borelli in courtship and brood care: