▷ Socialization of dwarf cichlids in the aquarium

When keeping more than one species of dwarf cichlids or more than one pair, there are a few things to consider.

If you stick to these conditions, it is generally quite possible to socialize several species of dwarf cichlids.

Possible dwarf cichlid species are:

Glossy dwarf cichlid -Nannacara anomala

Agassiz’s dwarf cichlid – Apistogramma agassizii

Yellow (Borellis) dwarf cichlid – Apistogramma borellii

Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid – Apistogramma cacatuoides

(just to name a few)

The socialization with other cichlids must also take place under consideration of the husbandry criteria.

The socialization of Apistogramma species

© Carmen Brehm Butterfly cichlid in front of a drinking jug

The socialization of different Apistogramma species with each other can possibly work with several pairs of not too closely related members of the genus. For example, A. cacatuoides and A. vijeta and butterfly cichlids can be kept together.

With Apistogramma species it should be noted that one male should usually be kept together with several females.

Two Apistogramma species can be kept in an 80 cm tank, unless one species has been in the tank for a long time and regards the entire tank as its territory. A newcomer will be rigorously hunted down in such cases. The animals must therefore be deployed at the same time. Best when they are young. If 2 Apistogramma species are kept together, they should possibly be kept in pairs. A harem does not always make sense then.

It is important if the cichlids are introduced at once, so that everyone has to settle in again.
After a pair each of Borellis, Agasiziis and Nijssenis were placed in a 160x60x60 aquarium, the Nijssenis dominated and claimed more than the left half. The Agasizii pushed to the right and had to put up with being suppressed by the Nijssenis there too. The Borellis, who were deployed last, were mostly tolerated by the Nijssenis. They were shooed out of their corner by the Agassizii, so they mostly stayed up below the surface of the water.
Ap. nijsseni are among the most territorial species, claiming very large territories. But that also depends on the associated species. In another aquarium, for example, the Nijsseni male is clearly the boss in the tank, but he rarely demonstrates his power. It defends its territory mainly against the Agasizii, while it often tolerates the proximity of the Borellis. The female, on the other hand, defends a rather small territory much more vigorously. It also drives out the Agasizii, which is 3-4 times as large, without any problems.

It is also effective to use animals that are as young as possible. In young, the dominance behavior is not as pronounced as in adult animals. In this way, the types can possibly even be used one after the other. But that also depends on the species, or even on the individuals. Some animals are a bit more aggressive and assertive than others.

An aquarium for several dwarf cichlids should be as large as possible and needs many hiding places. In a well-decorated 150×40 centimeter aquarium, the animals can avoid each other much better than in a 80×30 centimeter tank.

The aquarium must be well structured in order to create optical territories. Natural boundaries are formed by roots, stones and plants. The tank is already divided into a sufficient number of territories by the setup.

When creating their territory, fish orientate themselves on the spatial conditions and set their territory boundaries using prominent points in the tank. These can be large wood roots, solitary plants, stones, but also open spaces. For example, a root lying across the basin becomes the boundary between two territories. If the tank is designed in such a way that there are enough such landmarks at a sufficient distance, then the size of the territory can be influenced so that the animals do not terrorize each other and there are constant arguments. Appropriate breeding cavities should of course be available in the individual territories.

It is also very interesting to see how the respective territorial fish behave when moving in and out of their territory.

© Mirko Rosenau Fotolia

Of course, there is no guarantee that the animals will accept these limits and it still depends on the dominance behavior of the animals. But at least it increases the chances. The nesting caves that are offered are not always accepted. So sometimes the finest coconut shells are scorned and instead a tiny cave is dug under a root or spawned in the crevices of a slate pile. One should therefore offer alternatives.

In addition, the tank should be densely planted and offer plenty of hiding places. If the animals are always in visual contact, there are correspondingly more disputes. You also need to be able to avoid each other. If this protection is missing, the hunt may continue until one dies.

4 Apistogramma pairs or 3 harems can then be kept in a 150 centimeter. Less is more! You can then add other dwarf cichlid genera, such as Dicrossus or Microgeophagos. There are significantly fewer territorial disputes among the various genera.

In general it is advisable to keep several pairs of one species rather than one pair of each species. The species usually do not get along as well as pairs of one species. Many aquarists like a few different species, but these are much better in larger groups. This type of keeping is also much more interesting, as it gives you an insight into the social behavior of the animals. If you keep several pairs of different species, you usually only see quarrels.

However, there is also a tendency among aquarists to keep as many species as possible. Often only 1 male per species should be kept with 1 to 3 females. Especially since the aggressions within a species should not be underestimated. Even if only one species is to be kept, it must be selected with care. Otherwise there will also be repressions quickly. In most species only one male will prevail. The other males remain small, puny and colorless. This is particularly pronounced in species of the Macmasteri group.

It often turns out that a supposed female is a male, because this animal is just as small and colorless as the females. This is reported, for example, by A. honglois.

The Honglois were in a tank with a group of several males and females of Ap. sp. “Cheek Stains”. The cheek patches showed no problems. At times, several pairs even bred in the tank at the same time.

The males also seem to develop evenly in species that are more closely related to Agassizii. At least this also applies to Ap. Pulchra. The males do not care so much in terms of color and growth when they have competition from their own ranks as young fish. Although there are superior and inferior animals there, too, they do not differ to such a marked extent externally. The aggressiveness of the males towards each other can also be quite high, but you have more males with the typical, more beautiful male coloring.

If there is any suspicion, you can try removing the dominant male and observe how the former “female” is still gaining color and growth and developing into a magnificent male.

For example, this is one of the interesting observations that cannot be made when kept in pairs. Whether this observation is desirable, everyone must answer for themselves. With juveniles, which can be gradually released, this is not such a big problem if some develop later. It is questionable whether one wants to keep a few small, colorless and suppressed males with permanent stocking.

Other interesting observations are that the females steal each other’s young or how the male carries a few lost young fish through the tank. The teamwork of males and females when caring for the brood is generally much better in tanks that are plentifully stocked with superior opponents than without such opponents. Another nice observation concerned a young male. This crept into a female’s territory after the death of the dominant male. The male was tolerated. Then the male stole a young and raised it doggedly in the opposite part of the aquarium.

Risk breeding season

During the breeding season, however, it can become too cramped in a tank if several different species of dwarf cichlids are kept together. Especially in smaller tanks. An alternative pool should be available. In the best case, only the clutches are eaten. In the worst case, the other animals are hunted to death.

When looking at natural behavior, for example the formation of harems and the associated division of tasks in defending the brood and territory, it makes more sense to limit oneself to one species and rather to employ several females.

Dominance and aggressiveness are influenced by many factors, so the possibilities for socialization probably differ from species to species and within a species animal to animal.

For example, aquarists have repeatedly lost A. agassizii to A. macmasteri because they were bullied. There were no problems between A. agassizii and A. maciliensis, with A. agassizii being the more dominant animals.
A. atahualpa are fearful in some aquariums, while in other aquariums they are the dominant animals in the aquarium, keeping A. macmasteri in check.

General statements are not possible. The size, age and vitality of the animals also play a role, as does the tank layout, company, who was there first, etc.

Apistogramma species and butterfly cichlids

Many Apistogramma species can be socialized with butterfly cichlids. This works better than the socialization of different Apistogramma species with each other. There are hardly any quarrels and the species tolerate each other in their respective territories if the aquarium is large enough.

But there are always arguments during the care of the brood. The aquarium must therefore be large enough for inferior animals to be able to escape during the breeding season.

When selecting the Apistogramma, the temperature requirements and the water parameters must be taken into account. Butterfly cichlids tend to prefer warm water between 26 and 28°C, which is soft and acidic. Some Apistogramma species, e.g. Apistogramma cacatuoides, prefer cooler water between 22 and 24°C, which is neutral and…