The cockatoo apistogram was discovered in the Amazon basin back in 1951. It is a beautiful fish with lush orange-red fins and a tail. She still has not received the well-deserved popularity among aquarists, since her fry and females look gray and simple.
Who are cockatoo apistograms
The apistogram cockatoo belongs to the Cichlid family, it is one of the most peaceful and calm fish. Sometimes more aggressive fish can harm it, however, during the spawning period, females can become quite active, since they capture the territory near the shelters.
Females rarely reach 6 cm in length, some may not exceed 2.5 cm. Males are noticeably larger, from 8 to 12 cm in length. These are fish with a powerful constitution, slightly pushed forward and a massive jaw. The color of the body can vary - from grayish yellow or brown to gray or bluish. The back is usually olive green. A dark stripe runs along the center of the body, which ends at the base of the tail with a spectacular blot or dark spot.
The fish got its name "Kakadu" for its dorsal fin - it looks unusual and resembles a parrot's crest. Bright feathers of orange, greenish, black, blue give a perky and mischievous look. The tail is usually colored the same color as the dorsal fin, but the lower fins are often of a contrasting delicate shade - blue, yellow.
Breeding and maintenance of cockatoo apistogram
The cockatoo apistogram fish is unpretentious and suitable for both beginners and experienced aquarists. She is usually calm and phlegmatic, keeping in the lower and middle layers of the aquarium. Optimally, if the family consists of one male and 2-3 females, a reservoir with a length of 0.5 meters is suitable for them. If several males are housed together, small skirmishes are sometimes likely. As neighbors, it is better to use small mobile fish that prefer the upper layers of water. Apistograms love shelters in the form of caves, snags, drainage pipes, there must be more of them than females - otherwise, war is inevitable.
The optimum water temperature is 22-24 degrees, acidity is at 7.5 pH, and water hardness does not play a special role. For adult fish, it is better to select live food, but if this is not possible, they will gladly eat any other.
For reproduction, the female chooses a shelter for herself and lays up to 80 eggs in it, during this period its color changes to yellow. During spawning, the male protects the adjacent territory, the female herself practically does not leave her nest. After 2-3 days, the incubation period ends, after another couple of days the fry can swim on their own. As food for them, brine shrimp nauplia, rotifers, chopped dry food are suitable. It is imperative to carry out a selection, choosing only beautiful fish, otherwise they will degenerate and turn into gray nondescript individuals.
