Lyretail Dwarf Cichlid

Geographical Origin and Habitat: Native to the Rio Uaupés basin and the upper Rio Negro in Brazil and Colombia. It is found in extreme blackwater habitats with slow-moving current and high acidity caused by decomposing leaves.

Taxonomy and Morphology: A cichlid species. Males are distinguished by their highly developed, lyre-shaped caudal fin and extended dorsal fin membranes. Males grow up to 6.5 cm in length.

Social Behavior: Territorially aggressive and sensitive. Males will fight for dominance. Best housed as a compatible pair or in a harem with one male and multiple females in a well-decorated tank.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Males display beautiful red and blue colors in their lyre tail and iridescence on the body. Females are smaller, with rounded tails, turning bright yellow when breeding.

Aquarium Setup: Minimum tank volume is 70 liters. Provide a soft sand bed, plenty of roots, and dried leaves to release tannins. Provide shaded areas to mimic natural environments.

Diet and Feeding: Carnivorous. Feeds almost exclusively on live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms. Dry foods are rarely accepted.

Water Quality: Highly demanding. Requires very acidic (pH 4.0-6.0) and soft water (GH 1-5 dGH, KH 0-2 dGH). Keep temperature stable at 24-30°C. Reverse osmosis water filtered through peat is recommended.

Compatibility and Cohabitation: Keep with quiet dither fish such as pencilfish (Nannostomus) or small peaceful tetras. Do not house with other territorial bottom dwellers.

Aquarium Breeding: Cave spawner. Spawning requires extremely low pH (below 5.0) to prevent egg fungus. The female manages the nest and guards the fry.

Risks and Diseases: Very sensitive to nitrates, phosphates, and bacterial counts. Peat filtration and strict water maintenance are necessary to prevent diseases.