1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Peaceful but timid; keep with other tiny fish.
14 species in our list are a good match.
Peaceful but timid; keep with other tiny fish.
Micro foods, baby brine shrimp and daphnia.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Males are bigger with more vivid patterning; females are smaller but still have a blue-spotted tail fin.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Cave spawner (harem) · Hard
Cave spawner in harems: the male spawns with several females, sometimes at once. Each female guards eggs and larvae aggressively, attaching the young to the cave roof and even chewing them free of the egg case. Very soft, acidic water is generally needed.
Keep one male with 2-4 females; each female claims a cave, pot or coconut shell.
A 30 L tank with a sponge or gentle filter, fine sand, many small caves, terracotta pots and leaf litter, with soft, slightly acidic water.
Soft, slightly acidic water, warmer temperatures, frequent water changes and live or frozen foods.
20-50 eggs
The female guards the wrigglers and then the free-swimming fry; feed microworms and newly hatched brine shrimp from day 4-5.
A small, slender dwarf cichlid from the lower Rio Negro and Amazon in Brazil that needs very soft, acidic, warm water and is a challenge even for experienced keepers. Despite its size it is one of the most aggressive dwarf cichlids, and it often sulks for a day after water changes.
George S. Myers described this tiny cichlid in 1935. It is the only species in its genus and one of the smallest cichlids. It lives in soft, acidic waters of the central Amazon.
First described by George S. Myers in 1935.
15 facts checked with sources
Myers, 1935. Seriously Fish notes the old name Apistogramma weisei and that it may one day be returned to Apistogramma.
FishBase: Taeniacara candidi summary · Seriously Fish: Taeniacara candidiCatalog of Fishes treats Geophaginae within Cichlinae. Legacy has no family field.
FishBase: Taeniacara candidi summaryFishBase 3.3 cm SL / 5.0 cm TL fits legacy 5 cm. Seriously Fish gives 64 mm SL, but that profile has no references and the figure is out of line with all other data for this tiny fish, so it was not treated as well-sourced; flag for review.
FishBase: Taeniacara candidi summary · Seriously Fish: Taeniacara candidiSeriously Fish (preferred for husbandry) 27-30 °C; FishBase 25-28. Legacy 24-28 starts too low.
Seriously Fish: Taeniacara candidi · FishBase: Taeniacara candidi summaryLegacy 5.0-6.5 is less acidic than Seriously Fish.
Seriously Fish: Taeniacara candidi · FishBase: Taeniacara candidi summaryLegacy has no hardness.
Seriously Fish: Taeniacara candidi45 x 38 x 30 cm = 51 L. Legacy 40 L.
Seriously Fish: Taeniacara candidiHarem spawner, but no source states a minimum group. Seriously Fish warns a dominant male will kill other males in tanks under 48 inches.
FishBase: Taeniacara candidi summaryLegacy 'p' (peaceful). Aggression is mostly toward its own kind (rival males, fry-guarding females), but it is not a placid fish.
Seriously Fish: Taeniacara candidiNo source names a normal swimming level.
Seriously Fish: Taeniacara candidiSeriously Fish's automatic rating says 'Moderate', but its text describes it as a challenge for experienced keepers; legacy 3 (hard) kept.
Seriously Fish: Taeniacara candidiIUCN: Least Concern (FishBase, assessed 7 Nov 2018).
FishBase: Taeniacara candidi summary · Seriously Fish: Taeniacara candidiLegacy 'pointed fins, reddish tones' and 'yellow belly' details were not confirmed.
Seriously Fish: Taeniacara candidiLegacy calls it 'peaceful but timid'; the source says aggressive.
Seriously Fish: Taeniacara candidi