What’s the best dwarf cichlid?

[Fishkeeper123]

Dwarf cichlids are very popular for many reasons like being able to be kept in smaller tanks. As well as this they are normally more peaceful( not always). So here’s the question which dwarf cichlid do you think is the best and your personal experience with them. Anything around the 12cm and under counts.

For me it has to be the keyhole cichlid. Maybe my favourite fish I have if not definitely my favourite cichlid. They are great fish and they border “dwarf” however they are very peaceful and in my opinion the best cichlid. They aren’t super territorial and even though I don’t keep them with smaller fish like neon tetras or rummynose they are unlikely to eat them. Therefore my vote goes for them.

What’s your favourite?( it’s not on the pole I’ll add it on.)

 

[GaryE]

My favourite would include the kribensis, but not the kribensis.

Yeah.

The hobby kribensis is Pelvicachromis pulcher. It was misidentified as kribensis in shipments many decades ago, and got that name. It's a great fish. But my favourite dwarf Cichlid is Pelvicachromis kribensis, a smaller, less available but very variable depending on where it comes from Cichlid. I like the Moliwe location best. The photo is two females showing off.

 

[CassCats]

I am biased, but apistogramma borelli for me. I have a Bolivian ram, but by far I think the apistogramma borelli has the better personality.

And I like the color scheme. Nice cool tones. Other apistos are spicy warm tones, but borelli is chill and overall a nice fish. Might get some flack for not being as "flashy" as other apistogramma, but honestly I think these are great and a really nice docile apistogramma.

 

[Back in the fold]

If you’ve never kept a dwarf cichlid then the Pelvicachromis pulcher ( Kribensis ) is the one to get your first experience with . I have had them spawn and raise fry and I am not a dwarf cichlid keeper by any stretch of the imagination . If you have good basic aquarium keeping and maintenance skills and a few years under your belt keeping tropical fish successfully this is the one for you . They’re pretty too and don’t tear up planted aquariums .

 

[anewbie]

I would like to point out that most Laetacara curviceps sold in usa are really blue form of laetacara dorsigera so most people (at least in usa) who vote for l. curviceps are mis-voting

Kribensis are ok i guess - i had some but of course a 5 year old could handle them in the right kind of aquarium - in some ways they are worse than guppies because unlike guppies the females don't eat their own frys but rather nurture them.

 

[MaloK]

The only mini cichlid I ever personally owned was Princesses of burundi...And they put me to my pace under a week. The males where so violent the females would try to go out trough the dryers vent.

And if your timing was off... Something died. The brutality of the dominant male was off chart. So I waited until only one left, and cooked it.

Replaced with a bunch of tetras... To recuperate from the trauma. If you find that a betta fights is not that bad to watch...

They where pure evil.

 

[gwand]

I agree with Cass. I just got a very young pair of a. borelli and they are really cute and cool. They are chillin in quarantine. They will color up soon. But I am also attracted to Submu Dwarf Altolamprologus compressiceps, a small Tanganyika cichlid. I don’t have this fish but I love it’s looks. Its adult length is 2.5-3.0 inches. Someday when I have the appropriate tank.

 

[anewbie]

Well i like my apisto - there is one in my picture - that is a d39 and there is this proud fellow:

Having owned both a. borelli and these i prefer these though the borelli has more candy ot offer.

 

[fishorama]

I like apistos because the males & females can look so different! Almost like 2 kinds fish, but with a fair chance of breeding too. I like kribensis but ODed on all fry every month. Now there are more similar species than in the olden days. NO never again, lol

I voted for laetacara curviceps since they're cute but I'd really prefer L. dorsigera, the regular strain. I haven't kept either...yet?

 

[anewbie]

I like apistos because the males & females can look so different! Almost like 2 kinds fish, but with a fair chance of breeding too. I like kribensis but ODed on all fry every month. Now there are more similar species than in the olden days. NO never again, lol

I voted for laetacara curviceps since they're cute but I'd really prefer L. dorsigera, the regular strain. I haven't kept either...yet?

True l. curviceps are hard to find; best bet is wc; i did order some l. curviceps from wetspot but they were l. d's. I have l. a's and l. t's along with my l. d's

These are l. d (blue form from wetspot) - acutally it shows 4 of them 2 courting; and 2 more:

 

[fishorama]

Cute! TY for the pic. I was disappointed by the SF pics, the few times I've seen them in person they seemed more colorful. Old memories = fondness? I remember curviceps, probably wc, as not as pretty. I like blue cichlids but not the "bred for blue" or "electric blues", I prefer "natural" fish most times, as I think you do too.

 

[anewbie]

Cute! TY for the pic. I was disappointed by the SF pics, the few times I've seen them in person they seemed more colorful. Old memories = fondness? I remember curviceps, probably wc, as not as pretty. I like blue cichlids but not the "bred for blue" or "electric blues", I prefer "natural" fish most times, as I think you do too.

Yes you can see the normal view on the lower right when not courting/breeding. The wc l. a.'s i have are similar (not same pattern when breeding but they look similar when not breeding).

 

[Mr Limpet]

Laetacara curviceps are the first cichlids that I ever bred, and they remain one of my favorites. L. araguaiae is a close second.

 

[anewbie]

L. araguaiae are ok; i'm finding one of my females a bit moody and now and then she goes around terrorizing everyone most of who just ignore her rages Mind were sold as wc but they readily breed in tap water without any effort - my tap is tds 120.

 

[Mr Limpet]

L. araguaiae are ok; i'm finding one of my females a bit moody and now and then she goes around terrorizing everyone most of who just ignore her rages Mind were sold as wc but they readily breed in tap water without any effort - my tap is tds 120.

My araguaiae pair breed every few weeks like clockwork in my 30 TDS tap water, but my female always goes on a murderous rampage when the fry are about 6 weeks old and I end up having to scramble to rescue as many of them as possible from their formerly attentive mom. The pair usually spawn again a day or two after I remove the fry.