This very colorful dwarf cichlid is the nominal form of the Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma cacatuoides) and is a great feature fish for almost any aquarium!
The Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma cacatuoides) is one of the most beautifully colored and most popular dwarf cichlids in the freshwater aquarium hobby. Males are particularly colorful, boasting incredible blue and tan body coloration and vivid orange, yellow, and violet on the ample dorsal fin as well as the tail and anal fin. Other colors can also be present as the fish reaches maturity. As with most dwarf cichlids, females are less colorful, but still have an attractive appearance and plenty of personality.
The Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid will thrive in an aquarium with a sandy substrate and plenty of refuge such as clay pots, driftwood, and rock formations. It is an excellent candidate for the planted aquarium, but it also needs a fair amount of open space. This cichlid is generally compatible with other peaceful fish as long as it has plenty of space. Territoriality is typically at its peak during spawning. Dwarf shrimp and other small, delicate invertebrates should not be kept with the Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid, but more durable, larger shrimp and snails could possibly make good tankmates in a large enough aquarium. If spawning is desired, tankmates of other species should be kept to a minimum or avoided altogether.
Feeding is simple for the unfussy Cockatoo Dwarf Cichlid. High-quality dry, frozen, and live meaty foods will all be readily accepted. Quality and variety are the keys to a diet that will ensure that this fish maintains optimal health and coloration.
For the safety of our animals, we only ship live fish, crabs, and select other inverts exclusively via UPS 1 Day Air. If your order contains this item, you will only see UPS 1 Day Air as a shipping option during checkout. If other items are in your cart that can ship with 2 day or standard shipping options the only shipping method you can still select is UPS 1 Day Air.
UPS 1 Day is a description of the duration of time a shipment will spend in transit once it has been shipped. This does not guarantee the package will be shipped the same or next day from which the order was placed.
Shipping Schedule for this service
Current Handling Time:
1-9 business days
Here at Aquatic Arts, we consider the welfare of the live animals we are shipping to be of the foremost importance. This process is much more involved than simply creating a shipping label and affixing it to a box. Depending on the order, it takes from 4 to 7 people to complete this process properly. We check the weather conditions here where they fly out of the Indianapolis UPS facility and the destination for each shipment. We start early each morning and go through a multi-step process to have the day's shipments prepared in time for the UPS pickup. The volume of orders in our system also affects the processing time. Therefore our stated handling time is 1-9 business days.
Shipping Rate
Pricing is by size of package needed to fill entire order and distance it must travel. It will be calculated at checkout.