Mendezs Dwarf Cichlid
Apistogramma mendezi
Parameter dashboard
23-29 °C
4-6
6 cm
5 years
Care guide
Apistogramma mendezi is a blackwater specialist from the lower Rio Negro basin in northwestern Brazil, where it lives in shaded, leaf-strewn streams stained dark by tannins. It is traded under the code names A220, A221, and A222, and is far less common than the everyday dwarf cichlids because it is usually wild-caught and tied to very soft, acidic conditions. Males are colourful and territorial, with the size and finnage typical of the larger members of the genus.
This is a fish for the experienced keeper rather than a general community. It does best in a quiet species tank or with a few small, soft-water dither fish from the same habitat, such as pencilfish. It will not tolerate hard, alkaline water for long, and it is an unsuitable companion for dwarf shrimp or very small fry. Like other Apistogramma it is chiefly carnivorous, taking benthic invertebrates in nature, so live and frozen daphnia, Artemia, and bloodworm should form the core of its diet.
Recreate its habitat with an 80 litre or larger tank, dim lighting, a dark substrate, leaf litter, and alder cones, holding the water between 23 and 29 degrees Celsius at a pH of 4.0 to 6.0. Mendez's dwarf cichlid is a cave spawner whose female guards eggs and fry, but successful breeding generally requires near rainwater-soft, strongly acidic water to harden and hatch the eggs. In a community or in harder water, broods rarely survive, so getting young from this species is a project for a dedicated blackwater setup rather than a casual outcome.
Sources
- seriouslyfish.com — https://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/apistogramma-mendezi/
- fishbase.se — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Apistogramma-mendezi.html
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Tankmate compatibility (sample)
Pairwise screening against other species in the database (prioritizing the same family when data is available).
Review first (12)
Caution or avoid from automated rules — confirm before mixing.
| Species | Assessment | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fasciatus Shell Dweller Altolamprologus fasciatus Caution | Caution | Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Green terror Andinoacara rivulatus Caution | Caution | Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · the two share only a narrow band of temperature, so one of them sits at the edge of its range · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Humphead cichlid Cyphotilapia frontosa Caution | Caution | Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Leleupi Cichlid Neolamprologus leleupi Caution | Caution | Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Livingstonii Cichlid Nimbochromis livingstonii Caution | Caution | Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Oscar Astronotus ocellatus Caution | Caution | Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Panda Uaru Uaru fernandezyepezi Caution | Caution | Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Rainbow krib Pelvicachromis pulcher Caution | Caution | close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Ram cichlid Mikrogeophagus ramirezi Caution | Caution | close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Rio Grande cichlid Herichthys cyanoguttatus Caution | Caution | Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Temporaris Shell Dweller Telmatochromis temporalis Caution | Caution | Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
| Venustus Cichlid Nimbochromis venustus Caution | Caution | Fish 2x+ larger may eat smaller tankmates · Species with non-overlapping pH ranges may not thrive together · close relatives, and one of them is territorial, so both claim the same kind of space Open pair in Compare → |
Same rule engine as Compare. Not a substitute for observation, tank size, or acclimation.
Related species
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