Red Breasted Cichlid, Green (Laetacara Aequidens dorsigerus) - Cichlid Fish for Sale UK

Genuinely peaceful cichlids are rarer than the label suggests, but the green form of the Red Breasted Cichlid (Laetacara dorsigerus) earns it. At just 6.5 cm full-grown, with the red-flushed breast and green body the strain name describes, it slots into community tanks that would never suit a typical cichlid — our compatibility record even lists snails as safe company, which says a lot about its manners.

This is a bottom-oriented dwarf that does well in cooler-than-average water for a tropical fish: 20–25 °C, with softly acidic to neutral chemistry of pH 6.0–7.0 and hardness up to 15 dGH. An 80-litre aquarium is sufficient, feeding is simple omnivore fare, and care sits at moderate — the recorded lifespan is around five years. Because it lives low in the tank, it occupies a layer most small community fish leave empty, adding interest at the substrate without competing for mid-water space.

There is a practical scheduling benefit hidden in those numbers too. At 20–25 °C this Laetacara runs cooler than much of our tropical range, so a heater set for it will feel low to keepers used to warmer community fish — check that the rest of your stock list shares the band before mixing. Beyond that, the record asks for nothing exotic: standard omnivore feeding, ordinary maintenance, and a five-year window in which a settled fish will repay the small amount of planning involved.

Green Red Breasted Cichlid care

• Dwarf cichlid: ~6.5 cm adult size, ~5-year lifespan
• Peaceful temperament; community-safe
• 20–25 °C, pH 6.0–7.0, 0–15 dGH
• 80 litres minimum; lives near the bottom
• Omnivore at a moderate care level

Ideal neighbours are small peaceful tetras, rasboras, Corydoras, Otocinclus, peaceful livebearers and snails. Keep it away from large aggressive cichlids, fin-nipping barbs, very small fry, anything overly boisterous or territorial, and large predatory fish.

Adding one to your community

For keepers wanting their first cichlid without rebuilding the tank around it, this green Laetacara is about as low-risk as the family gets. Dispatch is UK-wide by licensed live-animal courier, with a live arrival guarantee on every box. Pair the order with compatible community fish from the recorded list above and the whole tank settles in faster.