Gold Cacatuoides Dwarf Cichlid (Apistogramma cacatuoides 'Gold')

Light up a planted tank with a golden cockatoo cichlid

The Gold Cacatuoides is a line-bred gold form of Apistogramma cacatuoides, the cockatoo dwarf cichlid. An adult male is golden yellow, with a broken black stripe running from behind the head to the tail and a dark bar through the eye and cheek. The fins are orange-red with rows of dark spots, the tail is broad with extended upper and lower tips, the pelvic fins trail long, pale-tipped threads, and the front spines of the dorsal fin stand up as a tall crest, which gives the species its cockatoo name. In a planted aquarium with caves and wood, the Gold Cacatuoides brings real character to the lower levels.

Seriously Fish notes that many ornamental forms of this species have been line-bred for the aquarium trade, naming 'sunset', 'sunburst', 'double red', 'triple red', 'gold', 'white gold', 'orange flash' and 'albino', and its photo gallery includes adult male and brooding female fish of the gold strain.

Compare the cockatoo forms we sell

Know the wild cockatoo behind the gold form

Seriously Fish describes A. cacatuoides as widespread in the upper Amazon basin, from the Ucayali and Amazonas in Peru to the Solimões in western Brazil, and notes that some populations differ noticeably in colour. FishBase places it in tributaries of the Ucayali, Amazon and Solimões from the Pachitea River to Tabatinga, and lists it as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. The type locality was first given wrongly as Paramaribo in Suriname before being corrected to the Amazon basin.

In the wild it lives in slow tributaries, backwaters and creeks where fallen leaves collect, in black, white or clear water depending on the place and season. Seriously Fish notes that it carries the A-number A200 in the German DATZ system, and that Apistogramma holds around 70 valid species with many more awaiting description. FishBase translates the genus name from Greek as "uncertain" plus "graphic signal".

Expect a farm-raised fish

A gold fish is a product of selective breeding, not a wild population. Seriously Fish says commercially produced cockatoos are relatively unfussy about water chemistry and recommends captive-raised fish for the general community aquarium, which suits a line-bred form like this one.

Check what arrives in the bag

One purchase supplies one live Gold Cacatuoides at the standard size currently available. Sex is not chosen or guaranteed. Seriously Fish notes that males are larger and more colourful and develop more extended fins than females, so a young fish may not yet show the crest and tail tips in the photographs, which show an adult male. Females are smaller and plainer, with short fins.

Colour and finnage vary between individuals and develop with age.

Decide between a pair and a harem

• A pair: OATA says dwarf cichlids do well as male and female pairs, and recommends at least 60 litres for a pair.
• One male, several females: OATA also suggests one male with multiple females; each female will want her own cave.
• More than one male: OATA advises a larger aquarium so each pair can set up its own territory, and Seriously Fish says a group needs more room than one pair.

Our delivery information explains dispatch days, packing and the Live Arrival Guarantee before you order.

Size the aquarium for a 5–7.5 cm adult

Seriously Fish gives a maximum of 75 mm standard length for males and 50 mm for females, measured without the tail. FishBase records a maximum of 5.0 cm standard length. OATA says even the larger dwarf cichlids do not exceed about 10 cm. Plan for a male of up to about 7.5 cm.

Seriously Fish considers a base of 60 × 30 cm, about 54 litres, acceptable for a single pair, with larger quarters for a group. OATA recommends at least 60 litres for a pair and at least 80 litres if you want to mix dwarf cichlids with other fish.

Run a three-point space check

1. Floor area: cockatoos live on and near the bottom, so the base matters more than height.
2. Real volume: our tank volume calculator converts your measurements to litres.
3. Territories: count one cave area per female and keep males well apart.

Furnish caves, wood and leaf litter

Seriously Fish says this species is unfussy about decor as long as there is plenty of cover: ceramic flowerpots and lengths of pipe work as well as natural materials. For a natural look it suggests a soft, sandy substrate with wood roots and branches arranged to create shady spots and caves, plus dried leaf litter such as beech, oak or Indian almond (Ketapang) leaves. As the leaves decay, they grow microbes that feed fry and release tannins that most populations appreciate. It recommends fairly dim lighting, shade-tolerant plants such as Microsorum, Taxiphyllum, Cryptocoryne and Anubias, and a few floating plants to diffuse the light.

OATA adds that dwarf cichlids usually form a territory around a good spawning site such as a cave, stone or piece of wood, so offer a choice of sites. Browse our fish for planted tanks for companions that suit the same set-up.

Give every zone a job

Set soft-to-medium water and keep it stable

The published ranges differ, mainly on pH. Seriously Fish gives pH 5.0–6.0 but explains that commercially produced fish are relatively unfussy and that some wild populations need these acidic values to breed. FishBase and OATA give the wider pH 6.0–8.0. The table shows each range and a target that sits inside the others.

Match your tap water before the fish arrive

Tap water in the UK ranges from very soft to very hard, so check your water company's postcode report and test pH, GH and KH before you buy. Stability matters more than chasing an exact number. Our water matcher shows how your water compares, and our guide to pH for tropical fish explains how to read and adjust it safely. Always treat new water with a tap water conditioner.

Filter gently and change water little and often

Seriously Fish advises that filtration, or at least water flow, should not be very strong, and that very large water changes are best avoided, suggesting 10–15% a week in a lightly stocked tank. OATA recommends a partial change of 25% each week and weekly testing, and warns that dwarf cichlids can be stressed by even small amounts of ammonia and nitrite. The difference comes down to stocking: the more fish, the more you need to change. Mature the filter fully before the fish arrive; our nitrogen cycle guide explains how.

Follow the weekly routine

1. Test ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH, as OATA advises.
2. Change 10–25% of the water, depending on how heavily the tank is stocked.
3. Match the new water's temperature and hardness and treat it with conditioner.
4. Rinse filter media only in water removed from the tank, never under the tap.
5. Replace leaf litter every few weeks, as Seriously Fish suggests, or let it break down fully.

Feed small meaty meals

Seriously Fish describes the cockatoo cichlid as primarily carnivorous, feeding mostly on small bottom-living invertebrates in nature. It recommends offering live and frozen foods such as Artemia, Daphnia and bloodworm regularly, and notes that most fish learn to accept dried foods, preferring pellets to flake. OATA describes dwarf cichlids more broadly as omnivorous and suggests a good flake or granule with small live or frozen foods such as daphnia, brine shrimp or tubifex, fed once a day in amounts eaten within a few minutes.

Build one measured meal

Introduce it to a mature planted aquarium

Check that ammonia and nitrite read zero before the fish arrives. OATA describes the floating-bag method: switch off the aquarium lights, float the sealed bag for 10 minutes, add small amounts of aquarium water over up to 20 minutes, then release the fish with as little bag water as possible. OATA also warns against adding many fish at once, which can cause "new tank syndrome" as the filter bacteria struggle to keep up. Our acclimatisation guide walks through each step.

Use a first-week checkpoint plan

• Day 0: keep the lights off for the rest of the day and let the fish find a cave.
• Day 1: offer a few pieces of frozen food near its chosen hiding place.
• Days 2–6: watch for chasing between males, and check that the newcomer comes out to feed.
• Day 7: test the water and do the normal weekly change.

Pick calm dither fish and gentle neighbours

Seriously Fish recommends captive-raised cockatoos for the general community aquarium, and suggests small "dither" fishes such as pencilfish (Nannostomus) for wild fish, which are best kept alone or with dithers and not mixed with other Apistogramma. OATA says dwarf cichlids do best with shoals of dither fish, which give them confidence and are quick enough to move away if a cichlid turns territorial. It adds that Apistogramma can be shy and will not do well with very active or boisterous tank mates, and that if you plan to breed, you should avoid fish that disturb spawning sites or eat fry.

Screen each tank mate

Check any mix with our tank mates checker, read our cockatoo cichlid guide and the broader Apistogramma guide, and browse the South American cichlids, the South American dwarf cichlids category and our Apistogramma category.

Watch for stress colours and hiding

OATA describes a healthy dwarf cichlid as having clear, bright eyes, undamaged fins, intact scales, normal swimming and steady breathing. Its warning signs include hanging at the surface, sitting on the bottom or swimming erratically, turning darker or paler than normal, hiding more than usual, gill covers moving faster or slower, white spots or fluffy growths, weight loss and reduced feeding. Remember that a female guarding eggs or fry changes colour and behaviour as part of normal brood care, which Seriously Fish's photos of gold-strain females show.

Pair each sign with an action

Breed it in a cave and keep the gold line true

The cockatoo cichlid spawns in caves. FishBase records up to 80 eggs attached to the ceiling of a cave and cared for by the female, and Seriously Fish describes eggs laid in crevices or cavities, with the female responsible for eggs and fry. In smaller aquaria she may become very aggressive, and the male may need to be removed. OATA says dwarf cichlid eggs typically hatch in three to four days and the fry are free-swimming a couple of days later, and that parents gather straying fry back into the group by mouth. The microbes growing on decaying leaf litter give the fry an early source of food.

Colour matters to these fish. In a peer-reviewed mate-choice study, Engelking, Römer and Beisenherz (2010) found that female cockatoo cichlids choose mates by colour, and that females of an aquarium strain preferred their own brightly coloured males in about 90% of trials. Different cockatoo forms will still interbreed, so keep gold fish with gold fish if you want the line to stay gold.

Answer Gold Cacatuoides buying questions

What is a Gold Cacatuoides?

It is a line-bred gold colour form of Apistogramma cacatuoides, the cockatoo dwarf cichlid from the upper Amazon basin. Seriously Fish lists 'gold' among the ornamental forms bred for the aquarium trade, alongside 'double red', 'triple red', 'orange flash' and others. Adult males have a golden-yellow body, a broken dark stripe along the side and orange-red, dark-spotted fins with a crest of long front dorsal spines.

How big does a Gold Cacatuoides grow?

Males grow larger than females. Seriously Fish gives 75 mm standard length for males and 50 mm for females, while FishBase records 5.0 cm standard length. Plan for a male of up to about 7.5 cm without the tail.

What size aquarium does it need?

Seriously Fish gives a base of 60 × 30 cm, about 54 litres, for a single pair, with more space for a group. OATA recommends at least 60 litres for a pair of dwarf cichlids and at least 80 litres if you mix them with other fish.

What water does it need?

Soft to medium, slightly acidic to neutral water that stays stable. Farm-raised fish are relatively unfussy, according to Seriously Fish. We suggest 24–25°C, pH 6.0–7.0 and 5–12 dGH, which sits inside the OATA and FishBase ranges; Seriously Fish notes that some wild populations need pH 5.0–6.0 to breed.

Is it peaceful?

Mostly, but it is a cichlid. Seriously Fish recommends captive-raised fish for a general community aquarium. Males hold territories, and a female guarding eggs or fry can become very aggressive in a small tank. Give it caves, cover and calm dither fish.

What does it eat?

Small meaty foods. Seriously Fish describes it as mainly carnivorous and recommends regular live or frozen Artemia, Daphnia and bloodworm; most fish also learn to take dried food, preferring pellets to flake. Feed only what is eaten within a few minutes.

Can I keep it with other Apistogramma?

It is safer not to. Seriously Fish advises against mixing wild cockatoos with other Apistogramma, and hobbyists keep forms separate to avoid hybrids. For a gold line that breeds true, keep it apart from double red and other cockatoo forms.

Will it breed in my aquarium?

Often, if you have a male and a female. It spawns in caves, laying up to 80 eggs on the ceiling, according to FishBase, and the female guards them. OATA says eggs typically hatch in 3–4 days and the fry swim freely a couple of days later.

How many fish come with one purchase?

One live Gold Cacatuoides at the standard size currently available. Sex is not chosen or guaranteed; the photographs show an adult male.

Consult the care references

• Seriously Fish: Apistogramma cacatuoides — distribution, habitat, sizes of males and females, aquarium base, water range, layout, diet, compatibility, breeding and the line-bred gold form.
• FishBase: Apistogramma cacatuoides — maximum recorded length, water range, distribution and cave-spawning behaviour.
• OATA: How to look after dwarf cichlids — UK guidance on dwarf cichlid water values, tank size, layout, feeding, dither fish, acclimatisation, maintenance and breeding.
• Engelking, Römer and Beisenherz (2010), Vertebrate Zoology 60: 199–208 — peer-reviewed mate-choice study showing that female cockatoo cichlids choose males by colour.
• Tropical Fish Co delivery information — current dispatch days and the Live Arrival Guarantee.