Difficult
Protopterus annectens
24–28°C · pH 6.5–7.5 · 2000L
£62.99
Peruvian blue form of the Banded Dwarf Cichlid, reaching about 6.5 cm. A soft-water apisto for 75 L+ tanks with gentle tankmates.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Product-photo provenance and any image-specific limitations are stated on the listing.
Apistogramma bitaeniata
Save when buying multiple fish. Each quantity is one fish; sex and pair formation are not guaranteed unless the selected variant explicitly states them.
Peruvian blue form of the Banded Dwarf Cichlid, reaching about 6.5 cm. A soft-water apisto for 75 L+ tanks with gentle tankmates.
Adult size is the maximum length this species reaches at full maturity (scientific sources). The livestock you receive will be younger and smaller — pick a size variant above for the actual shipping size. Product-photo provenance and any image-specific limitations are stated on the listing.
Cichlids are one of the most diverse fish families in the hobby. From tiny apistogrammas to massive oscars, this guide covers the basics of keeping them well.
Maintain these water conditions for optimal health and vibrant colors
Peru lends this strain its provenance and blue is its calling card. Apistogramma bitaeniata peru blue is the Peruvian blue form of the Banded Dwarf Cichlid, and at roughly 6.5 cm fully grown it sits at the more substantial end of the dwarf cichlid spectrum — a confident, inquisitive fish with real presence across the floor of a soft-water aquarium.
Plan the tank around heat and acidity from day one. This apisto wants 26–30 °C with a pH between 5.0 and 6.5 in very soft water of 0–10 dGH — parameters that quietly remove hard-water species from the stocking list before you even weigh up temperament. From 75 litres upwards it settles in well alongside small peaceful tetras, small rasboras, Otocinclus and other gentle soft-water fish of similar size. What it will not forgive: large or boisterous tankmates, fin-nipping species, aggressive cichlids, busy bottom-dwellers that compete for its territory, and large predatory fish.
Day to day the temperament is best described as semi-aggressive — settled and watchable most of the time, yet capable of turning territorial, so build in caves and visual barriers at floor level. Stability matters as much as the headline figures: hold temperature and pH steady within the ranges above rather than chasing one perfect number. It feeds as a carnivore, needs moderate-level husbandry rather than beginner luck, and should give you about five years of ownership.
Because of its demanding water chemistry, the Peru blue strain suits aquarists who already run — or are ready to set up — a genuinely soft, warm, acidic aquarium. Build the stocking plan from the soft-water list above rather than retrofitting this fish into a hard-water community. If that describes your tank, few dwarf cichlids will reward you better. Stock is dispatched under our live arrival guarantee, with a licensed live-animal courier handling the journey.
24–28°C · pH 6.5–7.5 · 2000L
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