Macmaster's Dwarf Cichlid

Looks how to spot one

Scales

A small, compact cichlid with a typical oval body shape. Males have a light base colour with a bright red mask on the head and often red on the shoulders. Females are duller grey but turn bright yellow with black spots when breeding. Selective breeding has produced vivid red and gold varieties.52

Personality what they are like

Generally peaceful and sometimes shy, but becomes territorial and can be aggressive when breeding. Best kept as a harem with one male and several females.576

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Active during the day, mostly swimming near the bottom. Needs plenty of hiding places and a well-structured tank.23

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Requires clean, soft, slightly acidic water. Regular water changes are important. Sensitive to nitrite, nitrate and ammonium. A sandy substrate and dark hiding spots are recommended.52

Home where they are happiest

Needs an aquarium of at least 75 litres (20 gallons). Provide a sandy bottom, driftwood, caves, broad-leaved plants and floating plants. Water temperature 22 to 28°C, pH 5.0 to 7.0, soft water. In the wild they live in shallow, tannin-stained waters with leaf litter.352

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Carnivorous. Accepts live and frozen foods such as bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia and cyclops, and will also take high-quality flakes and pellets. Feeding brine shrimp helps bring out red colour.325

Company who they like around

Keep one male with several females (harem). A male with only one female may stress her. They are territorial when breeding, so provide plenty of cover. Not a shoaling fish.75

The story where it all began

Apistogramma macmasteri was described by Dr. Sven Kullander in 1979 from fish collected in the Colombian state of Meta. It was named after Mark Macmaster, a dwarf cichlid enthusiast who brought attention to the species in the early 1970s. The species likely entered the hobby in the 1960s but only became widely available in the 1980s. Today, most fish sold are tank-raised. Selective breeding has produced colourful varieties such as 'Super Red', 'Red Shoulder' and gold forms, though these names are not standardised. Many fish sold as Apistogramma viejita are actually A. macmasteri or hybrids.2

Recognised by the official bits

ITIS

Valid species Apistogramma macmasteri Kullander, 19798

Popularity Commonly available in the aquarium trade, especially as tank-raised fish.2