Payaminonis Apisto (Apistogramma payaminonis) Care Guide
Apistogramma payaminonis is an Ecuadorian dwarf cichlid from the Payamino River basin, kept in soft, acidic blackwater.
Overview
Apistogramma payaminonis is a dwarf cichlid described by Kullander in 1986 in his work on the cichlid fishes of the Amazon River drainage of Peru. It originates from the Ecuadorian Amazon and belongs to the genus Apistogramma.
Taxonomy
- Family: Cichlidae
- Genus: Apistogramma
- Scientific name: Apistogramma payaminonis
- Described by: Kullander, 1986
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the Payamino River basin in the Napo River drainage, Ecuador, where it inhabits backwaters and shorelines within undisturbed rainforest. Like most Apistogramma, it favours sheltered freshwater with leaf litter and slow water movement (Wikipedia, genus account).
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 80 L
- Temperature: 25-29 C (77-84 F)
- pH: 4.5-6.5
- GH: 1-4 dGH
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
Diet
Members of the genus are omnivorous but tend toward micropredation, taking insect larvae and small invertebrates (Wikipedia). In the aquarium, Apistogramma are best offered live and frozen foods such as Artemia, Daphnia and chironomid larvae, with most accepting dried pellets (Seriously Fish, genus account).
Compatibility
The KB record classifies the species as bottom-dwelling and semi-aggressive. For the genus, Seriously Fish recommends keeping wild fish alone or with small dither fishes and not mixing different Apistogramma in the same aquarium.
Breeding
As a typical Apistogramma it spawns in crevices or cavities, with the female providing most post-spawning care of eggs and fry (Seriously Fish, genus account; Wikipedia).
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Data Deficient (assessed 9 October 2014), per FishBase.