Golden-eyed Dwarf Cichlid

Care

Nannacara anomala is a small, peaceful species ideally suited to softwater community aquaria. In the wild, this species is known from flooded savannahs of the low-lying coastal zones; consequently in the home aquarium they will appreciate a densely planted set up with plenty of driftwood and small caves. The most appropriate tankmates are other small, peaceful fish, particularly those who occupy higher levels in the tank such as some of the smaller characins or rasboras. Although generally very peaceable, N. anomala will become quite aggressive towards tankmates when breeding. For this reason it is best to avoid slow species which occupy the lower reaches of the tank where these fish spend a lot of their time. Wherever possible, try to keep one male and several females together; multiple males should not be kept together unless the tank is extremely spacious and contains numerous visual barriers amongst the decor. When more than one male is kept in larger quarters, the dominant male will grow largest and display the brightest colours, the subdominant male taking on the appearance of a female in order to avoid aggression from the dominant male. If the dominant male was removed from the tank, the subdominant male would then develop into the alpha fish. Filtration should be efficient but the water flow not too powerful. Wild caught fish are sometimes available, but the vast majority of N. anomala seen for sale in the trade will have been captive bred in Europe or Singapore. These attractive little fish would make an excellent breeding project for beginners who are just learning to appreciate cichlids and their fascinating natural behaviour.

Feeding

Accepts most aquarium foods offered, especially small meaty items such as frozen bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp etc, plus small cichlid pellets, flake,and vegetable matter.

Breeding

This species should breed readily in the home aquarium when provided with consistent good water quality and temperature towards the top of their preferred range. When ready to spawn,the pattern on the flanks of the female changes to a checkerboard design, which is apparently recognisable to the young. Up to 300 eggs will be laid/fertilised, after which the female takes sole responsibility for guarding the clutch and at this time she can become very aggressive. In some cases the male may defend the larger territory from intruders, particularly in a community type setting, but in smaller quarters do observe carefully and move the male to another aquarium if the female starts attacking him. The eggs usually hatch within 2-3 days depending on water temperature, and the female will frequently move the fry to shallow depressions made in the sand, until they are free swimming (typically another 5-7 days).