Two-striped apistogramma
A dwarf cichlid whose males carry an extended lyre-shaped tail and a spiky dorsal crest, and which is one of the more demanding Apistogramma about water. Sex ratio in the fry is determined by pH and temperature, which is a genuine curiosity and a practical problem for breeders.
Quick profile
- Scientific name
- Apistogramma bitaeniata
- Adult size
- 5–8 cm (2–3.1 in)
- Lifespan
- 3–5 years
- Temperature
- 26–30 °C (79–86 °F)
- pH
- 4.5–6.2
- Hardness
- 0–4 °dGH
- Minimum tank
- 80 L (21 US gal)
- Minimum length
- 80 cm
- Swimming zone
- Bottom
- Social
- Harem — at least 3
- Diet
- Micropredator
- Overall confidence
- moderate confidence
What keeping this species involves
Water that has to be genuinely soft and acidic, live food for reliable condition, and a harem structure with enough separate caves. It is not a first dwarf cichlid.
Shallow blackwater and clearwater forest streams over leaf litter, in very soft acidic water with almost no current.
Identity and names
- Common name
- Two-striped apistogramma
- Scientific name
- Apistogramma bitaeniata
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Order
- Cichliformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Also sold as
- Apistogramma bitaeniata, bitaeniata, two stripe dwarf cichlid
Adult size and growth
5–8 cm (2–3.1 in)
Typical lifespan in an aquarium: 3–5 years. Almost every animal sold in a shop is a juvenile, so the tank has to suit the size in the first line rather than the size in the bag.
Shape, which is what the compatibility engine reads instead of length alone: deep-bodied with a moderate. Assigned from what is typical of Cichlidae, not examined for this species.
Water and tank requirements
A harem species where each female holds a small cave territory. The floor area is set by the number of territories rather than by the size of the fish.
Temperature (°C)
Scale: 0 to 36 °C.
pH (pH)
Scale: 4 to 9.5 pH.
Hardness (°dGH)
Scale: 0 to 30 °dGH.
Why these ranges: Upper Amazon blackwater streams, which are warm, extremely soft and strongly acidic. This species is less tolerant of harder water than the commonly kept cockatoo apistogramma and does not colour or spawn outside these conditions.
Where these figures come from
Habitat class
Blackwater
Tannin-stained water draining podzolic forest sand, carrying almost no dissolved mineral and a heavy load of humic and fulvic acid.
The defining property is the absence of mineral, not the colour. Water this soft has almost no buffering, so pH moves fast and a keeper's job is stability rather than chasing the wild figure.
- Conductivity
- 8–40 µS/cm
- Flow
- low
- Dissolved oxygen
- moderate
- Seasonality
- strong
These are figures for the KIND of water body, not measurements of this species. They are AquariumHQ’s summary of the general limnology and are given wide because the water is.
- TemperatureReasoned on this record
- This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
- pHReasoned on this record
- This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
- General hardnessReasoned on this record
- This record states its own reason for this band. See the water section.
| Requirement | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 26–30 °C (79–86 °F) | Stability matters more than hitting an exact figure. |
| pH | 4.5–6.2 | A stable pH outside the ideal band is usually better than an unstable one inside it. |
| General hardness | 0–4 °dGH | Check your supplier's published figure before choosing species. |
| Minimum volume | 80 L (21 US gal) | A floor, not a recommendation. |
| Minimum footprint | 80 cm long × 35 cm deep | A harem species where each female holds a small cave territory. The floor area is set by the number of territories rather than by the size of the fish. |
| Water flow | still | Match the outflow to this rather than to the filter's rating. |
| Lid required | Recommended | Reduces evaporation and prevents accidents. |
| Structure | Leaf litter, small caves and dense low planting or wood. Each female needs a cave of her own with the next one out of sight. |
Behaviour
- Males patrol the whole territory and rarely enter the caves; females stay within a few centimetres of theirs.
- A guarding female drives the male away from her cave entirely, which is normal and not a sign that the pairing has failed.
Telling males from females
Males are larger with a lyre-shaped tail, extended dorsal spines and blue-grey flanks. Females are yellow, smaller and turn intense yellow with black markings when guarding.
Feeding
A hunter of small live invertebrates that frequently refuses dry food entirely. Live or frozen feeding is a requirement rather than an enrichment.
- Diet type
- Micropredator
- Staples
- Live baby brine shrimp, Frozen cyclops, Live daphnia, Frozen bloodworm
Breeding
- Strategy
- Eggs laid on a cave roof and guarded by the female alone
- Difficulty
- challenging
- Parental care
- guarding
The sex ratio of the brood shifts with pH and temperature, so a spawn raised in the wrong conditions can be almost entirely one sex.
Tankmates and compatibility
Assessments are derived from stored traits by the compatibility engine, with the reasoning shown. A verdict is a statement about probability, not a guarantee — individual temperament can override it.
| Towards | Risk | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Small fish | low | Anything that fits in the mouth is at risk once this species reaches adult size. |
| Adult dwarf shrimp | high | Cover reduces losses but rarely prevents them where the risk is high. |
| Shrimplets | near-certain | Determines whether a shrimp colony can grow rather than merely persist. |
| Snails | low | Applies to snails you wanted as well as snails you did not. |
| Long or trailing fins | occasional | Fin damage is an entry point for secondary infection. |
| Plants | none | Tough species such as Anubias and Java fern survive most grazers. |
Any pair in the catalogue can be assessed with the compatibility checker.
Welfare considerations
Points where the way this species is commonly sold or kept differs from what it actually needs.
- Sold from hard neutral shop water in which it survives without colouring or breeding. The difference in the fish between that and its own water is dramatic and is the reason to provide it.
- Wild-caught stock is common and arrives with a heavy parasite load more often than tank-bred fish do. Quarantine matters here more than for most dwarf cichlids.
Problems to watch for
Most problems in a tank containing this species are general rather than species-specific. Start with the troubleshooting index and work from the observation rather than from a guess at the cause.
What AquariumHQ does not yet hold
Species-level disease susceptibility is modelled in the graph and is not yet populated. Health pages will not be published until each condition has veterinary sourcing, because health content written without evidence is the most harmful thing this product could publish. The gap is recorded in the coverage report.
Where it comes from
- Native range
- The upper Amazon — the Ucayali, Marañón and Solimões and their tributaries
- Habitat
- Shallow blackwater and clearwater forest streams over leaf litter, in very soft acidic water with almost no current.
What the checklists say
9 distribution statements retrieved from GBIF checklists. Establishment means is reproduced from the source where it states one, and left unstated where it does not — a record of presence is not a record of origin.
| Status | Places | What this means |
|---|---|---|
| Native | 3 | A checklist states the species occurs here naturally. |
| Recorded as present, establishment means not stated | 6 | The source records the species as present and does not say whether it is native or introduced. AquariumHQ does not fill that in. |
Evidence
Every stored value with the kind of support behind it and where to check it. Evidence type and confidence are separate axes: an editorial position held confidently and a measurement held tentatively are different things.
| Claim | Value | Evidence type | Confidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| scientific name | Apistogramma bitaeniata | Observed / measured | high confidence | Catalogue of Life; GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| native range | The upper Amazon — the Ucayali, Marañón and Solimões and their tributaries | Observed / measured | moderate confidence | GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| adult size | 5–8 cm | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| lifespan | 3–5 years | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| temperature | 26–30 °C | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| ph | 4.5–6.2 pH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| general hardness | 0–4 °dGH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank volume | ≥ 80 L | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank length | ≥ 80 cm | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum group size | ≥ 3 | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
Last reviewed 2026-08-10. Values labelled as an aquarium-literature consensus are AquariumHQ editorial positions rather than measurements — see how evidence is handled.
Why we say this
What each figure on this page rests on, and how far that is from being independently established.
Every figure on this page has a provenance. Open any claim to see what AquariumHQ holds for it, which sources say what, and what a claim of that kind actually needs. Different claims need different evidence: an accepted scientific name is settled by one authority, while a legal restriction needs a current primary instrument. A single source is often the right answer rather than a thin one.
scientific nameAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableBased on a verified authoritative source.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: accepted scientific name and classification — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. Checked against gbif on 2026-08-29. One authoritative backbone is what this class requires.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
native rangeAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableBased on a verified authoritative source.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: where the species occurs — 1 authoritative source in an appropriate context. 9 distribution statements held from GBIF checklists — native in 3 country. Establishment means is reproduced from the source, never inferred from occurrence.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
adult sizeAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: size a well-kept specimen reaches — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
lifespanAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
temperatureAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
phAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
general hardnessAquariumHQ's own position, externally checkableAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
AquariumHQ's own position on a claim an external source could support.
What this kind of claim needs: what aquariumhq advises for keeping — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Go and read a source. This is reachable and has not been reached.
minimum tank volumeAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
minimum tank lengthAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: minimum tank size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No authority publishes this. AquariumHQ derives it, and the derivation is recorded with its inputs and assumptions.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
minimum group sizeAquariumHQ's judgement — no authority publishes thisAquariumHQ's own position, derived from evidenced inputs.
No external authority publishes this. The rationale carries the reasoning.
What this kind of claim needs: group size — no external source is required, provided AquariumHQ shows its reasoning. No external source is required for this class. AquariumHQ's position stands on its stated reasoning.
What would improve this: Keep the rationale current. There is no source to find.
Guides relevant to this species
Chosen from this record's own traits rather than listed on every page.
- Predator and prey sizeIt takes adult dwarf shrimp, which decides what can share the tank.
- Territorial behaviourIt defends ground, and the shape of what it defends decides the tank more than the volume does.
- Wild conditions and aquarium recommendationsThe water band on this page is an AquariumHQ position with a stated reason, not a measurement of a river.
- How to read a compatibility verdictThis animal is recorded as nipping fins, which is one of the few compatibility factors with real reports behind it.
Group size and social behaviour
The male patrols a territory containing several female caves. A single female is pursued constantly; two or three distribute his attention and hold their own boundaries against each other.