Umbrella cichlid
The dwarf cichlid for a room that is not kept warm. Alone among the commonly traded Apistogramma it comes from a subtropical range and is comfortable several degrees below the tropical default, which also makes it the easiest of them to keep alive.
Quick profile
- Scientific name
- Apistogramma borellii
- Adult size
- 5–8 cm (2–3.1 in)
- Lifespan
- 3–5 years
- Temperature
- 18–26 °C (64–79 °F)
- pH
- 6–7.5
- Hardness
- 2–15 °dGH
- Minimum tank
- 60 L (16 US gal)
- Minimum length
- 60 cm
- Swimming zone
- Bottom
- Social
- Harem
- Diet
- Micropredator
- Overall confidence
- moderate confidence
What keeping this species involves
More tolerant of ordinary tap water and cooler rooms than the rest of the genus, and correspondingly more forgiving of a first attempt at a dwarf cichlid.
Slow, shallow, vegetated waters in a subtropical range that cools substantially in winter.
Identity and names
- Common name
- Umbrella cichlid
- Scientific name
- Apistogramma borellii
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Order
- Cichliformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Also sold as
- Borelli's dwarf cichlid, yellow dwarf cichlid, Apistogramma borellii
Adult size and growth
5–8 cm (2–3.1 in) — Males to around 8 cm including finnage; females noticeably smaller.
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 male's territory plus separate cave sites for each female. Floor area decides this, not water volume.
Temperature (°C)
Scale: 0 to 36 °C.
pH (pH)
Scale: 4 to 9.5 pH.
Hardness (°dGH)
Scale: 0 to 30 °dGH.
Where these figures come from
Habitat class
Subtropical stream
Running water at the margins of the tropics — a mild winter, a warm summer and no ice.
Species from here are usually sold as tropical and usually kept several degrees too warm all year. A cooler winter is not neglect; it is the season they evolved in.
- Conductivity
- 100–500 µS/cm
- Flow
- moderate
- Dissolved oxygen
- near saturation
- 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.
- TemperatureFollows the habitat this animal comes from
- Follows the water this animal is recorded from — subtropical stream. Subtropical stream generally runs 12–28°C, and the advised band of 18–26°C is consistent with it. This is AquariumHQ's reasoning from the habitat, not a measurement of the species.
- pHFollows the habitat this animal comes from
- Follows the water this animal is recorded from — subtropical stream. Subtropical stream generally runs 6.5–7.8, and the advised band of 6–7.5 is consistent with it. This is AquariumHQ's reasoning from the habitat, not a measurement of the species.
- General hardnessFollows the habitat this animal comes from
- Follows the water this animal is recorded from — subtropical stream. Subtropical stream generally runs 3–15 dGH, and the advised band of 2–15 dGH is consistent with it. This is AquariumHQ's reasoning from the habitat, not a measurement of the species.
Scale: 9.6 to 30.4 °C.
Scale: 5.7 to 8.1 pH.
Scale: 0.1 to 17 dGH.
| Requirement | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 18–26 °C (64–79 °F) | Stability matters more than hitting an exact figure. |
| pH | 6–7.5 | A stable pH outside the ideal band is usually better than an unstable one inside it. |
| General hardness | 2–15 °dGH | Check your supplier's published figure before choosing species. |
| Minimum volume | 60 L (16 US gal) | A floor, not a recommendation. |
| Minimum footprint | 60 cm long | A male's territory plus separate cave sites for each female. Floor area decides this, not water volume. |
| Water flow | low | Match the outflow to this rather than to the filter's rating. |
| Lid required | Recommended | Reduces evaporation and prevents accidents. |
| Structure | Caves, leaf litter and broken sightlines at floor level. A flat open base gives a female nowhere to hold. |
Behaviour
- Works the bottom in short hops, sifting and inspecting rather than cruising.
- A female with fry becomes conspicuously yellow and conspicuously bad-tempered.
Telling males from females
Males are larger with extended dorsal spines and a yellow-tinged body; females turn strongly yellow with black markings when holding fry.
Feeding
- Diet type
- Micropredator
- Staples
- Frozen bloodworm, daphnia and cyclops, Live blackworm, Small sinking dry foods
Breeding
- Strategy
- Cave spawning, with the female tending the brood
- Difficulty
- straightforward
- Parental care
- guarding
The female does the guarding and will drive the male out of her area entirely while she has fry.
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 | moderate | Cover reduces losses but rarely prevents them where the risk is high. |
| Shrimplets | high | 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.
- Kept at the 26 °C the rest of the genus is given, it is being kept at the top of its range permanently.
- Small enough to be treated as a community fish and territorial enough that a second pair in a short tank does not work.
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
- Paraguay and Paraná basins — Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina and southern Brazil
- Habitat
- Slow, shallow, vegetated waters in a subtropical range that cools substantially in winter.
What the checklists say
5 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 | 2 | 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 borellii | Observed / measured | high confidence | Catalogue of Life; GBIF — Global Biodiversity Information Facility |
| native range | Paraguay and Paraná basins — Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina and southern Brazil | 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 | 18–26 °C | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| ph | 6–7.5 pH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| general hardness | 2–15 °dGH | Aquarium-literature consensus | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank volume | ≥ 60 L | AquariumHQ editorial position | moderate confidence | AquariumHQ husbandry synthesis |
| minimum tank length | ≥ 60 cm | 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 2026-08-12. 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. 5 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.
Guides relevant to this species
Chosen from this record's own traits rather than listed on every page.
- The kinds of water aquarium fish come fromThis record's water bands follow subtropical stream, which is the kind of water this animal is recorded from.
- 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
A harem holds together where every female has a defensible cave. Without that the dominant female drives the others off.