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Golden dwarf cichlid (Nannacara)
Nannacara anomala
Also known as: nannacara, golden nannacara, dwarf cichlid (nannacara, not apistogramma), Golden nannacara, Dwarf cichlid (Nannacara, not Apistogramma)
Fishori provides conservative planning guidance, not guarantees.
Based on multiple reputable aquarium care sources with strong agreement. Use the numbers here as planning defaults — your room, water, and routine still shape real-world outcomes.
A very small dwarf cichlid at 4 cm. Males develop gold-and-turquoise colouring at breeding condition. Peaceful outside spawning but defends a small cave site.
Best for
Planted community tanks 50L or more with sand caves and small peaceful companions.
Avoid if
You keep cherry shrimp or nano shrimp. Nannacara hunt them during spawning cycles.
Top things that go wrong
- Mouth gap vs tiny tank mates. Predation risk toward smaller tank mates. The figure that matters is the adult mouth size against the adult prey length, not the juvenile sizes in the shop.
- Shrimp & snails. Shrimp: not safe. The fish will eat adult shrimp, shrimp fry, or both, depending on the size of the shrimp.
Common mistakeExpecting nannacara to remain completely peaceful during spawning. A breeding pair will defend a cave against tank mates much larger than themselves.
What most shops don't tell you
- 1.Predation risk scales with gape, night feeding, and crowding. 'they grew up together' is a schedule, not a law.
- 2.Classed peaceful for similar-sized community use. Still a bite-sized risk toward fry or very small comm fish in small volumes.
- 3.A single feature cichlid in a 20L. The fish stays stunted and pale for the year it lives.
- 4.Dropped into hard alkaline tap under bright light with no transition. The wild form withers inside a fortnight.
- 5.Care is not interchangeable with Apistogramma: temperature and pH overlap but differ. Re-run pair compatibility before mixing with an existing dwarf cichlid line.
About this species
Nannacara anomala are Guianese dwarf cichlids that hold a single corner per pair. A breeding male flashes black and gold over a cave. Outside breeding he sits half-hidden among leaves. Soft warm tannin water with cave structure beats a bright bare aquascape.
- Agassiz’s dwarf cichlid80L min · same group, similar adult size
- Apistogramma Borellii80L min · same group, similar adult size
- Apistogramma Trifasciata80L min · same group, similar adult size
- German Blue Ram80L min · same group, similar adult size
- Apistogramma Macmasteri100L min · same group, similar adult size
- Checkerboard cichlid100L min · same group, similar adult size
- Cockatoo / crested Apistogramma100L min · same group, similar adult size
- Kribensis100L min · same fish family
- Adolfoi coryalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Bamboo Shrimpalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Cardinal Tetraalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Celebes Rainbowfishalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Celestial Pearl Danioalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
- Chili Rasboraalso intermediate peaceful, similar tank size
No reverse lookups on file yet.
Plan grid
Key limits are shown above; this section adds planning detail: pH band, swim level, bioload and activity, and the radar.
Swim zones
Planning trait chart
Six indices for comparing species on paper before you spend.
- Beginner ease38
- Peacefulness68
- Community fit63
- Small-tank fit100
- Hardiness54
- Energy24
Numbers are deterministic planning indices from Fishori fields — not a scientific score of your individual fish.
Common setup sketches
Conservative patterns from Fishori fields — still run the pair checker for every species you add; sketches are not a stocking guarantee.
Rough 90L+ layout: one calm centrepiece, 8–12 small tetras/rasboras, 6–8 corydoras-type bottom fish — verify every name in the pair checker before buying.
Safe directions on file include: Corydoras Catfish, Chili Rasbora, Ember Tetra.
Avoid “one of everything” baskets — Golden dwarf cichlid (Nannacara) belongs in a plan built around territory, line-of-sight breaks, and matched water chemistry.
Tank mate intelligence
Use the "Often compatible" lists as a shortlist, not a stocking plan. Always run the pair tool and check the footprint of your actual tank first. Verify behaviour for Golden dwarf cichlid (Nannacara) against your own reading before you buy.
Pair-level compatibility with this fish as anchor.
Read the blocking rule on each pair page before experimenting.
Do-not-stock combinations on conservative hobby rules.
Compare with
Run a real pair check: Golden dwarf cichlid (Nannacara) + Corydoras Catfish
Behaviour, temperament, and what to watch
Prose and lists come from the same record: read temperament first, then glass-level signals so you are not surprised after day three.
Golden dwarf cichlid (Nannacara) is peaceful in mixed company. Treats any fish small enough to fit in its mouth as food. Mouth size at adult length matters, not the prey's listed adult size. Holds territory on substrate, in caves, or at the surface film. Break the sight lines with hardscape to keep the resident off the visitor.
Stress / aggression triggers on file
- Sudden crowding
- Poor water quality
Fin nipping: Not a habitual fin-nipper, but individuals can still test fins under stress or in a crowded tank.
Predation: Predation risk toward smaller tank mates. The figure that matters is the adult mouth size against the adult prey length, not the juvenile sizes in the shop.
Territory: Holds territory on substrate, in caves, or at the surface film. Break the line of sight with hardscape, and avoid placing the tank where the fish can see its own reflection.
Planted tanks: excellent — easy plant ideas
In the glass: typical and warning signs
- Often calm on the glass — bursts of movement around food or tank disturbance.
- Clamped fins, gasping at the surface, hiding non-stop, or refusing food after the first week.
- Rapid breathing when parameters swing — fix ammonia/nitrite first, then reassess mates.
- Corner guarding, flaring, or body-blocking — territory is normal until it becomes relentless.
- Separate or rehome if injuries appear, one fish is pinned, or feeding becomes a daily chase.
- If water is stable but behaviour worsens, reduce stocking or remove the highest-impact species first.
Fish behaviour can vary between individuals and tank setups. Always observe new fish closely after introduction.
Care parameters: water, food, inverts, grouping
Chemistry and group rules sit here so you are not re-reading the same line from tank mate or temperament blocks. Swim level is in the plan grid above.
Hardness
soft
Diet
omnivore
Mixed diet: a quality flake or pellet as the staple, with frozen or live foods two or three times a week.
Shrimp & snails
Shrimp: not safe. The fish will eat adult shrimp, shrimp fry, or both, depending on the size of the shrimp.
Kept singly or as a paired setup. Check the species profile before doubling up in one tank.
Breeding behaviour depends on the species. Research before you buy a mixed-sex group of this fish.
- Hold 24 to 30 °C steadily on a real thermometer, not the dial on the heater.
- Aim for pH 5 to 6.5 and a hardness you can re-test in two weeks. A one-time strip in the shop car park is not a water test.
- Footprint: short wide tanks and tall narrow tanks fish differently for the same volume. Match the tank shape to the swim pattern, not just the litre count.
- Tank volume meets or exceeds 50L published minimum for adults.
- Heater can hold 24–30°C without cooking cooler-water tank mates.
- No known fin-nippers paired with long-finned fish unless you accept documented risk.
- No tank mates small enough to fit the adult mouth gap for this species.
Explore and stocking hubs
Same library as the rest of Fishori: tank-mate index for this species, category peers, guides, and litre-based stocking lists where min tank on file is within the hub volume.
Plan with tools
Pair-level rules and multi-fish stocking use the same conservative engine — add this fish in the tank builder only after mates pass pair checks.
Filtration & heating
A 50L minimum tank needs a filter rated for at least 200L/hr turnover and a heater to hold 24–30°C reliably.
Plant suggestions
Golden dwarf cichlid (Nannacara) does well in planted tanks. Plants compatible with 24–30°C and pH 5–6.5:
Profile status: partially verified · Evidence tier: high · 3 linked source(s). Fishori does not fabricate citations.
Fishori uses conservative planning rules based on these sources.
Confidence is explained in the summary at the top of this page (same tier as here), not repeated below.
How Fishori evaluates compatibility (same logic as pair and tank tools).
- Seriously Fish. Nannacara anomala
Primary: aquarium size, water chemistry, behaviour, and compatibility (URL verified in upgrade script; recheck if site content changes).
- FishBase. Nannacara anomala
Secondary: taxonomy, distribution, and maximum length in nature; cross-check with aquarium import lines and measured tank parameters.
- Wikipedia. Nannacara anomala
Secondary: general species context; verify all husbandry numbers against a dedicated aquarium care sheet and your test kit, not a single table row.
Evidence notes
- The Seriously Fish profile for the binomial in this record was successfully reached as the primary aquarium reference.
- FishBase contributes natural-range size and habitat context. Translate those numbers through your heater, your water report, and your tank footprint before stocking.
- Wikipedia is only cited if the article URL returned OK. Use it for orientation, not as the only care sheet for an import.
- All compatibility text reflects typical hobby experience and the Fishori model. Individual fish, shop stress, and the order tank mates are added in can still defy a single-paragraph label.
- Fishori profiles work from typical aquarium trade sizes and hobby care norms. Specialist site checks and literature review for this species are not yet recorded here, so the ranges on this page are planning numbers rather than guarantees.