Orangeflossen

About

Found along shaded stream banks and shallow forest rivulets in the Orinoco, Casiquiare, and Negro drainages of Venezuela, this obscure dwarf cichlid, Laetacara fulvipinnis, was circulating in the hobby for years under the trade name 'orangeflossen', German for orange fins, before it received a formal scientific description. That nickname tells you a lot about what makes it recognizable: the warm, orange-tinted fin coloration sets it apart from its closest relatives within a genus of otherwise similar-looking small cichlids. In the wild it inhabits the shallowest fringes of blackwater streams, tucking into leaf litter and submerged vegetation in water that is tea-colored, very soft, and highly acidic. Aquarium-kept specimens adapt reasonably well as long as water quality is kept clean and the chemistry leans toward the softer, more acidic end of the range. Despite its cichlid lineage, this is a peaceful, undemanding little fish that works well for newer keepers willing to match its preference for soft water. Like other Laetacara, it is a biparental substrate-spawner. Pairs choose a flat leaf or similar surface, guard the eggs through a short incubation, and continue tending the free-swimming fry together. Staying under three inches, it suits smaller, well-planted setups nicely.