Checkerboard Cichlid

Care at a glance

Overview

The checkerboard cichlid is a small, shy and peaceful dwarf that needs calm surroundings and soft, acidic water to thrive. Keep it in a group so the fish can pair off naturally, and choose gentle tankmates such as small tetras, pencilfish and Corydoras rather than anything pushy. Males set up small territories and display to each other with their forked, flag-like tails, but serious aggression is rare. Provide a dim tank with leaf litter, driftwood, fine sand and plenty of low cover so the fish feel secure enough to come out into the open. Feed small live and frozen foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia and cyclops, since many individuals ignore dry food at first. A tank of at least 75 liters gives a group the space and territories it needs.

In the wild

The checkerboard cichlid lives in the Rio Negro and Orinoco drainages of Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil, in shallow, slow blackwater streams shaded by forest. The water is warm, extremely soft and very acidic, deeply stained with tannins and often barely holding any measurable hardness. To keep it well, aim for a pH of 5.0 to 6.5 and a temperature of 26 to 30 C, using soft water and plenty of botanicals such as leaf litter and alder cones to tint and acidify the tank. Subdued lighting and floating plants help the fish settle and show their best color.

Good to know

Dicrossus filamentosus is a dwarf cichlid in the family Cichlidae, growing to around 9 cm including the male's extended tail. Its common name comes from the double row of dark, checkerboard-like blotches along the flanks. Mature males develop a lyre-shaped, filamentous tail, which is the source of the alternative name lyretail checkerboard cichlid. It is an open spawner that usually lays its eggs on a leaf or flat surface, with the female taking on most of the care of the eggs and fry while the male guards the wider area. Soft, acidic water is generally needed for the eggs to develop.

Did you know

Mature male checkerboard cichlids grow a distinctive forked, lyre-shaped tail edged in red and blue, which they flick at rivals and displaying females. This feature gives the fish its other common name, the lyretail checkerboard cichlid.

Related species

• 

  Spadetail checkerboard cichlid

  Dicrossus maculatus

  3.5 in (9 cm)24 gal (90 L)79–86°F (26–30°C)

• 

  Kribensis

  Pelvicachromis pulcher

  3.9 in (10 cm)20 gal (75 L)75–81°F (24–27°C)

• 

  Bolivian ram

  Mikrogeophagus altispinosus

  3.1 in (8 cm)45 gal (170 L)75–82°F (24–28°C)

• 

  Keyhole cichlid

  Cleithracara maronii

  4.3 in (11 cm)25 gal (95 L)70–82°F (21–28°C)

• 

  Cupid cichlid

  Biotodoma cupido

  4.7 in (12 cm)53 gal (200 L)68–86°F (20–30°C)

• 

  Blue ram

  Mikrogeophagus ramirezi

  2.4 in (6 cm)18 gal (70 L)81–86°F (27–30°C)