TankBud

Checkerboard cichlid

Dicrossus filamentosus

Also known as Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid

FreshwaterFish

Checkerboard cichlid (Dicrossus filamentosus)
Eduardo A Carvalho · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
79–86°F
26–30°C
pH
5.0–6.5
Adult size
3.5 in
9 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
75 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Substrate spawner
Rarity
Rare
Family
Cichlidae
Origin
Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil

Overview

The checkerboard cichlid is a small, shy and peaceful dwarf cichlid for a calm, dim tank with soft, acidic water. It suits a keeper past the beginner stage.

Did you know

A male checkerboard cichlid flicks his tail at rivals and at females that are displaying. That tail gives the fish its other common name, the lyretail checkerboard cichlid.

Caring for the checkerboard cichlid

Keep checkerboard cichlids in a group so the fish can pair off naturally. A tank of at least 20 gal (75 L) gives a group the space and territories it needs. Make it dim, with leaf litter, driftwood, fine sand and plenty of low cover. That cover lets the fish feel secure enough to come out into the open.

Keep the water at 79 to 86°F (26 to 30°C) and a pH of 5.0 to 6.5. Start from soft water and add plenty of botanicals, such as alder cones, to tint and acidify the tank. Subdued lighting and floating plants help the fish settle and show their best color.

Feed small live and frozen foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia and cyclops, since many individuals ignore dry food at first. Choose gentle tank mates such as small tetras, pencilfish and Corydoras rather than anything pushy. Males set up small territories and display to each other, but serious aggression is rare.

Mature males grow a forked, lyre-shaped tail edged in red and blue. The checkerboard cichlid is an open spawner that usually lays its eggs on a leaf or flat surface. The female takes 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.

Good to know

The checkerboard cichlid, Dicrossus filamentosus, is a dwarf cichlid in the family Cichlidae. Its common name comes from the double row of dark, checkerboard-like blotches along its flanks.

In the wild

The checkerboard cichlid lives in the Rio Negro and Orinoco drainages of Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. It is found in shallow, slow blackwater streams shaded by forest. The water there is warm, extremely soft and very acidic, deeply stained with tannins and often barely holding any measurable hardness.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The checkerboard cichlid is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a checkerboard cichlid need?

A checkerboard cichlid needs at least 20 gal (75 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a checkerboard cichlid need?

A checkerboard cichlid is comfortable at 79–86°F (26–30°C) with a pH of 5.0–6.5.

What does a checkerboard cichlid eat?

A checkerboard cichlid eats small live and frozen foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia and cyclops. Many individuals ignore dry food at first.

How big does a checkerboard cichlid get?

An adult checkerboard cichlid reaches about 3.5 in (9 cm).

How can you tell a male checkerboard cichlid from a female?

Males grow a forked, lyre-shaped tail edged in red and blue as they mature.

How does a checkerboard cichlid breed?

The checkerboard cichlid is an open spawner that usually lays its eggs on a leaf or flat surface. The female does most of the care of the eggs and fry, while the male guards the wider area. Its eggs generally need soft, acidic water to develop.

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