Checkerboard Cichlid

Dicrossus filamentosus

The Checkerboard Cichlid (*Dicrossus filamentosus*) is one of the most elegant and delicate gems of Amazonian fishkeeping. Unlike the stocky conformation of typical dwarf cichlids, it has a slender and elongated body (similar to a killifish), unmistakably marked by a double row of alternating square black spots, which create the "checkerboard" pattern. Adult males develop a hypnotic spectacle: their caudal fins extend into very long lyre filaments colored neon red and electric blue. Extremely shy, peaceful to a fault and equipped with a graceful jerky "hovering" (horizontal floating) swimming style, it is nevertheless a very difficult fish to keep due to its extreme requirements for water chemistry.

Family: Cichlidae
Origin: Sud America (Bacini del Rio Negro e Rio Orinoco, Brasile, Colombia, Venezuela)
Tank use: Used in 0 tanks

Temperature

25 °C - 29 °C

4.5 - 5.8

Water type

Freshwater

Tank level

Zona inferiore. Navigano in assetto orizzontale ('hovering') a pochi centimetri dal fondo sabbioso, scomparendo sotto le foglie morte al minimo allarme.

Adult size

6 cm

Description

The Curse of Being Beautiful (Imports):

Almost 90% of the specimens sold in stores are Wild Caught (captured in the wild in the rivers of the Rio Negro) because their commercial captive breeding is prohibitive due to the required acidic pH. This makes them even more frightened of the aseptic and brightly lit environment of a home aquarium.

Care and observations

A Piece of Glass (Water Stress Syndrome):

Do not buy it if you use tap water. Chemistry is the number one cause of death for the Checkerboard Cichlid in private tanks. They are "fragile as glass" to bacteria if not kept in their sterile, acidic environment. They require ultra-soft water (TDS near zero) and a very low pH (4.5 to 5.8). Without humic acids (Catappa leaves, alder cones) they will develop fatal fungal and bacterial infections on their fins and gills within a month.

The Enemy of Aggression:

While Rams and Cockatoos have a strong temperament and command respect, the Dicrossus will not. It is so slender and shy that if inserted with lively Loaches or aggressive Tetras, it will permanently hole up under the leaves, stopping eating completely. Their ideal companion is the Pencilfish (*Nannostomus*): they float quietly high up leaving the Dicrossus total peaceful control of the bottom.

Mandatory Microscopic Meals:

Do not buy it if you intend to feed it only flakes. Its mouth is structurally unsuitable for hard commercial foods. Without feeding it live (or soft frozen) Artemia salina and tiny bloodworms 4 times a week, they will literally starve to death (concave belly) before your eyes.

Fish profile

Temperament: Timido e assolutamente pacifico verso qualsiasi altra specie. I maschi ingaggiano meravigliose parate non violente sventolando le pinne a lira. Si spaventano se affiancati da pesci aggressivi, rifiutandosi di mangiare.
Diet: Micro-predatore. Le loro bocche a punta sono minuscole. Ignoreranno completamente grossi pellet o scaglie generiche. Devono essere alimentati regolarmente con minuscolo cibo vivo o congelato: naupli di Artemia, Daphnia, microworms e ciclopoidi.
Tank level: Zona inferiore. Navigano in assetto orizzontale ('hovering') a pochi centimetri dal fondo sabbioso, scomparendo sotto le foglie morte al minimo allarme.
Minimum group: 4
Adult size: 6 cm
Minimum tank: 100 L
GH: 1 dGH - 3 dGH
KH: n/a
TDS: n/a
Conductivity: n/a
Sex ratio: Harem o Branco Misto (es. 2 maschi e 4-6 femmine). Le femmine sono notevolmente più piccole e meno appariscenti, mancando delle prolungazioni a lira della coda e del blu neon elettrico sul corpo. La femmina in riproduzione assume pinne ventrali rosso sangue.
Feeding frequency: Piccole dosi 2 volte al giorno, somministrando prede vive o congelate morbide.
Bioload: Bassissimo
Flow: Corrente Nulla. Sono pesci esili che vivono in acque ferme forestali.
Reproduction: Difficoltà estrema. Diversamente dagli Apistogramma (che sono cavernicoli), depongono le uova apertamente su foglie larghe o pietre lisce (Open Spawners). Se l'acqua non è ad un pH acido estremo (attorno a 5.0) le uova ammuffiscono o non vengono fecondate. La femmina fa da guardia aggressiva lasciando il maschio a difendere l'intero perimetro.
Compatibility: Mantenimento ottimale ESCLUSIVAMENTE con piccolissimi caracidi pacifici d'acqua nera (Neon, Nannostomus, Boraras) o Otocinclus. Non inserire con Loricaridi grandi o Apistogramma, che li sottometterebbero psicologicamente dominando il fondo.

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.