1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Peaceful shy fish that does best with small tetras.
32 species in our list are a good match.
Peaceful shy fish that does best with small tetras.
Small live and frozen foods; flakes and micro pellets are accepted.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Males are slightly larger and have a lyre-shaped tail; females are smaller and less colourful, with a rounded tail.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Cave spawner (pair) · Hard
Substrate spawner: lays eggs on rocks or leaves and guards them.
Raise 6 juveniles together and let a pair form, then remove the rest or provide a very large tank.
A 60 L tank with a sponge or gentle filter, flat stones, clay caves or flowerpots, and a sand bed.
Strong conditioning on frozen and live food plus a large water change with slightly warmer water.
20-40 eggs on a cave or flat rock
Both parents guard the brood; feed fry newly hatched brine shrimp and finely crushed flake.
A shy dwarf cichlid from the Rio Negro in Brazil and the Orinoco basin in Colombia and Venezuela. The male has a lyre-shaped tail. It needs very soft, acidic water, especially to breed.
German ichthyologist Werner Ladiges described this species in 1958, originally in Crenicara. Its checkerboard pattern made it a popular dwarf cichlid. It needs very soft, acidic water.
First described by Werner Ladiges in 1958.
14 facts checked with sources
Valid name; formerly Crenicara filamentosa. Common names: lyretail checkerboard cichlid (Seriously Fish), chessboard cichlid (FishBase). "Checkerboard cichlid" is also used for D. maculatus, which looks similar but lacks the lyre tail, so check the tail when buying.
FishBase: Dicrossus filamentosus summary · Seriously Fish: Dicrossus filamentosus (Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid)Legacy has no family field; sourced value recorded.
FishBase: Dicrossus filamentosus summarySources disagree widely. FishBase (preferred for size; from Kullander 2003 checklist) gives 3.8 cm SL. Seriously Fish lists 10.2 cm SL, which is out of line for a dwarf cichlid and its profile is only 63% complete. Both are standard length; males with lyre-tail streamers measure noticeably more in total length. Legacy 7 cm not supported by either figure.
FishBase: Dicrossus filamentosus summary · Seriously Fish: Dicrossus filamentosus (Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid)Sources disagree: Seriously Fish (preferred for husbandry) says it needs 27 °C or warmer; FishBase 23-25 °C. Legacy 24-28 overlaps both but is cooler than Seriously Fish.
Seriously Fish: Dicrossus filamentosus (Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid) · FishBase: Dicrossus filamentosus summaryLegacy 4.5-6.5 sits within the tolerated range; breeding needs pH 4.5-5.8, and eggs reportedly will not hatch below pH 5.8 per Seriously Fish notes (as written there).
Seriously Fish: Dicrossus filamentosus (Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid) · FishBase: Dicrossus filamentosus summaryLegacy has no hardness. Seriously Fish recommends 1 dGH or lower to thrive and breed; FishBase lists 5-8. Seriously Fish preferred for husbandry.
Seriously Fish: Dicrossus filamentosus (Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid) · FishBase: Dicrossus filamentosus summarySeriously Fish: 60 x 30 x 38 cm = 68 L. FishBase asks for an 80 cm tank, which is 80 x 30 x 30 cm = 72 L. Legacy 80 L is slightly more generous than both.
Seriously Fish: Dicrossus filamentosus (Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid) · FishBase: Dicrossus filamentosus summaryFishBase recommends keeping it in pairs; legacy minimum 1.
FishBase: Dicrossus filamentosus summaryVery shy; keep only with peaceful fish.
Seriously Fish: Dicrossus filamentosus (Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid)Legacy "m" (middle); Seriously Fish describes it staying near the bottom.
Seriously Fish: Dicrossus filamentosus (Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid)Legacy has no range field.
FishBase: Dicrossus filamentosus summaryThe female checkerboard pattern and male dorsal filament in the legacy text are not described in the sources.
Seriously Fish: Dicrossus filamentosus (Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid)Sources confirm only that breeding needs very soft, acidic, clean water and is seen as a challenge; nothing found on where eggs are laid or who guards them. Note the legacy data contradicts itself (text says substrate spawner on rocks or leaves; breeding.type says cave spawner).
Seriously Fish: Dicrossus filamentosus (Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid)Legacy says "Amazon black-water streams" only; range also includes the Orinoco. Soft acidic water confirmed. The checkerboard pattern being specific to males is not confirmed.
FishBase: Dicrossus filamentosus summary · Seriously Fish: Dicrossus filamentosus (Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid)