
Checkerboard cichlid
Dicrossus filamentosus
It moves quietly along the bottom through the fallen leaf litter.
The Checkerboard cichlid (Dicrossus filamentosus) is a tropical freshwater fish of the family Cichlidae. It swims in midwater, close to the bottom. Adults grow to about 7 cm. In the aquarium it needs a tank at least 60 cm long and water at 25–29 °C.
- Size
- 7 cm
- Smallest tank
- 60 cm
- Temperature
- 25–29 °C
- Care
- Demanding
In the aquarium
Temperature25–29 °C
pH5.5–7.2
Hardness1–10 °dGH
- Temperament
- Peaceful
- Diet
- Omnivore
- Activity
- Calm
- Water layer
- Bottom
- Group
- Lives on its own
- Plants
- Plant safe
These values are compiled from real species data, and the LumaReef simulation is built to keep them true to life.
Which tank it fits
- Nano60 cm · 65 litres13 of them
- Standard90 cm · 180 litres36 of them
- Wide120 cm · 300 litres60 of them
- Living room180 cm · 650 litres130 of them
- Showcase250 cm · 1,200 litres240 of them
- Gallery300 cm · 1,440 litres288 of them
Who it lives with
Gets along52 species
- Dwarf gourami
- Diamond tetra
- Silver hatchetfish
- Molly
- Dwarf chain loach
- Cardinal tetra
- Lemon tetra
- Penguin tetra
- Glowlight tetra
- Guppy
- Boesemani rainbowfish
- Green neon tetra
- Lambchop rasbora
- Endler's livebearer
- Sailfin molly
- Ember tetra
- Chili rasbora
- Freshwater angelfish
- Celebes rainbowfish
- Neon dwarf rainbowfish
- Cockatoo cichlid
- Sterbai corydoras
- Bolivian ram
- Rummynose tetra
Caution31 species
Narrow shared temperature range
- Bronze corydoras
- Black skirt tetra
- Pearl danio
- Tiger barb
- Congo tetra
- Emperor tetra
- Scissortail rasbora
- Zebra danio
- Cherry barb
- Platy
- Harlequin rasbora
- Black neon tetra
- Serpae tetra
- Giant danio
- Neon tetra
- Glowlight danio
- Galaxy rasbora
- Green kubotai rasbora
- Swordtail
- Bristlenose pleco
- Discus
- Julii corydoras
- Zebra loach
- German blue ram
- Otocinclus
- Clown killifish
- Julidochromis
- Pygmy corydoras
- Yoyo loach
- Siamese algae eater
- Rainbow shark
Not together16 species
In the wild
- Water type
- Freshwater
- Climate zone
- Tropical
- Habitat
- Midwater, close to the bottom
- Aquarium trade
- Traded commercially
Conservation status
Classification
- OrderCichliformes
- FamilyCichlidae
- GenusDicrossus
- SpeciesDicrossus filamentosus
- Described byLadiges, 1958
In other languages
- English
- Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid
Quick answers
- Checkerboard cichlid size: how big does it get?
- Adults reach about 7 cm. Record sizes among the 189 Cichlidae species on LumaReef: 3 cm (Viejita Dwarf Cichlid) to 80 cm (Giant Tanganyika Cichlid).
- Checkerboard cichlid tank size: what is the minimum?
- A tank at least 60 cm long. In LumaReef that is the Nano tank or larger.
- Checkerboard cichlid water parameters: what does it need?
- Temperature 25–29 °C, pH 5.5–7.2, hardness 1–10 °dGH. Close to what most Cichlidae on LumaReef need (23–28 °C).
- Checkerboard cichlid tank mates: what can it live with?
- It gets along with 52 of the 99 freshwater species in the catalogue, such as Dwarf gourami, Diamond tetra, and Silver hatchetfish.
- Checkerboard cichlid: alone or in a group?
- It can be kept on its own.
- Checkerboard cichlid and plants: is it plant safe?
- Yes, it leaves plants alone.
Similar species
Sources
Checkerboard cichlid: compiled from these references.









