Checkerboard Lyretail

About

The checkerboard lyretail (Dicrossus filamentosus) is a dwarf cichlid from the blackwater rivers of South America, found across the Negro River drainage in Brazil and into the Colombian and Venezuelan reaches of the Orinoco basin. It's a fish that rewards careful attention. Small in body but full of character. The name comes from two of its most obvious features: a bold checkerboard or chessboard pattern of dark squares running along the flanks, and the males' distinctively elongated lyre-shaped caudal fin, which immediately separates this species from its close relative Dicrossus maculatus. Despite the "aggressive" label that often gets attached to cichlids as a group, this species is actually fairly mild-mannered in a community setting, provided its tankmates are equally peaceful. Males can be rough toward one another, so keeping pairs rather than groups tends to work better in most setups. Availability can be hit or miss at local shops, so sourcing from specialist breeders is often the more reliable route. Breeding is achievable but demands genuinely soft, acidic water. RO water is almost always necessary unless your source water naturally runs very low. Eggs reportedly won't hatch reliably above pH 5.8, so this one suits hobbyists who are comfortable dialing in water chemistry.