Dicrossus Filamentosus

Dicrossus filamentosus is one of the most beautiful dwarf cichlids in the hobby, originating from the blackwater tributaries of the Rio Negro in Brazil and adjacent Orinoco drainages in Colombia. Males develop a dramatic lyretail caudal fin flushed with red and blue iridescence, elongated ventral fins, and a pale checkerboard body pattern. Females display a distinctive pink-purple belly band, particularly intense during spawning. This species demands very soft, warm, acidic blackwater conditions with near-zero carbonate hardness. It is a substrate spawner that deposits eggs in leaf litter or on smooth stones, with the female taking primary brooding duty. Tannin-stained water, fine sand, dense leaf litter, and dim lighting are essential. Not suitable for community tanks with boisterous or nippy species.

Water: Very soft; pH 4.5–6.2, temperature 26–30 °C, low conductivity essential. Tank: 60 L+; leaf litter, fine sand, tannins, dim lighting. Feeding: Live and frozen daphnia, artemia nauplii, micro-worm, fine pellets. Breeding: Substrate spawner; female guards eggs; pristine blackwater improves fry survival. Compatibility: Only with very small, gentle soft-water species such as Nannostomus or small tetras.