Dicrossus maculatus Breeding Guide

Breeding the spade-tail checkerboard cichlid Dicrossus maculatus: a substrate spawner needing near-distilled, strongly acidic water for eggs to hatch.

Overview

Dicrossus maculatus is a Brazilian checkerboard dwarf cichlid that occurs in slow-flowing rivers and streams with sandy bottoms, mainly in the Rio Tapajós and Rio Maués (AquaInfo). It is a substrate spawner and a recognised challenge to breed, as the eggs require extremely acidic, very soft water to hatch (Seriously Fish).

Sexing

Males reach up to about 9 cm and display blue and red tones on the fins, including a striking blue sheen on the head and gill plates, while females stay around 6 cm with less striking colours (AquaInfo; Seriously Fish). Size alone is not always reliable, as females may be similar in size; during breeding the female's ventral/pectoral fins turn bright red to yellow (Seriously Fish; AquaInfo).

Conditioning

Live foods may be needed to bring the fish into breeding condition (Seriously Fish). One spawning account fed adults newly hatched brine shrimp together with a few white worms (AquaInfo). High-quality water is described as absolutely vital.

Breeding Setup

Breeding requires a dedicated tank with nearly distilled water (conductivity under 50 µS/cm) and a pH below 5.5 (AquaInfo); Seriously Fish gives an even lower spawning range of pH 3.4-5.4 with hardness below 1 dGH and temperatures of 26-30 °C. Broad-leaved plants or flat stones provide spawning surfaces. The KB record lists a minimum volume of 80 L.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Eggs are laid on broad leaves or stones; in one account the female deposited about 75 wrigglers on a leaf, with the potential to lay up to 150 (AquaInfo). Soft water changes with reverse-osmosis water reportedly triggered spawning (AquaInfo). After spawning the female becomes aggressive toward the male (AquaInfo).

Egg & Fry Care

Care is female-led: the female hovers over the clutch and later herds the free-swimming fry around the tank using her ventral fins, bedding them down at night (AquaInfo; Seriously Fish). Eggs hatch in about three days and fry become free-swimming around five days later; fry are slow growers, reaching roughly 2.5 cm by three months. A brooding female will not spawn again until all fry are removed (Seriously Fish).

Common Challenges

The species is very sensitive to water changes and conditions and requires experienced keepers (AquaInfo). Raising the pH toward 5.5 and lowering temperature to about 24 °C during the first month is reported to produce a more balanced, male-leaning sex ratio (Seriously Fish).