• Dicrossus warzeli Bred

    10. November 2023

    The rarest of all checkerboard cichlids in the aquarium is Dicrossus warzeli, which was known as Dicrossus or Crenicara sp. Tapajós before its scientific description. In 1992 the very characteristically marked dwarf cichlid was discovered in an unnamed tributary (Igarapé) of the great Rio Tapajós in Brazil by the traveling aquarist Frank Warzel and brought […]

  • Dicrossus filamentosus

    1. July 2022

    The checkerboard cichlid (Dicrossus filamentosus) is the most typical dwarf cichlid in the habitat of the cardinal tetra (Paracheirodon axelrodi). It is found in Brazil (Rio Negro drainage) as well as in Colombia and Venezuela (Orinoco drainage). Males have a lyre-shaped caudal fin and grow to almost 8 cm long; the caudal fin of females […]

  • Colombia… a journey to the habitats of our fish Part 2

    28. February 2020

    After our excursion to the Rio Guaviare we went by boat in direction to Rio Inirida, up the river of the same name up to the Caño Bocón. The Caño Bocón is a small tributary of the Rio Inirida that carries black water. Leonell catches his fish here, which we later keep in our aquariums […]

  • Dicrossus maculatus xxl German Bred

    6. December 2019

    The checkerboard dwarf cichlids (Dicrossus) belong to the most beautiful of all dwarf cichlids. However, they are very demanding concerning the chemical water composition, at least when it comes to breeding. Then they need almost distilled water with a pH value around 5. Any bacterial load is only poorly tolerated. For this reason, Dicrossus are […]

  • A cryptic species of Dicrossus?

    19. April 2016

    Dicrossus filamentosus, the checkerboard cichlid, is a permanent guest in our fishhouse. The beautiful dwarf cichlids make gorgeous aquarium inhabitants. Last week we obtained a shipment of large specimens from Manaus, almost exclusively males. We decided to photograph them due to their brilliant coloration. During selecting the models for the photo aquarium two unusual facts […]

  • Gorgeous Dicrossus maculatus arrived!

    26. August 2015

    Dicrossus maculatus belongs for sure to the most beautiful dwarf cichlids at all. But we hardly ever have seen so pretty specimens like the ones we currently were able to import! The photos are taken from specimens we currently have in stock. The water in the photo-tank has been coloured with dead leaves to a […]

  • Dicrossus maculatus – Checkerboard cichlids part 3

    26. January 2015

    This splendid dwarf cichlid is known to science since 1875, but almost never found in home aquaria. This is a great pity, because there are hardly any species that are as beautiful as this one and simultaneously as peaceful! Males become around 9 cm long, females about 6 cm. The animals we currently have in […]

  • Dicrossus foirni (= sp. Rio Negro): checkerboard cichlids, part 2

    26. January 2015

    Finally Dicrossus foirni is available again! This extremely rarely imported dwarf cichlid was formerly known in the hobby under the name of Dicrossus sp. “Rio Negro”. These fish are a real eyecatcher when fully grown. Keeping this jewel is not complicated at all, but for breeding extreme water conditions are necessary (pH below 5, hardness […]

  • Crenicara punctulatum – Checkerboard cichlids, part 1

    26. January 2015

    Currently we have several species of checkerboard cichlids (genera Crenicara and Dicrossus) in stock. Most of them are real rarities in the hobby, among them Crenicara punctulatum. We obtained this pretty species from Peru. Males of Crenicara punctulatum can attain a maximum length of about 12 cm, so this species is not a dwarf cichlid […]