Demon Eartheater
Satanoperca jurupari
- Care level
- Advanced
- Adult size
- 18–25 cm
- Minimum tank
- 500 litres
- Temperature
- 24–29 °C
Species profile
Chessboard Cichlid
Dicrossus maculatus
Common names: Chessboard Cichlid, Spotted Checkerboard Cichlid
Recognized speciesCichlids
Adult size
Up to 10 cm
Typical adult length 5–10 cm.
Up to 10 cm
Countries of origin
Good fit for your tank?
Good fit for
- Mature planted aquarium setups
- Advanced shrimp keepers
Think carefully if
- The aquarium contains shrimp-eating fish
- The tank is newly cycled
- Water conditions change frequently
A rare soft-water dwarf cichlid with dark checkerboard markings and maternal brood care.
Appearance and Identification
A slender beige to silver fish with two rows of dark rectangular flank blotches and blue-green iridescence. Adult males develop extended fins.
It lacks the strongly filamented adult male tail typical of D. filamentosus and has a different blotch and fin pattern. Locality information is valuable.
Males are larger and more colourful with longer fins. Females are smaller and become yellow with red or dark fin markings during brood care.
Tank Requirements
- Suggested filter
- About 200–300 litres an hour
- Suggested heater
- About 100–150 W for this tank
- Minimum tank volume
- 100 litres
- Minimum tank length
- 80 cm
- Minimum group size
- 3
- Recommended group size
- 4
- Activity level
- Moderate
- Flow preference
- Low
- Planting preference
- Moderately planted
- Hiding places
- Yes
- Lid recommended
- Yes
- Jumping risk
- Low
Provide fine sand, leaf litter, branches, subdued light, plants, and several broad leaves or smooth spawning surfaces. A small harem needs separated territories.
Behaviour and Tankmates
A shy, observant dwarf cichlid that becomes territorial around spawning sites.
Keep one male with multiple females only where the layout provides independent areas. A pair is safer in a smaller aquarium.
Brooding females defend eggs and fry vigorously.
Choose tiny peaceful upper-water fishes. Avoid aggressive cichlids, bottom competitors, and shrimp.
Water Parameters
Warm soft acidic water is preferred. Breeding is usually unsuccessful in mineral-rich alkaline conditions.
Parameter caveat
Acclimate slowly and keep nitrogen waste near zero. Very soft water has little buffering capacity.
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Manual aquarium siphon and gravel cleaner
A manual siphon for routine aquarium water changes and accessible waste removal. The seller lists a hose approximately 1.6 m long.
Control the flow and keep the intake clear of fish and delicate planting. Clean the areas appropriate for your substrate and layout rather than disturbing the entire planted bed.
Daraz NepalCheck availability on Daraz
Feeding
- Diet types
- Carnivore, Insectivore
- Feeding frequency
- Daily
- Preferred foods
- Live baby brine shrimpUseful for conditioning adults and feeding juveniles; rinse before use.
- Daphnia, cyclops, or mosquito larvaeSmall moving prey encourages natural feeding behaviour.
- Frozen brine shrimp or mysisOffer thawed portions sized for the fish.
- High-quality cichlid micro-pelletUse as part of a varied diet after the fish accepts prepared food.
A micropredator requiring small live, frozen, and carefully selected prepared foods.
Feed small prey items more than once daily and remove leftovers promptly.
Breeding
- Breeding type
- Egg Layer, Substrate Spawner
- Breeding difficulty
- Difficult
- Breeding temperature
- 28 °C
- Breeding pH
- 5.3
- Brood or egg count
- Usually several dozen to about 100 eggs.
- Incubation
- 3 days
- Parental care
- Maternal care
- Baby foods
- Newly hatched brine shrimpPrimary food for free-swimming fry; feed small rinsed portions several times daily.
- MicrowormsUseful supplementary food for small fry near the substrate.
- Fine powdered fry foodUse sparingly and remove uneaten material.
A maternal substrate spawner. Eggs are deposited on leaves or smooth surfaces and guarded by the female.
Habitat and Origin
- Geographic origin
- Amazon Basin, Brazil, South America
- Natural habitat
- Blackwater, Clearwater, Floodplain, Freshwater Stream
- Aquarium contexts
- Breeding Aquarium, Freshwater Aquarium, Planted Aquarium, Species-Only Aquarium
- Audience level
- Advanced
Classification
- Profile type
- Recognized species
- Genus
- Dicrossus
- Family
- Cichlidae
- Species group
- Cichlids, Fish, South American Cichlids
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Dwarf Flag Cichlid
Laetacara curviceps
- Care level
- Beginner
- Adult size
- 5–8 cm
- Minimum tank
- 80 litres
- Temperature
- 23–28 °C
Electric Blue Ram Cichlid
Mikrogeophagus ramirezi var. "Electric Blue"
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 4–6 cm
- Minimum tank
- 60 litres
- Temperature
- 27–31 °C
False Green Terror
Andinoacara rivulatus
- Care level
- Intermediate
- Adult size
- 20–30 cm
- Minimum tank
- 400 litres
- Temperature
- 22–28 °C