Care
Less frequently seen than the Checkerboard Cichlid, this beautiful little cichlid inhabits acidic habitats strewn with leaf litter and tangles of waterlogged wood in the Rio Tapajos and Maues regions of the Lower Amazon Basin.
The home aquarium should contain soft, acidic water and be biologically mature before these fishes are added. Ideally there will be dark substrate and dense planting, with plenty of hiding places/territories amongst rocks, driftwood, coconut shells etc. Floating plant cover could be used to help diffuse the light. The addition of dried Indian Almond Leaves (Terminalia catappa) would be beneficial to help create the favoured conditions, and be aware that the tank should have a tight fitting cover, as these fish can jump. Filtration should be efficient, but water movement gentle, and frequent partial water changes should be carried out in order to keep nitrate at a minimum. Checkerboard Cichlids are peaceful and gregarious, often moving about in sizeable shoals just above the substrate. It is therefore best to obtain a group of at least 8 specimens (and preferably more) for their continued wellbeing. Depending on the size of the aquarium, you may need to keep an eye out for aggression between males, as they compete to control a territory including a number of females. Good tankmates could include Corydoras catfish species, small suckermouth catfish, hatchetfish, pencilfish, and tetras, and shoals of the latter may help to encourage the dwarf cichlids out into the open.
Feeding
Flake, micropellets, and small frozen foods such as mini bloodworm, white mosquito larvae, vitamin-enriched brineshrimp and daphnia.
Breeding
Successful breeding can be achieved in the home aquarium, although it is moderately difficult. The water should be very soft and acidic, and the temperature raised to the top end of their preferred range. Following an elaborate courtship ritual, the female will lead the male to a pre-cleaned spawning site (usually a flat piece of decor or broad leaf) where up to 120 eggs will be deposited/fertilised. The female looks after the eggs, whilst the male loosely guards the perimeter. The eggs should hatch within 48-72 hours, at which point the female will move the young to pre-dug pits in the substrate. The minuscule fry will become free-swimming some 5-7 days later, and can be offered infusoria followed by newly hatched brineshrimp (Artemia nauplii) or powdered 'first' foods.
