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Dicrossus filamentosus

hydrosparky

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
20
I plan to get some of these fish, but I want to know what I should do before getting them. Are they harder to keep than the German Blue Rams? Are they aggressive to their own kinds? If they are kept when they are juvies, will they fight less?Any thing special I need to do for these guys? Thank you!
 

Melanochromis

Member
Messages
249
Location
Bangkok, Thailand
I'll try to answer all your questions. I think filamentosus are significantly harder to keep than rams. They aren't too picky but still need very good water. They are not much aggressive unless they are in breeding mode, which is when they get territorial but not to the point of being murderous like some other species. If your tank is big enough, you'll probably be able to keep a good number of them even if some are trying to breed. Juveniles fight less of course. Even non-breeding adults don't really fight much. I think this is certainly a species that is nice to keep in a group in a big tank, instead of a pair or trio in a small tank.

If you are looking to keep this species, I think you should have a rather big tank with very clean water. A low pH should also be very nice.

My main tank has a pH reading of 4.5 and I got maculatus spawns in this tank but never filamentosus, not even after I removed all the maculatus (they were a bit larger). Ironically, a filamentosus pair in a spare tank kept breeding regularly. The pH in that one was probably around 6.0, but the water is very clean nevertheless. I thought the pH must be lower, but apparently it wasn't that necessary.

Also, don't feed them too much. Adults seem to get bloated easily.
 

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
To help prevent bloat feed some vegetables in their diet (peas, zucchini, sweet potato); not too heavy on meat & worms especially as they get older (beyond 1 year). Fast-growing juveniles are OK with more meat, but I think it might contribute to kidney or liver damage in adults. Mosquito larvae and fresh-hatched Artemia are excellent foods at any age.

Also, don't feed them too much. Adults seem to get bloated easily.
 

hydrosparky

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
20
Do I boil the veggies? I didn't know that they were that hard... I heard each type depends on where you get them from. Is it true that females have red find after their first spawn?
 

hydrosparky

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
20
I got these cichlids last week and they are doing so well! They've grown quickly! I have some individuals with some red/orange dorsal fins even though they haven't spawned. The one that doesn't have the color on its fins has longer dorsal fins though. Are females more aggressive than males or vice-versa?
 

FIL

Member
5 Year Member
Hi,

I also will try to answer you because I have long maintained and breed this species.
A couple can be maintained without a problem PH = 6.5 or 7 in a tray 1 meter long at a temperature of 26 ° C.
For breeding, you must recreate parameters extremes pH < 4.5, rainwater or 100% osmose water, a conductivity as low as possible < 50microsiemens and you 'll have the chance to have one hundred fingerlings.

To feed the fry, you must begin by micro-worms because their mouths are too small to eat Artemia nauplii. After 10 days, you can give Artemia nauplii.

Here are some pictures and videos of my Dicrossus.

dsc05718.jpg


dicros15.jpg



fry

parade of male

Nicolas
 

gerald

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Messages
1,491
Location
Wake Forest NC, USA
FIL what are your thoughts on long-term diet for full-grown adults? Do you agree with my theory above that too much meat/worms can make them more prone to fatty organ damage and bloat, and that feeding vegetables can help keep adults healthy longer? I have rarely had checkerboards live much beyond 1.0 to 1.5 year, so I'd like to hear opinions from more successful keepers.
 

FIL

Member
5 Year Member
Hello gerald,
I totally agree with you. Dwarf cichlids are omnivorous so it seems normal to me to give them vegetable mixed with meat of fish, shrimp, Artemia, garlic and why not some spices. I have myself prepared food made in home with vegetable (fish meat, artemia, calmar, carrot, spinach, mussels). It works very well and fishes eat with envy. I avoid red worms, tubifex and beef.

Nicolas
 

hydrosparky

New Member
5 Year Member
Messages
20
Very beautiful! And thank you for the great info! I guess I'll feed my fish some nice veggies!
 

Apistomaster

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
703
Location
Clarkston, WA
My D. filamentosus usually live 3 to 4 years and they have all been wild fish.
I feed them black worms, newly hatched Artemia, frozen blood worms and earth worm sticks.
The later, earth worm sticks, contain some Spirulina and other plant based ingredients.
 

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