Above: In the picture, a young Premium Lyretail Checkerboard Cichlid is swimming in one of our aquariums, when one of us snapped this picture.
Comments: These are fabulous fish with vibrant colors.
Origin: These Cichlid's ancestors lived in Colombia but now they live in aquariums all over the world.
Behaviors: These Cichlids are usually not aggresive fish.
Compatibility: Some recommended tank mates include, some community fish and other less aggressive fish. Click here to read more about compatible groups of pet fish.
Temperature: These Cichlids live best from about 75 to 80-degrees F. with 78 being perhaps ideal. Click here to learn about aquarium temperature, aquarium thermometers, and aquarium heaters. Feeding: Premium Fish Food Pellets is best to feed to Cichlids. Smaller sized pellets when young, and larger sized pellets when bigger, is the ideal food for these fish. Click here to learn more about and shop online for premium fish foods. Water Conditions: This fish naturally lives in water with very low pH and very low hardness. It will usually not do well in water with a pH of more than 6.5, and lower is probably better. This fish does well in a aquarium with R/O, Reverse Osmosis, water, which has about the right pH and softness, but R/O water is unstable and requires carefull monitoring and very frequent partial water changes. For this reason this is a fish for advanced hobbyists. Aquarium Size: this small Cichlid species will eventually need to live in an aquarium with at least 30-gallons of water, but of course bigger is better. Decor: Cichlids do not need gravel, and a layer of gravel more than 1/4" thick will usually fill with bits of uneaten food that will contaminate the water. Click here for more about aquarium gravel. Live plants are beautiful, improve the water quality, and this species seems to love live plants.Aquarium Filter: Bio-Wheel Filters are highly recommended. A Penguin 200B is the right size for a 30-galloon aquarium. Click here to learn more about aquarium filters.
The addition of Lava Rocks will keep nitrates in the ideal range. Click here to learn more about using Lava Rocks in aquariums. Life Span: These Cichlids can live for several years. Keep the water conditions excellent and feed them premium foods, and they may breed and produce the next generation of fish for your aquarium.Gender: It's difficult to tell males from females, when they're very small, but as they mature the male will color up and will develop a beautiful lyretail. The female will become rounder and usually have duller coloring.
Breeding: For these Cichlids, the females lay their eggs on a flat surface. The male fertilizes the eggs, and then they guard and protect their eggs from other tankmates. Click here for a lot more about breeding various tropical fish in aquariums.
Click here for a lot more information about keeping and caring for Cichlids, including a picture gallery.
We hope you've enjoyed reading these comments.
DrTom - 03/21/2015
All of our fish are Premium Quality Fish from the best suppliers in the world. Our fish have better health, more energy and brighter colors, as you can see in our pictures on this website.
We have 380-aquariums with lots-and-lots of popular aquarium fish plus lots-and-lots of rare fish!
We consider ourselves to be the link between the world's best sources of fish and the world's best customers. We love our work, and we are very responsible about caring for our fish and then shipping them carefully.
We also offer lots and lots of information about keeping and caring for pet fish, all from the knowledge of the Bailey Brothers, who have a combined total of 100+ years of experience as breeders, wholesalers, and retailers of pet fish!
Our fish and our customers are treated with the best of care, and we work energetically everyday to make sure every customer enjoys their new fishy friends.
When you purchase pet fish from us, you know you're receiving premium quality fish and premium quality service.
"Received my fish last night and was so pleased! They all arrived alive and appeared to be healthy.
"Once in the tank, they became very active and are now thriving in their new home.
"Beautiful fish, I asked for color and aquariumfish delivered. Processing and shipping was extremely quick."
Nevin and DrTom, the Bailey Brothers
This website is owned and operated by the Bailey Brothers, DrTom and Nevin, who've been together in the fish business for more than 50-years.
The Product Manager has been with the company for more than 35-years.
So we feel very confident that this is the fishiest crew anywhere.