# Checkerboard fit into current tank?



## zachawry (May 18, 2013)

Hi,

I have a heavily-planted 65-gallon tank with the following fish:

2 German rams (male and female)
8 conto tetra
4 guppies
12 celestial pearl danios 
12 rummynose tetra
30 or so Amano shrimp

I am thinking of getting some checkerboard cichlids. If I do, I might get rid of the rummynose tetras, both because I want to keep the bioload down and because they are the fastest eaters I have, and I want to make sure the Checkerboards can eat.

So...would Checkerboards be a good match for this tank? I find myself really liking the CPD's, and how they tend to hang out in the plants in back more often; they are more fun to watch. As are the rams. The rummynose just darting back and forth all day across the front of the tank has gotten kind of old. So I figured that some Checkerboards would provide another more interesting addition.

If I do get some checkerboards, what would be a good number? I'm thinking 6 or 8.

Thanks for any input!


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

Since they're pair forming and u have German blue ram pair & They require territories, so I would keep a pair or 1 male with 2-3 females


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## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

Lyretail Checkerboards are not pair forming but do better with more males than females(reverse harems). Not so sure about the other species.

Yes, they would be an interesting fit in that tank, I'd say six would be a good number if you are talking about _Dicrossus filamentosus_, which is the more common species. The Lyretails tend to stay up away from the bottom in a well planted tank, even when spawning, and would be less of a threat to the Rams. The larger _D. maculatus_ might be more limited, as they are bottom dwellers that will compete directly with the Rams for territory.

On a side note, I assume that "Conto" is a mis-spelling of Congo, and 8 Congos are a lot for a tank that size. These are Tetras that can easily get 4 inches, so you're talking about fish that will eventually get big enough to eat your CPDs easily. Also, removing the open water school of Rummys could make the Danios hide in the plants more. I kept a group of these little fish by themselves for breeding purposes, and while they reproduced like crazy, I almost never saw them. In a tank where other fish are moving around, they seem to be more willing to show themselves.


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## zachawry (May 18, 2013)

Mr Chromedome said:


> Lyretail Checkerboards are not pair forming but do better with more males than females(reverse harems). Not so sure about the other species.
> 
> Yes, they would be an interesting fit in that tank, I'd say six would be a good number if you are talking about _Dicrossus filamentosus_, which is the more common species. The Lyretails tend to stay up away from the bottom in a well planted tank, even when spawning, and would be less of a threat to the Rams. The larger _D. maculatus_ might be more limited, as they are bottom dwellers that will compete directly with the Rams for territory.
> 
> On a side note, I assume that "Conto" is a mis-spelling of Congo, and 8 Congos are a lot for a tank that size. These are Tetras that can easily get 4 inches, so you're talking about fish that will eventually get big enough to eat your CPDs easily. Also, removing the open water school of Rummys could make the Danios hide in the plants more. I kept a group of these little fish by themselves for breeding purposes, and while they reproduced like crazy, I almost never saw them. In a tank where other fish are moving around, they seem to be more willing to show themselves.


Thanks. I did not know that the two species have different behavioral patterns. I will have to find out which species the LFS has.

Yep, mis-spelling for Congo. Do you really think 8 is too much for a 65 gallon? That's surprising to hear. They are not full-grown yet, so I will have to see if it looks like they are getting cramped when they get bigger. It never occurred to me that they might eat my beloved CPD's! In that case I would rather get rid of the Congo tetras than the CPD's.

I had thought about what you say about removing the rummynose might have an adverse effect on the CPD's for losing a dither fish, but I thought that they Congos might act as dither as well. Is that assumption wrong?

Thanks again.


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## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

> I had thought about what you say about removing the rummynose might have an adverse effect on the CPD's for losing a dither fish, but I thought that they Congos might act as dither as well. Is that assumption wrong?


They may while the Congos are still relatively small. Eventually they will get big enough that the CPDs will see them as a threat, I think. I probably should have said 8 fully grown Congos will be a lot with the fish load that you already have in the tank.


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## zachawry (May 18, 2013)

Well, I went and picked up 6 Dicrossus filamentosus, and even though they were only in the tank for about 15 minutes before the lights turned off, I think I like them a lot. I love how they explore every nook and cranny of the environment kind of slowly and methodically. I don't think it's (just) because they're new, either. My German Rams do the same thing.

So, even though I think the bioload is probably fine for the tank, given the large amount of filtration and plants I have, I'm seriously tempted to return the Congo Tetras and get a few more each of the CPDs and the Dicrossus filamentosus.

I'll give it a few more days before I decide, but in general I just find myself liking the more laid back, but curious fish rather than the flashy "swim back and forth is all we do" varieties, like the Congos.

And I'll keep the rummynose either way as dither.


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