nicktc's Dicrossus maculatus

[nicktc]

This is my first pair of dicrossus maculatus.
Male is about 2.5" and female is about 2".

Looks like they are already showing some breeding behaviour.

Here are some pictures of the pair. Enjoy....





Male


Female

[SCOPE]

nice breeding pair.....
i like your base gravel....it is kind of helping to bring out the color of the fishes
Can you share which type of gray color gravel is this?

[nicktc]

I uses Dennerle black quartz. It looks more grayish than black.

Here's a video shot of the pair.
YouTube - dicrossus maculatus

Pardon the sound, its from my TV.

[SCOPE]

nice gravel....i may change to this type too...do you think they are corydoras safe too? thanks in advance

[nicktc]

They are meant for corydoras.

[SCOPE]

from the video.....i saw that the pair is already at mating dance....do you provide them some java ferns for them to lay eggs on.....

my last experience is that they laid on the underside of my java fern leave...

[nicktc]

I have windalove, wonder if that would helps. I guess the caves will be not of much help.

Actually there is a little (less than an inch) wild apisto in the caves, not sure what breed.

[SCOPE]

they tends to bred on leaves....check your plants on the underside when the female turn extra aggressive.....i will throw in some cheap feeder guppies as indicator...when their fin or tails are being torn up.....or being kill

[nicktc]

Thanks for the tip.

[fishking]

Hey...very nice pair of fish...hope you have luck in breeding this pair...

[nicktc]

I have been experimenting with different food the last few days.

They don’t seem to show any interest in most of the commercially packed food such as NLS Thera A, frozen brine shrimp and daphnia except live brine shrimp, but that was only like when I first introduced them.

They basically ignore the live brine shrimp on the second day. Preferring to pick at the substrates and leaves.

But they look pretty healthy and female still look ‘full’

What are you guys feeding your Dicrossus?

Thanks

[Samuel2618]

I am feeding mine with Hikari Algae Wafer, NLS Thera A only.. They readily take them..

[SCOPE]

these guys in my opinon prefer some green food....i used to feed them with Tetra bits & Hitari pleco wafer....they pick a lot at the pleco wafer than tetra bits....

[nicktc]

Thanks guys, for the input.

[Quixotic]

Nick, any other fish in there?

I don't have D. maculatus, but I don't think it would be vastly different from D. sp. "Rio Negro". They are kept in the community tank with lots of tetras and Corydoras. I feed them with frozen bloodworm, NLS Thera+A, assorted flakes and waters.

The first few days when I got them, they will eat frozen bloodworm only and not really interested in dry food. As time passes by, they began to show some interest and eventually, they will be the first ones to snatch at the food. I think having other fishes (tetras, Corydoras) somehow help then to learn to take dry food.

Perhaps you may want to try adding some dither fish. Also, as per what SCOPE has mentioned, they do like some vegetable matter in their diet.

[nicktc]

Right now, they are all by themselves. I need to be more careful with the choice of tankmates. They are such 'softies', even a 1" apisto is capable of bullying them.

[Quixotic]

Such wimps! Actually, I meant using small fishes like cyprinids/tetras as dither fish. I am sure these can't be capable of bullying your Dicrossus lah. If they could, I really don't have the eyes to see... hahaha...

[nicktc]

The wimps are going through some confidence training at the moment.

[SCOPE]

Wow, these last few pictures are taken very nicely.....

[doppelbanddwarf]

I think Apistogrammas in general are more aggressive than Discrossus. My 2 Discrossus sp "Rio Negro" also get bullied by a solitary A.inka. I find that keeping them with tetras helps. They tend to hide less with the tetras swimming around in the tank.