South American Cichlid ID  2/12/09 Hi Crew, Please help me identify this chappie..? Cleithracara maronii (key hole?) from South America? Thanks! Gail. < The photo you submitted is actually Guianacara geayi. It gets to be about 10 inches, twice the size of the keyhole.-Chuck>

Central American Cichlid ID. – 10/10/08 My LFS cannot tell me what kind of cichlid this is, nor can anyone I know. I was wondering if you guys could help me out! Thank you again < You cichlid looks like a type of Parachromis managuensis. The are a few geographic variants in the hobby but this looks like this is probably the fish.-Chuck>

Identification? TX cichlid   7/29/08 Hi Neale, Do you know by chance the identity of this fish? <Hmm... looks like Herichthys cyanoguttatus, one of the two "Texas Cichlids" of the hobby. Fairly sure it's a Herichthys species anyway, but there are quite a few in the genus that look alike (to me at least).> Is it a South or Central American cichlid? <Oh, definitely Central American.> I will continue to research it... Thank you. Lisa. <Cheers, Neale.> Re: Identification? (Chuck, second opinion?) You're expertise amazes me. Thank you!!! <Don't know that I'm right yet! Cheers, Neale.> Re: Identification? (Chuck, second opinion?) I checked out the pics and I think you hit the nail on the head. <Cool. Nice looking fish by the way. All the Herichthys are lovely pets, but fairly aggressive though intelligent and very adaptable (some species are said to be able to breed in seawater!). Cheers, Neale.> Cichlid ID Sorry guys, I didn't get a photo to check out the fish. If the fish has large greenish spots then it is a H. carpinte. If the fish has smaller whitish spots then it is a H. cyanoguttatus. Unfortunately recent water projects in northern Mexico have disrupted the natural waterways and certain geographic populations of both species are now able in cross in the wild. A species with only a few dots is H. tamasopoensis. Do a google search on all three and see which one matches the closes to the fish you are trying to identify. When all else fails I would go with Neale's ID since he has seen the photo and he is one of the best in the business.-Chuck Re: Identification? (Chuck, second opinion?)  7/29/08 Cichlid ID Sorry guys, I didn't get a photo to check out the fish. If the fish has large greenish spots then it is a H. carpinte. If the fish has smaller whitish spots then it is a H. cyanoguttatus. Unfortunately recent water projects in northern Mexico have disrupted the natural waterways and certain geographic populations of both species are now able in cross in the wild. A species with only a few dots is H. tamasopoensis. Do a google search on all three and see which one matches the closes to the fish you are trying to identify. When all else fails I would go with Neale's ID since he has seen the photo and he is one of the best in the business.-Chuck <Chuck, sorry, I didn't mention that the image is in the 'Emails with Images' mailbox, subject line "Identification". From your comments though, the spots are green rather than white, so maybe Herichthys carpintis is the way to go? But the spots are small rather than large! Cheers, Neale.>

TX, RMF Cichlid ID II 7/29/08 Neale, Couldn't find it in the email with images file but did find it on the WWM website. It is definitely H. cyanoguttatum.-Chuck>

Jack Dempsey not a jewel cichlid:( Cichlid sel...  2/9/08
I am so upset. Yesterday I went to my LFS and I wanted a jewel cichlid. Not knowing they gave me a jack Dempsey instead. Now here is the problem. I have a 40 gallon tank and it is too small for a jack Dempsey.
<Indeed.>
I do like the fish but I know it is too small for it. I tried returning it but they said I wasn't allowed because they were afraid it might have a disease and infect their tanks.
<Certainly they are at liberty to take this attitude.>
So do you think it will be fine to leave it in a 40 gallon tank or no.
<Are we talking those paltry little US gallons or the nice big and beefy Imperial gallons? 40 Imperial gallons is about 48 US gallons, and that would be fine for a single adult JD. But forget about tankmates! 40 US gallons is a mere 33 Imperial gallons and too small for an adult JD. A juvenile would be fine for a while, but once it tops about 5", it'll need rehoming.>
I will keep up with the water changes every week. What do you think? Thank you so much for your response.
<Please do remember our mantra -- read about a fish before buying it. There is no way anyone who has seen a picture of either a Jewel Cichlid or a JD could confuse them: one is bright red, the other steely blue. It's hard for me to grasp how the store could trick you here if you had actually read anything about these fish, and moreover if you couldn't tell they were hoodwinking you, you probably weren't adequately informed to be keeping them anyway. So do look for a nice cichlid book, sit down, have a read, and then enjoy what is actually a very pretty, if aggressive, Central American cichlid. Do note that this species has entirely different water chemistry needs to a Jewel, and set up its quarters accordingly.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/dempseyfaqs.htm
Hope this helps, Neale.>

Fish Identification 1-11-2008 Hello <Yunachin here> Any help you can give in this Fishes identity is greatly appreciated!! Thanks for all your help. <This is in fact a Vieja hartwegi or more commonly known as a Tailbar Cichlid or Black Belt Cichlid. Yunachin> Christie Re: Fish Identity  1-11-2008 <Yunachin here> Is there another Cichlid that has the common name Black Belt? I have a different fish with a bar doing vertically ( like a belt) that seems to have diff. coloring... he was sold to me as a black belt. Are they the same fish? <Cichlasoma maculicauda is the Black Belt Cichlid that you own. It is not the same as the Vieja maculicauda. Sometimes the most accurate way to determine a species is to go by the Latin name so there is no getting confused.> Thanks!! <You're welcome> Christine

Confused, Neotrop. Cichlid ID   8/13/07 I am really having problems identifying my fish and really hoping you can help me clear things up! I thought he/she was a Flowerhorn but cannot seem to find a pic that looks like him. them I came across a pic of a Trimac and they look very similar. <Yes... the Flowerhorn is a cross, a hybrid...> I know some Flowerhorns are bred thru trimacs but this one looks way more Trimac I think than Flowerhorn.. Last is that most male Flowerhorn have large heads this one does not but is very large, about 12 inches and body is very muscular with beautiful long fins. Any help is greatly appreciated!! Patty <Is a nice specimen indeed. I do believe this is Amphilophus trimaculatus due to a lack of the crosses apparent characteristics (e.g. the "spangled" look of the flanks scales...), but it could easily be a "throw back" of sorts of the Flowerhorn cross. Bob Fenner>

Cichlid ID and Questions  – 5/13/07 I purchased these guys about a year ago under the name port cichlid.   I have been looking to add something new/different to my 150 gallon cichlid community.  The more research I have done, the more I think that they are  not port cichlids (Aequidens portalegrensis) but rather flag cichlids (Laetacara curviceps).  They have not grown much since I purchased them.  What do  you think?   They seem to have maxed out at about 3 inches. < You were very close. They are L. dorsigera from the Rio Parana area of Northern Argentina. Treat them the same way as curviceps except they prefer the water a little cooler.> I am looking to add a few rainbow cichlids (Herotilapia multispinosa) and some T-bar cichlids (Archocentrus sajica) to my collection of keyhole cichlids,   a couple of severums and a Geophagus.  Is it true that rainbow cichlids  will help to control filament algae in my fish tank? < While they may nip at the algae occasionally I would not count on them to be efficient algae eaters.> Also, I have been  trying to get my local fish store to get me a few T-bar cichlids, but have had  no luck.  Any suggestions as to were I could buy some on the net? < Google for Archocentrus sajica or Cryptoheros sajica. T-bar cichlid is not recognized by advanced cichlid aquarists that may have this fish for sale.-Chuck> Thank you \Linda

Could this be my fish??    11/4/06   I caught two of these in a stream behind my house. I question if they are Texas Cichlid because they do not have spots, just stripes but they are very young. The stripes darken or fade due to there mood. <Is another neotropical cichlid species or cross... Perhaps a part of the "Chanchito" complex> They stay at the top of my tank under some floating fake grass I have. I have two but they stay at separate ends of the tank. I have had several mysterious deaths since there arrival but I have NEVER seen any aggression from them towards any other fish in the tank. All three fatalities were large Tiger Barbs about twice the size of these guys. I know a little bit about Cichlids and I know size is no indication. I have seen a 4" Jack Dempsey slowly kill a HUGE Oscar so if these guys are killing my Barbs I would not be surprised. <Me neither... you'll likely need to separate these> Thanks, Erica D. Bins <Bob Fenner>

Texas Cichlid Probably Something Else  9/12/06
Hello Bob!  I was hoping you could help me identify my new cichlid.  I just bought a cichlid and was informed by the people at the store that it's a 'Texas cichlid'.  My new cichlid however, doesn't look anything like the Texas cichlids on this site.  In fact, it doesn't look like any of the cichlids I've seen on your site at all, or any other sites for that matter.  It has a dark gray body with some shiny green scales on its head.  The most obvious feature my fish has that Texas cichlids don't is orange all along the edge of it's tailfin and at the end of it's top fin.  It's only 5-6 inches at the moment, so is this really a Texas cichlid that's just going to change colors as it grows, or another fish entirely?  Thanks for the help! Kim
< Check out red terrors or jack Dempseys.-Chuck>

Pike Cichlid ID/Info  - 3/16/2006
My husband and I recently purchased a Crenicichla xingu 2 and we are having a hard time finding information on this particular species.  I have found 2 pictures online, both of which are completely different from one another.  I wanted to see if you know any information on this species and if you know what exactly they will look like when full grown.  Thank you. David Fillmore
< Crenicichla sp. Xingu II comes from the Rio Xingu river in Brazil. These are one of the big ones and can get close to 18 inches when full grown. They prefer water in the mid 70's F. A pH of around 7 is fine. It is a meat eater that will take small fish as well as worms and frozen food too. It likes a tank that is not too bright that is decorated with stones roots and caves. The male is overall a faint steel blue color with the top of his head being an olive color and the bottom of the head being an off white. The female is the pretty one. She has an olive brown body with a rosy pink belly. Her fins are red and edged in white and then black. The top of the head is an olive brown but the bottom is a bright yellow gold color. This is a pretty rare species in the hobby. Most of the time the Crenicichla species Xingu I or better known as the orange pike is offered for sale. The big problem with pike is that they need clean water or they start to get sick.-Chuck>

Blue Acara Revisited
Hello, Ryan (or anyone if Ryan is not available) -
<I'm here! Morning>
Perhaps you will recall me. You answered a query of mine regarding a blue Acara that I had recently purchased and put in a 90 gallon tank with three juvenile Oscars, the largest about six inches at the time (about 9 now, and so beautiful),  which the Acara quickly began to terrorize, despite their superior sized. I removed the Acara and put him in a 10 gallon tank for temporary purposes, and, believing that I was not ready for so fine a fish as a blue Acara, you recommended that I return it to the fish store but I did not, for I had already fallen in love with it. <Yes, I remember.  I wasn't crazy about the space you had for this fish- How goes it?>
A while back, I moved the blue Acara into a 55 gallon tank, by himself.
Tomorrow, I am headed to town and I thought I would bring back a tankmate for him - probably another Acara, female if I can find one, for I believe this one to be male. My plan was also to bring back a tank divider so that I could keep the fish separate until they get used to each other and the new one had a chance to grow. I wanted to at least consider the possibility of a tank mate other than an Acara, so I popped on the web to do some research. <Great>
Now, after surfing through all kinds of sights and finding a bunch of green terrors that look just like my blue Acara, but no blue Acara that does (although some do bear a distinct resemblance) I am wondering if my blue Acara is a blue Acara at all. As you are a person who has raised blue Acaras of your own, perhaps you know.
<Yes, I'd be happy to ID him>
Here is a picture of him. What do you think? Is he a blue Acara, or a green terror? At the time of this picture (October 7) he was about five inches in length.
<This is certainly Aequidens rivulatus, The Green Terror.  Beautiful fish, but a 55 gallon tank will be more suited for just one.  The Aequidens Pulcher, or Blue Acara, is rarely as colorful as your GT! Best of luck! Ryan>
Thanks,
Bill

Blue Acara or Green Terror pt. 3
Thanks, Ryan <Surely> - Yesterday, I went back to the store where I purchased
him and they had some small ones that looked just like he did when I
got him and when I questioned whether or not they were really blue
Acaras, they insisted they were! <These fish look similar when young, distinctly different when older.>
I will tell them about this. I guess
that might explain why he was so hard on the Oscars. <Yes, my Blues have been much more permissive of tankmates than what you experienced.> Anyway, I am very
happy with him, green terror though he be. In the event that I move him
into a bigger tank, is there a fish I might put in with him? <Possible, but always potential for war.>
A female
green terror, if nothing else? <Most people who breed Green Terrors simply bring the pair together to breed, then separate them.  The larger your system is, the better a chance for another fish to happily co-exist with a GT> Or would he be too hard on her except
during mating times? <Certainly>
Actually, though, I do kind of enjoy watching him with a whole tank to
himself. From what I have read, I gather that green terrors do fine by
themselves. Is that your experience? <Yes, and many feel that keeping a single specimen can drastically change the way that he interacts with YOU as well.  Best of luck! Ryan>
Bill

Texas cichlids
my query for u guys is i have a Texas cichlid and his colors half black and half
white my friends keys telling me that its not a Texas cichlid  do they change
colors like that  is it a Texas cichlid or is it some thing else    hope to
hear from u guys soon  u can e mail me back at   elmo01830 @aol .com
<There are really two different species of cichlids commonly referred to as Texas Cichlids.. "Cichlasoma" carpinte is a fish with large greenish spots on a dark grey body. The other Texas Cichlid is "Cichlasoma" cyanoguttatum. This one has smaller white spots on a lite grey body. When either one becomes dominant or decides it wants to breed the lower half becomes black while the upper half can become a very light grey almost white.-Chuck>

Blood Parrot (cichlid)
Hello,
  I have two parrot fish yellow and red. they are about 2.5 in. they are with
electric blue cichlid and a lemon yellow cichlid, and 3 clown loaches. my
question is my yellow parrot fish was a pretty yellow but is getting black on his
fins and under his head. is this something I should be concerned about? thank
you,  Darci
< Parrot fish are a hybrid between a few different species of cichlids. Color changes are not unheard of. If the fish look and act OK then I think the color change is most likely from the fishes genetics rather than environmental conditions or diseases.-Chuck>