ID please - What the heck is this?

[the_other]

A friend at the LFS threw this into a purchase for free a few months ago. Was tagged as a Bolivian Ram, and looked to be one when it was an inch long. It obviously isn't. Any ideas?

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2205/2093649809_0f88d39569_m.jpg

[silentskream]

looks kind alike a pale jack dempsey.

[Hollygirl]

I saw a similar fish at the LFS. Could that be a "Firemouth" cichlid?

[jm1212]

looks like it couud be a green terror. get MUCH bigger than bolivian rams and are much more aggressive.

[the_other]

thanks. I thought it could be a jack dempsey, firemouth, green terror or texas cichlid but nothing seems to fit considering the colorations. it actually looks like a mix of all. strange fish...

[elementkid65]

i think it is a threadfin acara which looks like the regular acara and a green terror

[Chele&Luke]

No idea here - but it sure is pretty!! :)

[severum mama]

It's a firemouth cichlid- thorichthys meeki. Certainly not a Bolivian ram (microgeophagus altipsinosa). They get relatively large compared to dwarf cichlids, and are much more aggressive. I'd keep that fish in nothing less than 29 gallons, 30 long if in a pair. Choose tankmates wisely- I've had my FM kill a sailfin gibbiceps pleco. Good luck!!!!!!:)

[the_other]

it is in my planted 80 euro (which you should never buy unless it has overflows built in) so i am sure there is enough room.

[tarheels910]

Wow. Some nice guesses guys. Doesnt even look close to a JD or a GT.

Its a Firemouth (Meeki). They can be peaceful with community fish SOMETIMES. It all depends on the pesonality of the fish. A lot of people keep them in planted tanks with platies, swordtails, etc.

[Fishfiles1]

its def a firemouth

[MightyMetallica]

Prob. a firemouth, but could be a pale dempsey

[krytan]

It look's like a firemouth / Acara hybrid.

[Star_Rider]

looks like a hybrid of some sort.

[MySpace Mike]

Looks to me like the False FireMouth Cichlid (Amphilophus robertsoni (http://www.cichlids.com/pictures/species/amphilophus_robertsoni.html))

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/4572/falsefiremouthgk5.jpg

[Oii]

has too many pearls to be a firemouth.. Could be a blue acara. A different picture of this fish would help this thread a lot.

[ScottoMacD]

but.

It is not a firemouth. It may have some firemouth in it but I am really not too sure about that.

It is from the geophagus family. Right now I am leaning towards Geophagus SP "Tapajos Red Head" but I am at work and don't have my cichlid books in front of me.

Or even one of the micro-geo species.

I will post a more complete response when I have a chance to look tonight at home.

Still I'm pretty sure that it is not a firemouth however.

[The Zigman]

its a jewel cichlid...Hemichromis guttatus

Lookie here:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/h_guttatus.php

[Bnoble]

You sure its not a firemouth my guy looks just like that!
sorry the best pics i could get!(camera phone)

[Star_Rider]

first thing I though given the profile was Geo

finnage particularly the ventrals and the shape and coloration..but possibly a hybrid

[ScottoMacD]

I am starting to lean more towards the Threadfin Acara (acarichthys heckelii)

Or the Herichthys Ellioti, or Herichthys Aureus, or Herichthys Helleri

Thing is though The Aureus and the Helleri are not widely distributed fish. Especially not in regular run of the mill pet stores. You would find them more often with high end distributers like Jeff Rapps and specialty fish stores.

So I am leaning more towards the Ellioti then the threadfin.
The two bottom pictures.
I also haven't ruled out my original Geo thought. I just can't seem to find that book right now.

[Bnoble]

please let us know if u fine out the name, neat looking fish tho.

[erin14]

its a jewel cichlid...Hemichromis guttatus

Lookie here:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/h_guttatus.php

Thats not a jewel. Look at the coloration of that Jewel in the link you posted and look at the OP photo. Totally different. Jewels do not have big finnage like that one and there bodies do not look like the OP's photo. I have a Jewel in with my Mbuna and he looks NOTHING like the unidentified fish.

[Marxman187]

other than body shape its coloration looks almost exactly like my jack dempsey but its body shape looks like a firemouth so is it possible its a half dempsey half firemouth? because i think it looks just like a firemouth but way to many colors and spangles.

[Carp37]

first thing I though given the profile was Geo

finnage particularly the ventrals and the shape and coloration..but possibly a hybrid

It looks like a geo of some sort to me too, especially given all the irridescent blue scales and general profile. It's not a firemouth or acara anyway.

[dilhcic]

It certainly has the shape of a firemouth, but I havnt seen markings like that before. Its a spectacular fish whatever it is! It kinda looks like a firemouth/bolivian ram hybrid lol

[donthitmyhead]

looks like a geophagus to me. not sure which specie though

[ProAquatics]

looks kind alike a pale jack dempsey.


looks like it couud be a green terror. get MUCH bigger than bolivian rams and are much more aggressive.


thanks. I thought it could be a jack dempsey, firemouth, green terror or texas cichlid but nothing seems to fit considering the colorations. it actually looks like a mix of all. strange fish...


:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:firemouth duh

[Deb2]

Thorichthys ellioti, closely related to T. meeki (firemouth). Could be a hybrid of the two, but I don't think so. It is definately Thorichthys.

[Marxman187]

im thinkin its alot more like a firemouth/dempsey hybrid for sure

[Deb2]

im thinkin its alot more like a firemouth/dempsey hybrid for sure

Unlikely that the two would hybridize. Pretty likely that two thorichthys would.

[bass28]

thats a crossbreed fish! looks liek a firemouth and some kind of GEO.

[Deb2]

definately not a geo, extremely unlikely that a CA and SA would cross. Also looks nothing like any geo I have seen.

[Star_Rider]

with fish in captivity it is difficult to make any conclusion on what would or would not cross breed.

[Deb2]

with fish in captivity it is difficult to make any conclusion on what would or would not cross breed.


True enough, still doesn't look like a geo, I have kept many.

[syddakyd]

hmm. either thats the nicest looking firemouth i ever seen or it is a hybrid looking to be mixed with blue acara maybe even green terror who knows

[Star_Rider]

True enough, still doesn't look like a geo, I have kept many.
maybe so but a hybrid Geo may not look like a typical Geo.

;)

just keeping options open.... ;)

[Slappy*McFish]

Well, hopefully he knows what it is by now, but I'm fairly confident that it's just a Thorichthys Ellioti in between juvenile and adult coloration.

[dent20]

Thorichthys ellioti, closely related to T. meeki (firemouth). Could be a hybrid of the two, but I don't think so. It is definately Thorichthys.

Has anyone posted this link yet? Awesome looking fish. Funny this thread should come up because I just stumbled upon it last night. I'm trying to decide what I might add to my 125 when I get it up and running.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=63

[Deb2]

lol...I thought I posted that exact link. I am pretty sure it is an ellioti, possibly cross with meeki, but it looks like an ellioti.

A hybrid geo would have some geo charisterics and I am not seeing any.

[SecretAsianFish]

Thorichthys Ellioti!

[aj2494]

Attack of the zombie threads!

[Pittbull]

Knock the cobwebs off this one..