View Full Version : Fish ID, Black belt ot Jack Dempsey?
Macromatt
03-25-2004, 9:13 AM
I've had this fish for a while now, and I always thought I had it I.D.'d as a Black belt Cichlid (vieja Maculicauda), but recently I've started having second thoughts about it. From the research I've done the black belt is mostly an algae eater, and this fish seems to ignore all the algae on/in the tank and eats every type of food I give him verociously. I even tried a feeder fish on him/her (never sexed the fish either), and it was gone in about an hour.
Any help I.D.'ing this very pretty fish would be appreciated.
http://www.mattbaclar.com/fishy/fishie1.jpg
http://www.mattbaclar.com/fishy/fishie2.jpg
Thanks,
Matt
NickH
03-25-2004, 10:03 AM
It's definitely NOT a JD. It's probably a Black Belt or it could be a Vieja mix of some sort.
peifc
03-25-2004, 10:09 AM
How big is it? It does look like black belt.
Macromatt
03-25-2004, 11:10 AM
At the moment it is about 4" long, not including tail. I have had it about 6 months. I started thinking it might be a Jack Dempsey when I was in Petsmart the other day, wasting some time before work, and 2 of the fish in that tank looked just like mine. But like I said I'm not sure.
Matt
peifc
03-25-2004, 11:15 AM
Your fish isn't JD.
This is what my last female JD looks like.
http://www.peifc.com/Our_fish/Jack_Dempsey/2004_0118Image0039.JPG
Macromatt
03-25-2004, 12:08 PM
I think I figured out my problem. There are 2 different species known as Black-belt. I was looking up vieja Maculicauda and my fish doesn't resemble this at all, but I just looked up black belt again, and came up with Cichlasoma maculicauda, this one DOES look very similiar to my fish.
peifc
03-25-2004, 12:32 PM
Uhmm....
Vieja Maculicauda is cichlasoma maculicauda. Today, black belt is known as Vieja Maculicauda.
Here is a picture of Jeff Rapps Black belt.
http://www.tangledupincichlids.com/images/lam.mac.jpg
Macromatt
03-25-2004, 5:09 PM
Well....hmmm..lol....I guess I have a black belt then...
Thanks for your help.
Matt
You dont know how much i appreciate this article. It's articles like this where people come together and ask questions when they're unsure about certain things that put a smile on my face. Ivae had fish for about a year and ive owned a fish whom i thought was a green terror for months now. he's a beauty. but every other GT i have seen on the web or to this day never looked the same. It's because of this article i am smiling. I can now say i am the proud owner of a black belt. 6 months later a few hundred guppies and hours of time well spent i now know i have a black belt as one of my occupants. I never looked into black belts because they arent sold here. Guess someone should be smacked in the back of the head for putting a sticker on the tank that says GT's $2.99/ea. Thank you macromatt for your seeking info from the folks here at AC and thank you to those here at AC for answering not one but two peoples question.
It's good to be a part of AC.
::::mumbling::::: da*n 6 months i thought it was a green terror son of a b...................:::::::::::::::::::