View Full Version : Three Spot Cichlid
JayK1320
03-13-2008, 11:18 AM
Does anyone have any of these? I grabbed one that was real small because he was the only one in a tank and I had never seen one before. I looked it up long it says the get to be 11"+ Can anyone verify that or know how long it takes to get that big?
Are they a real aggressive fish? He is probably 1.5 maybe 2" right now. I have had him for about a month in a grow tank and he seems to be a little bigger, but pretty much the same.
balton777
03-13-2008, 11:21 AM
3 spot cichlid aka Amphilophus Trimaculatus. Where did you get it from? Unless you got it from a reputable breeder, you most likely have a Flowerhorn.
Onion01
03-13-2008, 11:23 AM
almost impossible to find trimac if not from good breeder. Forget about it if it is from petsmart, walmart, etc. They will 99% of the time be flowerhorns
balton777
03-13-2008, 11:25 AM
And good breeders call them Trimacs or Trimaculatus, not 3-spot.
JayK1320
03-13-2008, 11:26 AM
3 spot cichlid aka Amphilophus Trimaculatus. Where did you get it from? Unless you got it from a reputable breeder, you most likely have a Flowerhorn.
I got it from Petsmart, not exactly reputable. Would I be able to tell the difference when it matures a little more? I dont have any pics of it right now, but I could take some tonight. Can the difference be spotted as a juvi?
fishluvr12
03-13-2008, 11:37 AM
Here's a pic of my True trimac bout the same size
twhittle
03-13-2008, 11:37 AM
Petsmart=Flowerhorn
Still a very cool fish.
JayK1320
03-13-2008, 11:42 AM
Here's a pic of my True trimac bout the same size
I will snap some pics tonight, its tough to say without looking at him right in front of me. But I dont think he looks quite like that so I guess me must be a flowerhorn. I will throw up the pics later though...
DarthV
03-13-2008, 11:50 AM
Does anyone have any of these? I grabbed one that was real small because he was the only one in a tank and I had never seen one before. I looked it up long it says the get to be 11"+ Can anyone verify that or know how long it takes to get that big?
Are they a real aggressive fish? He is probably 1.5 maybe 2" right now. I have had him for about a month in a grow tank and he seems to be a little bigger, but pretty much the same.
Flowerhorn or true Trimac, both fish will get large (12"+) and be very aggressive. They should grow at the same rate as a midas, so you're looking at close to 7-8" growth in the first year or so if it's male. My 5 year old midas is somewhere in between 13-14". And is one mean SOB.
mbunafishkeeper
03-13-2008, 12:34 PM
wheres these pics, im sure it'll be a FH tho.
akskirmish
03-13-2008, 12:39 PM
Here is my hybrid-
Considered FH....
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/AKSkirmish/newer%20pics/IMG_5326.jpg
balton777
03-13-2008, 1:30 PM
wheres these pics, im sure it'll be a FH tho.
It doesn't matter if there's pics or not. You can't say whether it's a FH or Trimac by just looking at a picture of it.
If it's from Petsmart, it's a FlowerHorn.
Nice FH akskirmish.
darthodo
03-13-2008, 8:29 PM
Here is my hybrid-
Considered FH....
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b194/AKSkirmish/newer%20pics/IMG_5326.jpg
That is damn-near a trimac. I think I can see some pink over halfway down the side though.
catfishlover106
03-13-2008, 8:42 PM
if you want some true trimacs if you really are considering of getting a few for your stock you should talk to Ken at FishFarm...he has pure breds...and their not hybrids plus he has a large reputation in getting in some very nice specimens and has pure breds of many species of cichlids...and has some very high quality F1's for stock right now unless someone bought them all...but you should check up with him as he's selling them for only somewhere around $5 for a 1.5" I believe and for a 2"-3" for about $7-$9
True Trimacs are actually quite prominent in Australia, I know multiple stores that I would consider reputable that stock juveniles.
Flowerhorns heads.. so disgusting.
catfishlover106
03-13-2008, 9:06 PM
True Trimacs are actually quite prominent in Australia, I know multiple stores that I would consider reputable that stock juveniles.
Flowerhorns heads.. so disgusting.
well I wouldn't call their heads disgusting myself but I just like them since it seems like they are the most dominant in a tank with a head like a horn when ramming others in their way will most likely get injured...plus it looks cool!
well I wouldn't call their heads disgusting myself but I just like them since it seems like they are the most dominant in a tank with a head like a horn when ramming others in their way will most likely get injured...plus it looks cool!
I don't mind their Kok or whatever it's called for a Flowerhorn, but their cheeks and gills just seem deformed to me, it doesn't look healthy.
catfishlover106
03-13-2008, 9:36 PM
I don't mind their Kok or whatever it's called for a Flowerhorn, but their cheeks and gills just seem deformed to me, it doesn't look healthy.
I get what your sighting is on...I can see what you mean on it looking kinda deformed and unhealthy but well its just taking shape of what hybrids are like
Snake_Eyes
03-13-2008, 10:27 PM
I agree with everyone else Petsmart=flowerhorn, still a great looking fish with lots of personality and attitude.
fishfreak317
03-14-2008, 2:02 AM
i wanna see pics :D
JayK1320
03-14-2008, 9:15 AM
Okay, here are some pics from last night. Sorry they are not spectacular pics, first the fish would hardly sit still for 2 seconds haha and my camera is a peice of crap...so here is what I got.
I will post more as he gets bigger, right now it does not seem like he wants to eat anything. I have tried flakes, pellets, crushed up pellets, tonight I might try tiny peices of shrimp or get some trout worms or something if I can find them.
The tiny Jag in there with him eats like a horse haha
JayK1320
03-14-2008, 9:17 AM
I forgot to say too, that little yellow/orange spot he has got changes from that color to black sometimes. Sometimes he has a few more spots of black down his side too, but none of that came through last night of course.
balton777
03-14-2008, 10:19 AM
I don't know what your fish is but it doesn't even look close to being a Trimac IMO. The spangles on the face made me think JD lol. Here's a pic of mine from Rapps when she was a 2" baby. Granted, Trimac's looks vary from one to another but I just don't see yours as being a pure one whatsoever.
JayK1320
03-14-2008, 10:38 AM
Yeah it looks nothing like yours, I guess I will just have to wait a little while longer till it grows up a bit to get a better idea. Very active fish...hopefully it turns out cool
akskirmish
03-14-2008, 10:39 AM
That is damn-near a trimac. I think I can see some pink over halfway down the side though.
I know what I have Sir---
I just go with the basic answer and say FH....
This fish is a highly debated fish----Even at FHUSA...I got many people that would love to own this specimen....
I suspect I will have a few people now that are going to tell me differently
akskirmish
03-14-2008, 10:40 AM
Okay, here are some pics from last night. Sorry they are not spectacular pics, first the fish would hardly sit still for 2 seconds haha and my camera is a peice of crap...so here is what I got.
I will post more as he gets bigger, right now it does not seem like he wants to eat anything. I have tried flakes, pellets, crushed up pellets, tonight I might try tiny peices of shrimp or get some trout worms or something if I can find them.
The tiny Jag in there with him eats like a horse haha
I see no trimac in that fish....
Hornet
03-14-2008, 10:47 AM
Your fish actually looks like a Red Jewel Cichlid (Hemichromis sp.)
fishfreak317
03-14-2008, 1:08 PM
jewel fish
fishguts
03-14-2008, 1:15 PM
I bought one from petsmart and one from rapps and when they were small they looked identical but after growout what a difference. rapps is a nice forest green with the 3 spots standing out with no other spot and the petsmart one is a brighter green with more flowers and differently sloped forhead. well thats how they were until i fed my petsmart one to my cariba ps.
slick216
03-14-2008, 1:17 PM
I dont see any trimac in that pic but this is what mine looks like at 11"
Bderick67
03-14-2008, 1:44 PM
A trio of Petsmart three spot cichlids at 8",7.5" and 6.5"
Snake_Eyes
03-14-2008, 3:37 PM
I dont see any trimac in that pic but this is what mine looks like at 11"
Nice!
croc 2-3
03-14-2008, 6:54 PM
Okay, here are some pics from last night. Sorry they are not spectacular pics, first the fish would hardly sit still for 2 seconds haha and my camera is a peice of crap...so here is what I got.
I will post more as he gets bigger, right now it does not seem like he wants to eat anything. I have tried flakes, pellets, crushed up pellets, tonight I might try tiny peices of shrimp or get some trout worms or something if I can find them.
The tiny Jag in there with him eats like a horse haha
This fish is a jewel of some kind; jewels belong to an african river cichlid family called Hemichromis many hemichromis look similar so are hard to distinguish. Some members of the family are called 5 spots so I guess that is how they came up woth 3 spot.
JayK1320
03-15-2008, 3:15 PM
So if it is a jewel what is suggested for a tank companion? Currently the only thing in with it is a 2" pleco. I am not really concerned with staying all African, I will put it whatever will work. I know they are known for being pretty aggressive, I am hoping to eventually get about 10 fish in the 55g, maybe a few less. This weekend I want to pick up 1 or 2 so the jewel is not all alone in there. I am moving in about 2 months so I want to get the jewel some company for the new few months and then once I move I will stock up with whatever else will fit.
Here's a pic of my True trimac bout the same size
wow, does that thing ever look like a flowerhorn, are you sure that is a Trimac?
killerfish
03-15-2008, 9:05 PM
Jayk1320 you have a jewel cichlids there africans while not to aggressive the are still nippy little fish they hard water but can be kept with SA cichlds that won't beat on them or eat them