Anyone else keep Rainbow Chiclids (Herotilapia multispinosa)?

[Desert Bus]

I have what I think is a M/F pair in a 29g planted community, or else I have one big male and one small male. The smaller (assumed female) is rounder and I think the dorsal fin is more rounded. Can anyone tell from these pics? I'll try to get more pics soon.

Do these come in different varieties? Color morphs? Can they hybridize with anything?

 

[Alexxxxsv14]

Never kept these but when I come across some I will get some. I've seen yellow color morphs and real orange/red color morph

 

[Reiner]

I can't tell by the pic if they are male and female but they can vary greatly in color depending on mood or if they are in breeding dress or not. Great fish to keep and once they pair of and start breeding they are capable of laying eggs every 6 - 8 weeks

 

[Chiapet29]

I have what I think is a M/F pair in a 29g planted community, or else I have one big male and one small male. The smaller (assumed female) is rounder and I think the dorsal fin is more rounded. Can anyone tell from these pics? I'll try to get more pics soon.

Do these come in different varieties? Color morphs? Can they hybridize with anything?

View attachment 1231750 View attachment 1231751

Beautiful pair, I never kept these fish either, How long have you had them, I guess you will know their sex eventually if one does lays eggs or not, either way looking foward to more pics & a full tank shot,,, Cheers

 

[Desert Bus]

I've had them 8-12 months or so, picked them up around 3/4-1". Unfortunately my tank has hundreds of Malaysian Trumpet Snails, a variety of other snails, a few Plecos, and some other fish that will eat eggs. The larger one is usually more colorful, and the smaller, rounder one is usually more drab and displaying some black barring. The smaller one also appears to have more rounded caudal and dorsal fins. I have seen them both with their tubes down at the same time and the slight difference in the two tubes along with the other differences really makes me think I do have a M/F.

Eventually I'm going to set up a 10g with a heater and sponge filter and some slate and/or pots to see if they'll successfully lay eggs.

When they're fully colored up they are absolutely stunning fish. Deep yellow/orange with green/blue highlights.

I'll try to get more pics soon.

 

[duanes]

In Costa Rica they spawn in the flooded savanna during the rainy season, and are able to stand some drastic temp shifts.
After growing mine out, I kept 4 pair in a 400 gal kiddy pool, where they would spawn every few weeks, in separate corners.
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[Desert Bus]

In Costa Rica they spawn in the flooded savanna during the rainy season, and are able to stand some drastic temp shifts.
After growing mine out, I kept 4 pair in a 400 gal kiddy pool, where they would spawn every few weeks, in separate corners.

Did you notice if the females were smaller, with a more rounded body shape, more rounded dorsal and caudal fins, and more drab of color? Those seem to be what i'm finding as the easiest way to differentiate the sexes and my two definitely differ in those aspects. Plus, as I stated earlier, they looked to have different shaped breeding tubes, consistent with male/females of other types of cichlids.

 

[duanes]

I would agree the females tube is thicker. What I found to be interesting is growing out in a small tank (mine grew out in a 60 gal) they seemed more round.


After a few a while in the kiddy pool, they seemed more elongate.
the pic below is right after I removed them from the pool.

 

[Desert Bus]

The male, the female's tail, and part of an Empire Gudgeon:


The female and the male's tail and a Siamese Algae Eater:


The male and female:


Blurry male, super blurry Peacock Gudgeon:


Angry female:


Male, frickin photobombing Peacock Gudgeon plus ??? blur and SAE:


Female, Empire Gudgeon:


Their 29g messy planted tank:


Stock:
1m 2"/1f 3" albino Bristlenose
1 2" Rhino Pleco
2 3" Siamese Algae Eaters
2 5/6" Farlowella gracilis
1 6" Farlowella acus/vitattus (never can tell those apart)
4 1-2" Peacock Gudgeon
3-4 3/4"? Sparkling Gourami
1 1.5" unknown Gourami
1 2" Empire Gudgeon (going away tomorrow)
1 3" Gold Angel
1 4" Striped Raphael Cat
6 1" Japanese Trapdoor Snails plus some babies (3 going away tomorrow)
3 1/2" Tiger's Eye Nerite (1 going away tomorrow)
1 1" Black Racer Nerite
1 1" Zebra Nerite
3 1/2" Spiked Zebra Nerite
1 1/2" Sun Thorn Nerite
1 3" Black Devil Spike Snail
1 2.5" Orange Rabbit Snail
??? Malaysian Trumpet Snails (minus the 500 or so I removed last weekend)

Not a lot of plants at the moment. Got lazy with the fertilizer.

Temp - 81.5f
Eheim Classic Canister - 2213 with prefilter

 

[Kayzee]

I bought a couple babies, raised 2 males. bought a female they spawned then died. My Water was too soft with temperatures a bit high. Changed colors all the time, never took pictures but at one point one of the males turned almost all black it was crazy.