Atabapo Fire, Tapajos Red and Cobra

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Anton

Candiru
MFK Member
Jan 6, 2004
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Manila, Philippines
Which among these pikes, Atabapo Fire, Tapajos Red and Cobra, will show the most intense red when adults? Maybe you can rank them from the reddest to the least red. I've learned from you guys that the TRUE Atabapo fire is really hard to comeby. Are Tapajos Red and Cobra rare too? Cobras are also called Tapajos Red II, right? How dig do these species get? Sorry for all the questions, I just want to learn more about these beautiful fish.;)

Thanks for your replies.
 
I really wnat to hear answers to this myself- I think I'd put the cobra last-very unsure about the other two. C'mon you pike experts let us hear the sweet chime of the bell of truth on "whose the reddest of them all."
 
REDDEST RED PIKE ~ All the above lugubris pikes can be 12" - 14". Typical Atabapos have spaced, dark slender vertical lines and can have intense orange/reddish colors, maybe some greens & blues, but do not get totally red. The nickname "Fire Pike" is probably due the fin coloration... The jury is still out on cf. red atabapos, Hadrian was disappointed in his until they started coloring up. ours continue to get redder as they mature (dark crimson red fins). I personally think the red tapajos are the brightest red pikes. Our 11" female Cobra (and her smaller sister) are developing more red on their bodies, we'll be curious to see how much... Tapajos II are 'Cobras'. This female was 1st in class @ ACA 2006.

A 'burgandy red' cincta female is pretty amazing also.
 
You be the judge, crenicichla sp atabapo, same as hadrians I picked mine up from Rapps back in June of this year. I would say the tapajos red does have the most solid red color and as its been said before more of a tomato red but best looking I would still say is the true atabapo's as I've seen it labeled atabapo II. However in some pictures I've seen the sp atabapo it is more of a vibrant red than any tapajos I've seen. The pics are of my sp atabapo, another sp atabapo pic taken from the distrubutor that ships to Rapps the one that says courtesy of mikofish, a atabapo and atabapo 2. Cobras have a decent coloration as adults but nothing compared to the tapajos reds or the atabapos. ~Trent

myatabapopikeaug061.jpg

crenicichlaatabapo3.jpg

crenicichlaatabapo4.jpg

crenicichlaatabapo5.jpg

crenicichlaatabapo6.jpg
 
You posted Rapp's Atabapo's but not his pic of a female cobra.
cobrafem1.jpg
 
Thanks for your replies MTN PIKE and amazonfishman. I think we've started a very interesting thread here. Maybe we can hear more from the others who have had years of experience with pikes.

Thank you.
 
I'd have to agree with some of the above and say the Red Tabajos is the redest of the red pikes. Mine looks like someone turned on a light inside a tomato.
 
(off topic) I would sell my PS3 if I could find a Red Female Cincta for my green male...

I have a red tapajos female that is radiant and have seen cobra females close to the rapps pic but never a full atabapo (they've been hard for people to keep).

So I'd go Tapajos, Atabapo then Cobra.

Think I remember seeing or hearing about a red variant of the Johanna too.
 
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