Chocolate cichlid info?

[Lab_Rat]

I just lost one of my chocolates on my move. He was a big baby and had great coloration. I've still got another one (stunted) that I got from craigslist. He's looking a lot nicer now, I should try and get more recent pics. They're great fish, mine have all been super mellow. They are like a much prettier oscar imo. I keep mine with other pretty mellow cichlids (severums, nics, EBJD, JD who is very laid back), cutteri, rainbow cichlid, and a syn (still a baby, hopefully stays mellow). I'm getting a pair from another member here, hopefully next week. They're one of my favorite fish, not sure why they're not more popular.

Here's my guy who died, still a sub-adult:

Here's the stunted one from craigslist. He looks a lot better even now (and this photo is after a lot of improvement).

 

[luvinbluegills]

I love them! I haven't had any in a few years, but mine lived with P. splendida, managuensis and Oscars with no problems. It didn't hassle any of the other fish but was able to handle itself to where it never even received a torn fin. They are one of the most impressive big cichlids in my opinion, for their color and comportment.

 

[luvinbluegills]

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heres my spawning pair (also wild caught)
they love water changes,and floating insects(meal worms,crickets and any floating pellet)
mine are alittle aggressive but not to the point were it bothers the other fish to much.
my ph is 7.5(probably should be lower but i dont mess with it if it is stable)
temp is 78 degrees
really not much to keeping them just good food,clean water,stable ph and stable temp and they should do well.
anything else you need to ask feel free to shoot me a pm.

Gorgeous pair!

 

[voodeezy]

I just lost one of my chocolates on my move. He was a big baby and had great coloration. I've still got another one (stunted) that I got from craigslist. He's looking a lot nicer now, I should try and get more recent pics. They're great fish, mine have all been super mellow. They are like a much prettier oscar imo. I keep mine with other pretty mellow cichlids (severums, nics, EBJD, JD who is very laid back), cutteri, rainbow cichlid, and a syn (still a baby, hopefully stays mellow). I'm getting a pair from another member here, hopefully next week. They're one of my favorite fish, not sure why they're not more popular.

Here's my guy who died, still a sub-adult:

Here's the stunted one from craigslist. He looks a lot better even now (and this photo is after a lot of improvement).

Damn that sucks losing fish in a move. I lost an endli, ornate, and delhezi all in one day while I had to take my set up to renovate my room and I havent felt like keeping polypterus since then. Awesome chocolates tho everyone that comments on these fish tend to swear by them

 

[voodeezy]

Here's my new guy the first day it hid all day but still ate some pellets, and today it has been out swimming around looking for food for a few hours.. It's been brown like this since I bought it def a chocolate brown and his anal and caudal fins are like an orange color... Are they usually this color when young or is the black backeound causing it to look this way? That would be unfortunate if it stated black forever. Also any good diet guidelines? My vieja eats bio gold, cichlid excel, hikari carnivore, nls and spirulina flakes so for now it'll eat that as well

 

[buddha1200]

they change colors depending on mood most of the time,try adding a few insects to its diet,crickets,mealworms(mine love them)

 

[baldtaxguy]

Lousy pics, sorry

 

[voodeezy]

Pics aren't bad dude...

 

[jwalkerafc7]

all these chocos look great! makes me wanna look for some!

 

[aclockworkorange]

Just wanted to add a bit of info to this thread... There are actually two fish called "chocolate cichlids" (gotta love common names ), the common one is Hypselecara temporalis, which is what people are posting pictures of here. There is another closely related species called Hypselecara coryphaenoides.

They are kind of dull normally, but they get some amazing black/yellow coloration when they're in breeding dress. I'm sure some members already know this, but just wanted to post it here in case someone didn't--they are not seen very often outside of speciality Cichlid sellers.