Cichlid ID

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gryffingurl2010

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 15, 2010
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US
The first Cichlid is one I got as a juvenile and it just exploded in growth. It's currently about 7 inches long. The second is a fish I got under false information (the pet store clerk told me it was something that it turned out not to be..surprise, I know) It's only about 4 inches and greener. The cichlid world is immense to someone that has little knowledge in identification, so any help woul be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

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The 2nd is a Jaguar Cichlid that requires a large tank. They are very territorial as adults and can grow 14"+. I don't know what the fish in the 1st pic is.
 
I've never seen a fish like the first one...the clerk at Pet Supermarket said it was a "Dwarf Cichlid"...which is only about 10,000 different fish...and after I told him it was quite large, he said, "not if it's a Dwarf Cichlid...because Dwarf means 'small'...duh!"
I got him out of a feeder tank that had a Flagfish on accident and they were the same size, so I thought it was a female Flag...This one got much bigger very quickly and had to be isolated. I got it for 19 cents. It does look similar to our Blue Tilapia in Florida, but it's quite aggressive. His heater has a pilot light that comes on and he will hit it until it goes out...it must bother him, but I'm not letting the water get cold..thanks for the info on the first one...The clerk said it was a "South American Cichlid"....I got this one and another from the same tank. They said it was a male/female pair, that's why they were different looking...although the fish not shown is still about 2 inches and COMPLETELY DIFFERENT...sigh...I hate pet stores...
 
gryffingurl2010;4631647;4631647 said:
I've never seen a fish like the first one...the clerk at Pet Supermarket said it was a "Dwarf Cichlid"...which is only about 10,000 different fish...and after I told him it was quite large, he said, "not if it's a Dwarf Cichlid...because Dwarf means 'small'...duh!"
I got him out of a feeder tank that had a Flagfish on accident and they were the same size, so I thought it was a female Flag...This one got much bigger very quickly and had to be isolated. I got it for 19 cents. It does look similar to our Blue Tilapia in Florida, but it's quite aggressive. His heater has a pilot light that comes on and he will hit it until it goes out...it must bother him, but I'm not letting the water get cold..thanks for the info on the first one...The clerk said it was a "South American Cichlid"....I got this one and another from the same tank. They said it was a male/female pair, that's why they were different looking...although the fish not shown is still about 2 inches and COMPLETELY DIFFERENT...sigh...I hate pet stores...
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The best way to purchase fish is to read and research on your own first. You can't always rely on the knowledge of employees at LFS. Sometimes they are just people who applied for a job and got it. They may not have any background in fish at all. My wife's friend got a job at Pet Supermarket and she has NO knowledge of fish at all. This doesn't mean that they are stupid by any means. They are just people trying to do their job with whatever knowledge their boss provides for them. Even going in to a reputable LFS, you run the chance of some mishaps. Learn as much as you can about the fish you want before purchasing them. That way you have a better idea of what to look for and if you have the requirements to house those particular fish. Good luck with your tank and your future purchases.
 
The second one for sure is a jag, they need a 120 gallon tank.
 
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