Colour Development of Festae

[JONNY CICHLA]

iv just got myself a group of 8 young 1-1 half inch red terror (festae) these are fairly aggressive with each other even at this size and have noticed after only 3 weeks that 2 of them are growing lot faster than others"

when would these start to get there nice orange adult colours"" whot age and size??

also whot are the best colour festae catch area?

 

[RampageRR]

Mine didn’t really start getting super colorful until the 4-5” range, but mine were all males so it’s possible females get red earlier.

 

[lunsforj]

In my experience, both males and females begin to color up around 4 to 5 inches.

 

[JONNY CICHLA]

Thanks guys!

Are festae really slow growing compared to most central American big cichlids like devils/jaguar and others! I know these are south American cichlids

 

[Rocksor]

at most 0.5" a month on average, males slightly faster than females. Females will lay eggs at 4" with an appropriately sized male.

Don't let growth be an indicator in sex right now. You should see the obvious blue spamgling starting at 2" TL.

 

[duanes]

Colors are not always set in stone with festae, mood, position in the hierarchy, and spawning relationships witl often determine what colors a festae presents.
A mature dominent male, somewhere around 10-12".

A couple females, with a male in the tank, around 4".

Below one of those same females without an acceptable male in the tank

Same age males usually grow exponentially faster, note the contrast in this same age pair

 

[JONNY CICHLA]

Thanks guys!

Are festae really slow growing compared to most central American big cichlids like devils/jaguar and others! I know these are south American cichlids

Thanks for info buddy" I have noticed that 2 of the smaller festae have more blue in anal and front pec fins and front of dorsal than the 2 biggest fish! do females get more blue in fins before the males when young?

 

[JONNY CICHLA]

Colors are not always set in stone with festae, mood, position in the hierarchy, and spawning relationships with often determine what colors a festae presents.
A mature dominent male, somewhere around 10-12".

A couple females, with a male in the tank, around 4".

Below one of those same females without an acceptable male in the tank

Same age males usually grow exponentially faster, note the contrast in this same age pair

thanks for the pics buddy" how old would your 4 inch female festaes be around? And makes a big difference in colour when kept with a male!
Have noticed your females does not have full dark back bars! Is this because not wild and f1 f2 fish? or is it down to the area they live type ?

 

[duanes]

The two largest will probably be males, and as you can see in my pics above, the males often have more blue spangles.
Females usually sport a dark and/or "solid" colored area in the anterior(dark) posterior (blue) of the dorsal.

I have also noted (at least in mine) that the males tail spot is more random array of colors than the females (male above) female below

Most of these differences are not apparent until the festae become mature, and at least for me, at 1"-2" not noticeable, or reliable.
I agree with the poster above who said, 4 -5" is a realistic size to tell.
With a group of 8 you have decent odds of getting a pair, your group will probably sort itself out, just give it time.
Don't jump the gun until a copacetic pair is actually set in stone.

 

[BIG-G]

These fish can vary a lot. Even from minute to minute. Some males will bar like a female some won't. Sometimes my females bars will look Blue instead of black. She will be a vibrant orange one day an dark red the next.
It all depends on mood, Dominance, Other fish can affect them. Sometimes the colors will get more intense when it's feeding time.