FESTAE, FESTAE, FESTAE

[Fluidsuit]

Seems like we're all talking about this species of fish lately, and as I go through my first grow out experiment I can totally see why. Super intelligent, observant, and attentive fish. Anyway, like RampageRR I've now also got some growing males and females. Thanks for the magnificent specimens RampageRR !!!

The biggest male RampageRR sent me has seemed to buddy up with my biggest female right out of the gate. There's been no liplocking, no chasing, literally nothing. The only thing they do is color up, a bit of gill flaring, and tail swishing. I've dropped both couples into pretty sizeable community tanks (220g tall, and a 180g long), there's currently plenty of distractions in the tanks and only the 180g probably has stock that will eventually be thinned. Anyway onto some pictures of the 220 that currently has

• 1 X 12" A. ocellatus
• 2 X H. Festae (~7")
• 1 X 5" P. friedrichsthallii
• 1 X 5" R. octofasciata
• 4 X 4" B. melanopterus
  
• 1 X 3" P. Denisonii

 

[cich78]

Very nice set up...

 

[Freshwaterpredators]

Very nice !!!

 

[axs377]

Nice looking festae there!

 

[MP_cichlid]

very nice man!!

 

[8DiagramPoleFighter]

Gorgeous festae my friend

 

[RampageRR]

Wow! He really did start to get more yellows and greens once he got away from the big male. I think I might end up keeping my other mid sized male if he's going to start looking like that. I'd have just stayed with the big male from the get go if his mouth wasn't damaged, but it really looks like either mid sized male will end up looking like the big boy anyways.

They look great! I'm glad the females really are hitting it off with our males. Mine jumped the divider again this morning and is strutting around for the day. They'd be perfectly fine except my two males are jostling for affection, so they're being a little brutish. Divider's going back in tonight until she picks a mate.