I went to lfs i normally dont go to and they had a tank full of cichlids labeled herichthys turquoise. I did a google search and came up with a decent article from the cichlid forum. does anyone on here have any experience with this species? max size seemed to be 8-9 inches. anyway just looking for some info. they look beautiful even at 1.5 inch range and they were only 3.00 dollars a piece. any feedback would be greatly appreciated
herichthys turquoise
- Thread starter bradleyagregg
- Start date
i have no way to know for sure. the employee said a local business owner breeds fish for fun and dropped her off a tank full. they look alot like the few pics ive been able to find online. they definitelty arent carpinte or cyano. but could possibly be a hybrid but they usually label there hybrids as such
Well it's definitely possible some local Cichlid lover has a pair and a lot of fry. I'd try to track down the breeder for sure. They might have a lot of cool stuff, and you can find out for sure.
yeah thats what i was thinking. low price doesnt really surprise me because ca cichlids arent real popular around here. cichluvr has them for sale for 5.00 dollars at that size i think. southwestern Pa sucks as far as lfs with decent ca/sa selection. i might grab a couple and grow them out just wanna get some solid info on max size and temperament to make sure i could properly house one or a pair.
If they are the real thing, it is a good price. They are not that easy to keep. They get the bloat very easily and die. For me, I have to feed them very lightly with flakes and small granular food. Ask for a picture of the parents. Hopefully, they are not mixed.
I've got 3 that I got from Rapps several months ago. They're not the fastest growing but have had no problems with bloat with them. I've had more trouble with some Thorichthys species than these guys. They are beautiful cichlids and if there's a local breeder that gave the fry to the lfs then that would explain the low price. Like others have said I'd try to track down the breeder and see the parents and see what else he has. 
I see no reason for suspicion, even if you have no luck catching up to the breeder. You'll be able to tell what they are in a few months. Get some.