my 230g, lots of pictures

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^ I think rotkeil has just kind of become a catch-all term for severums showing a ton of red in the face/neck area. I would have called it the same thing just by looking at it, out of habit.

I disagree about the blue face and yellow anal fin, though. Some of the severums show a blue sheen on their face, but not all of them. This applies to green/turquoise severums as well. Also, the anal fins are sometimes bright orange/red, as you can see on these fish: http://amazon-exotic-import.de/Gallerie/Cichliden/Seiten/Heros%20spec.%20Red%20Shoulder.htm
 
ryansmith83;4405707; said:
^ I think rotkeil has just kind of become a catch-all term for severums showing a ton of red in the face/neck area. I would have called it the same thing just by looking at it, out of habit.

I disagree about the blue face and yellow anal fin, though. Some of the severums show a blue sheen on their face, but not all of them. This applies to green/turquoise severums as well. Also, the anal fins are sometimes bright orange/red, as you can see on these fish: http://amazon-exotic-import.de/Gallerie/Cichliden/Seiten/Heros spec. Red Shoulder.htm

Yeah, they don't always because a lot of them are cross bred/hybrids. A TRUE Rotkeil will have blue face, yellow (can vary slightly to orangey red) anal fin and greeny-blue body.

The OP's fish is not a true Rotkeil, looks like a cross of some sort. It isn't colourful enough for a true Rotkeil either. Could be Heros Appendiculatus or maybe Rotkeil x something else.
 
I'm not trying to be negative here either, but the OP may have paid more for a Rotkeil, when it blatantly isn't a pure one. Admittedly, that isn't a very good photo, but that's all there is to go on.
 
honda237;4404563;4404563 said:
Because his aggression has started to kick up, same as the rainbow.
I thought Nics were supposed to be docile cichlids. That was the prime reason I was considering one as the final addition to my tank. But I may have to rethink this if it is going to get too aggressive. I need a C/A that will stand up for itself but not seek out trouble. Now getting a Nic or an Argentea may be out of the question. I have heard troubling stories about both so far.
 
The rotkeil is an f1 from rapps, your trying to ID a fish who is scared and hiding in the back with low light, plus the water is brown. You really can't cruelly ID something unless you have a good picture to start with. When he comes out and is in the light, he does have a lot more blue.

Gruff, I thought the same thing but he is actually the one that picks on everyone. The picking isn't horrible, but I don't like it with geos. He might calm down when older.
 
Gruff Master;4406298; said:
I thought Nics were supposed to be docile cichlids. That was the prime reason I was considering one as the final addition to my tank. But I may have to rethink this if it is going to get too aggressive. I need a C/A that will stand up for itself but not seek out trouble. Now getting a Nic or an Argentea may be out of the question. I have heard troubling stories about both so far.

The few nics i kept in the past were pretty agressive.
 
Thanks Honda and Fishluvr for sharing your experiences with me. It's a big help. Now I need to find another CA cichlid to consider for an addition. Oh and Honda, I wouldn't worry about justifying your Rotkeil. You know what you paid for from a very reputable distributor. I would leave it at that and just post more pics in a few months.
 
honda237;4406325; said:
The rotkeil is an f1 from rapps, your trying to ID a fish who is scared and hiding in the back with low light, plus the water is brown. You really can't cruelly ID something unless you have a good picture to start with. When he comes out and is in the light, he does have a lot more blue.

Doesn't change the red face though, whether the water is brown or the fish is shy.

I wasn't ID'ing anything 'cruelly' :ROFL:

Go along and carry on thinking it's a Rotkeil if you want :D
 
Gruff Master;4406844; said:
Oh and Honda, I wouldn't worry about justifying your Rotkeil. You know what you paid for from a very reputable distributor.

So, 'distributers' never label fish incorrectly then? I don't know what a 'distributer' is as I am not in the U.S., but both fish shops and breeders have been known to bend the truth slightly before ;)
 
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