need an ID... small little cute cichlids

[golcondorus]

just got these guys today at my work, they came in and they didnt want them, so i brang them home, there at most 3 inches and i know there some kind of acara or smaller acara lookalike. anyway, there in a 10 gallon now till friday, then they'll get an upgrade. theres four of em, and im really not sure what they are, ???????????? help

 

[cepon3]

Look like Laetcara curviceps to me,

 

[jonclark96]

I would guess cichlasoma portalegrensis.

 

[ryansmith83]

They're not Laetacara, they're one of the port cichlid varieties. There are several of them. I'm never good at figuring out which one it is, but yours show a lot of nice blue!

 

[golcondorus]

yeah, i got em because they showed so much blue, most of all the biggest one, anyone know what kind of port acara they are???

 

[Snowflake311]

I was thinking port acara too. But the head looks too round so I would say Laetacara dorsigerus the port acara don't really have much blue. If they are Laetacara dorsigerus I want one.

 

[ryansmith83]

Most port acaras have rounded heads. Mine all looked like that. There are also a few that show lots of blue and silver sheen. One group shows nice colors and the other is more drab brown, but I can never remember which is which (the northern group or the southern group).

Again, they're not Laetacara. I'm breeding L. dorsigera and they look like this:

There is a good article about all the port varieties here: http://www.fishchannel.com/freshwater-aquariums/species-info/cichlid/port-cichlids.aspx

I referenced this article many times when keeping ports.

 

[BlackLagoon]

Looks like Aequidens Portalegrensis

 

[Sab_Fan]

I tend to agree w/ ryansmith83, I don't think they are laetacara . . .

young port cichlids (c. portalagrensis) can look very similar to laetacara species, but I would say you most likely have young port cichlids

I have two adult blue ports, and I recently acquired three juvie red ports that look very much like yours

I'm on the road right now, but when I get back I can post some pics

 

[peathenster]

Cichlasoma dimerus 10% sure

The blue ones with a solid lateral bar are males; the yellowish ones with a broken lateral line and a distinct mid lateral spot are females.