new red devil question

[jag14]

Hello everyone,

I've been gone for quite a while, but am getting back into this. I just got a "red devil", or at least it was sold as a red devil. I understand from reading other post that it may be a hybrid.

It is about 2 inches long and very shy at the moment. It hides in the plants and I only just saw it again today. Is it normal for a juvenile this young to do this? I assume it comes out at night to forage for food.

I just want to provide good care for this guy. I want a large, aggressive fish. It is currently living with 4 black skirt tetras, which I am aware will be eaten later. It is in a 55 gallon tank. Thanks in advance for everyone's advice.

From Knoxville Tn, have a great day!

 

[tlindsey]

Hello everyone,

I've been gone for quite a while, but am getting back into this. I just got a "red devil", or at least it was sold as a red devil. I understand from reading other post that it may be a hybrid.

It is about 2 inches long and very shy at the moment. It hides in the plants and I only just saw it again today. Is it normal for a juvenile this young to do this? I assume it comes out at night to forage for food.

I just want to provide good care for this guy. I want a large, aggressive fish. It is currently living with 4 black skirt tetras, which I am aware will be eaten later. It is in a 55 gallon tank. Thanks in advance for everyone's advice.

From Knoxville Tn, have a great day!

Give little RD more time to adjust to its new environment. Once the RD learns you are not a threat it shouldn't be shy.

 

[jag14]

It watches me through the plants, I drop food close to it, but I haven't seen it eat this morning. This wouldn't be my first hybrid. I had a jaguar/dovii hybrid that was about 14 inches. I'll give it time to get used to me and my cats. They like to watch the tank.

I have a 75 gallon stand, but the tank developed a leak. Depending on how fast the red devil grows, I may try to get a 75 set up.

 

[duanes]

Agree with Tom, as a juvie most cichlids live in schools in nature which provides them a sense of security. Alone in a tank, it doesn't have that, so hiding is perfectly normal, and with a lot of personal contact with you, it will loosen up.
The name Red Devil, is a generic term that can often mean any of about a dozen species of Amphilophus from the great lakes of Nicaragua.

 

[jag14]

I'll try to get some pics, but it is pretty elusive right now.

 

[duanes]

If you bought it as a "red devil" from a LFS that probably means, aquarium strain (not a bad thing) which could be any combination of Amphilophus species.
A respected cichlid dealer would use the scientific name (not just red devil), if it were a true, pure species, such as
Amphilophus sagittae or
A flaveolus, or astoriquii, or
Amphillophus species Amarillo.
And by just looks alone, isn't a reliable way to tell which it is, especially when young. Many look similar as juvies, and do not show specific traits until up to 2 years old or more, and even then, the only way to be sure is to know which lake it came from, and there are a number of possibilities, or have a DNA test performed, which of course isn't feasable.
below a young Amarillo

which grows into this

or a young Amphillophus flaveolus

which grows into this

and all have the ability to produce pink and semi-pink morphs, which would make IDing by looks, even more difficult

 

[jag14]

Guess I'll just have to see what the little one grows up to be. I'm sure that the mature fish is going to be worth waiting for. I like to see the juvies grow and the changes that they go through as they grow.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Definitely agree that getting juvies and watching them grow is more rewarding.
Anytime I put a young cichlid alone in a tank, they are shy, like how you describe. It will probably be shy until about 5-6". If you were to add more cichlids it may be less shy, but would pay less attention to you personally. And in a 55 or 75, red devil will probably kill any other cichlids eventually. You will definitely need the 75, as a 55 is only 12" wide, but you probably have 8 months or so before you need it.

 

[jag14]

where I live, 75 gallon tanks are only available from a few stores. That makes them a bit pricey, but worth the investment. It was out tonight hanging out in a far corner of the tank. I don't care what particular species or hybrid it may be. It is just a species I haven't had before and decided to try. It will be worth waiting to have a monster, aggressive fish again, I do plan on starting a pleco with it, so that they will grow up together.

 

[Jexnell]

I just got a group of Amphilophus Sagittae. We can watch each other's progression and see how they differ. Mine is in a group of five, with Swordtails as dithers.