Opportunity for new fish... Midas

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mshill90

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 4, 2009
3,179
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Mechanicsburg, PA
I've been given the opportunity to take in 4 Midas/Red Devil fish. I've never kept these fish, and I hear their personalities can range...

They are now housed with Oscars and some flowerhorns.

What do you like about Midas/Red Devils? Do you have any?

Suggestions/pics?!
 
I had a midas, it was the fish that got me into the hobby. He was 14 inches of pure muscle and was real thick. Was one hell of a centerpiece fish that would attack the glass. The only fish he tolerated was a common pleco, but I've seen a few on here do well in SA/CA cichlid community tanks.

They are what I would consider a wet pet, they recognize different people and beg for food. He loved fresh market shrimp and cichlid gold pellets. I recommend feed foods high in astaxanthin to help bring out their red coloring as adults.
 
My Midevil (Midas/ RD) has an awesome personality. He's a mean lil' guy but he's very active. He was very shy at 2" when I first brought him home. It took him about a week to relax and swim around and not hide from me. A few months later and he's about 6" and thick. He doesn't take to kindly to anyone near his tank. Their is a 2ft invisible barrier around his tank that he thinks of as his territory. Anyone that crosses it is met with a quick attack on the glass, gill flaring, biting, and sand spitting. He also goes after my Python Hose during water changes. He is my favorite fish. If you are going to keep more than one, make sure that you put them in a large tank. If not they will violently go after each other and tankmates as they mature and grow. They are very interesting cichlids but can be very aggressive. Red Devils tend to be more aggressive than Midas...usually.
 
Gruff Master;4743587; said:
My Midevil (Midas/ RD) has an awesome personality. He's a mean lil' guy but he's very active. He was very shy at 2" when I first brought him home. It took him about a week to relax and swim around and not hide from me. A few months later and he's about 6" and thick. He doesn't take to kindly to anyone near his tank. Their is a 2ft invisible barrier around his tank that he thinks of as his territory. Anyone that crosses it is met with a quick attack on the glass, gill flaring, biting, and sand spitting. He also goes after my Python Hose during water changes. He is my favorite fish. If you are going to keep more than one, make sure that you put them in a large tank. If not they will violently go after each other and tankmates as they mature and grow. They are very interesting cichlids but can be very aggressive. Red Devils tend to be more aggressive than Midas...usually.

I've been reading on them, and it seems that Red Devils, and Midas are the same fish... :confused:
 
I've heard that they are variations of the same fish too. But I have not read anything concrete to support it. I still believe that they are not the same. If you can see wild-caught ones, the physical differences are pretty clear. The ones that are sold at common chains are generally a mix of the two. Mine actually came from Petsmart. I bought it as a RD but to avoid the constant arguments that would surely fill my threads, I just consider it as a mix of the two. In any case I like my fish and I'm sure that you would like ones that you are considering.
 
There is one that is pretty small... maybe 4 inches.. Pure goldfish orange. No a spec on him.. I wonder how he would do in a 125 with my Jag.. My jag is very timid- Not aggressive at all.
 
Not too sure. I had a Jag and a RD together in my 120 years ago. They were ok when they were young but once they hit 5-6" that changed. The Jag wanted most of the tank as its territory and the RD didn't want to be pushed around. I was forced to separate them. But some people have success with keeping them both together. If you do it, keep an eye on them.
 
Gruff Master;4743673; said:
Not too sure. I had a Jag and a RD together in my 120 years ago. They were ok when they were young but once they hit 5-6" that changed. The Jag wanted most of the tank as its territory and the RD didn't want to be pushed around. I was forced to separate them. But some people have success with keeping them both together. If you do it, keep an eye on them.

Well, the Jag is at about 10"- so he's almost fully mature, and isn't aggressive at all, so if the Midas/Devil has good personality.. it might work out.
 
i would say good luck with the jag thing try it but have a back up tank for RD/midas
 
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