Rio Negro.....Temensis. LOAD WARNING

[cchhcc]

While food does play a part, and "perfect" water (according to the species) is important too, I really think it's the sunlight that matters most. The fish in my outdoor tank color up great even no matter the food or water conditions.

I recently gave a pond fish to Reagan, and he said he's already starting to fade.

Gorgeous tems by the way, but I hope it doesn't make a bunch of people with 100 gallon tanks think they should go buy one!

 

[Tripletail]

I wonder if the reds/orange we see in those temensis is breeding colors coinciding with low water and concentration of organic matter-less flow to flush out the river. Then rain comes with high water,fish spawn ,and little babies head into the flooded trees to feed.

 

[jcardona1]

None of these pics were photoshopped. Atleast not on my end. You can play with the lighting and usually see when a pic has been altered. The third pic in my post would be suspect, but it looks to simply be an angle/lighting deal.

The Temensis I used to have were pretty close to the one pictured. I turned them into the local zoo just as they were starting to develop the strong black and yellows. Unfortunately they were not yet equipped to handle these large fish and had them in a temporary moat where they died over a cold weekend.

yeah this was the pic i was talking about, not saying you did it LOL. color just looks a bit unnatural IMO. everything is too blue, especially the fish. just looks like the white balance is out of wack. did a quick tweak, looks more real now i think.

got some pics of the ones you got rid of??

 

[armac]

While food does play a part, and "perfect" water (according to the species) is important too, I really think it's the sunlight that matters most. The fish in my outdoor tank color up great even no matter the food or water conditions.

I recently gave a pond fish to Reagan, and he said he's already starting to fade.

Gorgeous tems by the way, but I hope it doesn't make a bunch of people with 100 gallon tanks think they should go buy one!

I think we have been through the "temensis fad" already. I remember all sale threads. Maybe intelligence will shine through this time, but I doubt it.

 

[CichlaRyan]

wait till i show you guys a before and after.Its quite amazing and will probably prove the effects of Black-water.

 

[tourdeforce1]

all this talk is making me wanna pick up a tem.

 

[channarox]

nice tems laz.
IMO much prettier than any fogo.

 

[Superlaz]

Temensis are a beautiful cichla regardless of collection point. The problem other than the obvious size attained, is they do not start showing colors until 20"+. To get to that point takes a lot of tank space, food, and dedication. Many of us have a no patience mentality and want the instant gratification. Its not going to happen with a Tem. Most of the other Cichla sp. start coloring up at 6"+, and while it may be slow to reach full potential...you are atleast slowly rewarded and keeps you motivated.

My Tems were 20-23" at time of separation. My tank had very basic lighting so these pics Do not reflect their colors accurately. You can see glimpses in various pics of what their true colors. Stripes would vary from a drab black to full on dark black depending on mood. Red was strong in tail, and the yellow was really starting to come through. The areas that may appear grayish were actually a beige color. This was the brown color transitioning into Aduly coloration. They were about 3 yrs old if I recall, and I had them since 4".

Heres a thread I posted on them -

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=245625

The RN Tems Have much stronger coloration throughout, and are said to attain a larger size than most Tems.

Temensis are a beautiful fish for aquaria, but require the dedication, and space.

Here is a pic of a 'Reg' Tem Which I think is beautiful.-

As for Tems being better looking than FOGO, all in the eye of the beholder. There are qualities unique to each species to be admired.

Also...a few more RN Tems -

 

[jcardona1]

some beautiful pics there ^

see i understand the thing about not colorin up until theyre huge, but how do you explain johnptc's? he has several tems that are 3ft, maybe even bigger. and they are solid brown/gray, with the only color being red in the fins.

these are pics i took at the meet in august '09

 

[channarox]

im not sure i agree that they all only color up when theyre huge.
i had a batch of six last year i grew from 1",they were very red until i sold them at around 9".
their fins were red and their bodies were orangey.
i'd post pics,but i cant until i get my new computer and put all my pics into it.