True red devil size

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Guapoteguy291

Candiru
MFK Member
Jun 11, 2015
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Most of what I've read says amphilophus labiatus does not reach the size of citrinellum. In pictures its clear to see that midas beats the devil in total weight (much stockier). However in total length is there much of a difference? Asking people that have kept/seen them not researched them as I've most likely researched the same info. Also is there a difference in aggression/behavior? I would assume they are quite similar in this aspect but I've never kept a pure specimen of either so o don't know.
 
I've had both, as well as, midevils (unkown strains, aka pet store rd). I honestly don't think that one gets longer than the other per say, but the pure midas I had were chunkier. I think either one is going to max out around 12-14" with length more dependent on the genetics of the individual.
 
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My Midas in my tank got to 15.5 inches. Total length to stay with me was 6 years or so. I got it at 12 inches and grew another 4 inches in 6 years.

This is a video I found it displays midas at my the shedd aquarium in Chicago.


18"+ beasts!

In reference to behavior they are very similar. Honestly all Amph species are very aggressive and are at times a ticking time bomb. They can wipe out fish very quickly.
 
18" would be a freak, not something that one would typically see in captivity, and probably never in nature. In the wild, 12" is a monster, be it a cit or a lab.
 
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My Midas in my tank got to 15.5 inches. Total length to stay with me was 6 years or so. I got it at 12 inches and grew another 4 inches in 6 years.

This is a video I found it displays midas at my the shedd aquarium in Chicago.



In reference to behavior they are very similar. Honestly all Amph species are very aggressive and are at times a ticking time bomb. They can wipe out fish very quickly.
While 15" is often attainable, 18+ inches is absolutely false. I lived in Chicago for almost 10 years. During that time, I visited Shedd on an annual basis. Although there were definitely some huge 14-16" bruisers in this tank, none of them were anywhere near 18+". In the event any Amphilophus reaches (or surpasses) 18", I will need to see it out of the water laying next to a measuring tape in order to believe it.
 
I believe Mel o aka Dovii Mel has a chancho that's 16inch and quite young so that's our best bet for an 18inch amph I think... It totally dwarfs the 15 umbee in the tank, maybe 3-4 times the weight!-)

I've had midevil at 14 inch and 5 yrs old.
 
 
The OP wasn't asking about chancho - which are known to be one if not the largest species within the Amphilophus genus.
 
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