*** Which Rotkeil do I have ??????

[straitjacketstar]

Yes, and how about some images of females?
Google helps.
http://www.cichlids.com/uploads/tx_usercichlids/user_pics/479/01_fishyredoo_018.jpg

http://tangledupincichlids.com/images/rotkeil6.jpg

 

[David R]

The one in the second pic (first example) seems exceptionally red, maybe even photoshopped a little. I'd say 9/10 will never get that red.

 

[glenbo]

Considering the demand for Rotkeils most are bred with Greens to make Rotkeil fry,hence why some specimens are a boring diluted colour.

The fry tend to look alot like greens until they hit about 4-5" anyway so you never know how nice they are going to turn out.

 

[HiImSean]

my female shows more blue than red. she does show the red quite often, she's prolly a poorly bred rotkeil

her showing red

and my male

 

[darth pike]

glenbo - They are making hybrids just to sell more of them over there? Wow.

 

[Polyptasaurus]

give it more time, then see if it gains color

 

[glenbo]

glenbo - They are making hybrids just to sell more of them over there? Wow.

Yeh man,I wouldnt say Hybrid because i'm under the presumption that they are both 'Heros Efaciatus'

But it is common practise,not just here but everywhere.

Rotkeils are extremley rare here in the UK. My LFS offered to get some in for me at £50 each ($100) for juvis...and they are a well respeted large chain!

So what they tend to do is breed the hard to get hold of Rottys with easy to get hold of Greens then sell the mongrols for top dollar as Rottys.

Alot of Rottys posted on this forum show a lot of mongrel colours,usually the more brilliant coloured Rottys *the ones with loads of red,greeny body,blue face and yellow fins) are usually a true Rotty or atleast a F1.

Bare in mind that the natural occurance of a Rotty = Yellow anal fins

The type that have red/brown or clear anal fins...even if pretty in apperance get that trait from the Green Severum and are a diluted strain.

 

[darth pike]

Oh, I forgot europeans tend to think they are efaciatus for some reason. Over here they are treated as a seperate, undescribed species. Not even an efaciatus close realitive really, as they aren't know as affin or cf at all.

 

[glenbo]

Ahh I always thought that they were as there are some major differences in face shape,body and of course unusual colours.

I myself have a Red Spotted,Gold and a Rotkeil,the Gold and Red Spotted are together all of the time,despite owning the gold and Rotkeil long before i owned the RS.

Also when my stepfather bought a common green and a gold from one of my LFS's he put them into my tank because he lives miles away and was staying at mine...

His green and gold were both about 2" and my Adult Gold 9" and I had a green at the time myself at 4"...all of these would be side by side all of the time,but the Rotkeil a outcast! lol

So that also got me thinking they were a slightly different species,thanks for clearing that up for me as whenever I have asked that before,I always get told they are simply a colorform of Efasciatus.

 

[zero_go]

The picture of her is pretty bad quality. Sometimes, she colors more. In real life, she's more colorful. I wanted to thanks everyone for pointing out that it may be a female and posting up pictures. I never thought it would be a female but it makes since now since she doesn't have lines on her face. I do have 6 baby 1-1.5 F1 Rotkeils. If anyone is willing to let go one of their males for 2 F1 1-1.5 inch Rotkeils, let me know because I would love to have a bigger male Rotkeil to pair her up with. I know Jeff Rapps have a wild male Rotkeil but I don't want to go through it with shipping and stuff, it's too expensive. If anyone's around Chicago and got one, hit me up!