What am I?

[ozmo]

Apologies for the blurriness of the photos but do you have any idea what this one might be?

I've had this fish for 3-4months and he is just over 5 inches (13cm) long and quite chunky. He is a bit of a pig so he has grown pretty quick (IMO).

He does tend to go all over the tank (300lt 2ft tall) top to bottom and loves to come right up and stick his lips out at meal time. He even occasionally swims right across the top of the massive suspended piece of driftwood I have in this tank and in doing so sometime exposes his top half. He is a character and seems to get a kick out of this activity.

Anyhow, as you can see in the last photo he flares his dark stripes much like a Cichlasoma Festae (Red Terror) when showing aggression. I wouldn't say he is overly aggressive but rarely backs down from his nemesis in the tank - the Cichlasoma Octofasciatum (Jack Dempsey) of similar size.

When I bought him, I was told that he was a #### but I have reservations as to the LFS genus diagnosis.

I would like to hear your opinions before I reveal the ####

Looking forward to getting some feedback and like I said, I'll reveal the LFS a

Cheers,
ozmo

 

[HUKIT]

A flowerhorn.............

 

[ozmo]

Male or female FH?

 

[HUKIT]

Look remove the fish and look at the vent the male fish will have a V-shaped anal pore as compared to the female which has a U-shaped anal pore. That's the only true way to tell, don't go by fin shape, color, or markings on the upper dorsal. I would say female as a guess by all the visual ways to tell IMO.

 

[ozmo]

Thanks HUKIT. I have always assumed it is a female FH mainly due to the lack of a kok. I'll check for a V or a U next time I have the chance to.

 

[HUKIT]

Even large males can have a smaller KOK, there are alot of factors that go into their individual size including dominance.

 

[ozmo]

Even large males can have a smaller KOK, there are alot of factors that go into their individual size including dominance.

Thanks much HUKIT.

The LFS were trying to sell this off as a "hybrid festae". They are good people but a little misguided.

Cheers,
ozmo

 

[HUKIT]

I have nine Festae in a 180g and anyone who confuses a hybrid like flowerhorns with a Red Terror is a moron, plus someone who try's to cross a Festae and Flowerhorn is a bigger moron.

 

[ozmo]

I have nine Festae in a 180g and anyone who confuses a hybrid like flowerhorns with a Red Terror is a moron, plus someone who try's to cross a Festae and Flowerhorn is a bigger moron.

I agree with you on the moron front.

Has it ever been done? i.e. Hybrid festae?

 

[HUKIT]

I agree with you on the moron front.

Has it ever been done? i.e. Hybrid festae?

Festae are very rare in the hobby so most people would never consider this even a option, but I've never seen this personally. It took me over two years to track down 7 F1's and 5 F2's and there's already been two killed and they're only 2-4"(they are on a different level in terms of aggression than most fish).There are quite a few people selling festae that are actually mayans.

 

[ozmo]

Thanks for the insight into the festae world HUKIT.

That's an awesome colony you have there.

I'm off now to buy myself a pair of F0.

Calm down... just digg'n ya

Cheers,
ozmo