black diamond Madagascar cichlid (paratilapia polleni)

[PolyptRus]

Marked as rare most decent photo i have been able to get so far. super cool fish almost prehistoric looking when they get bigger.

 

[bettaowner]

That looks cool

 

[cbourg746]

Marked as rare most decent photo i have been able to get so far. super cool fish almost prehistoric looking when they get bigger.

They are cool. Not all that rare though. They get pretty big and can be nasty towards tank mates. I have three in one of my tanks now.

 

[PolyptRus]

They are cool. Not all that rare though. They get pretty big and can be nasty towards tank mates. I have three in one of my tanks now.

They aren't rare really how often do u see them available at the lfs?

 

[erikmoseley]

They aren't rare really how often do u see them available at the lfs?

They're hard to find somewhat but my lfs has some now. Not pet co or petsmart tho

 

[Freakgecko91]

My LFS has them, but my LFS specializes in rare and uncommon fish

 

[chew valley]

They are rare in the UK. Wouldn't mind one myself, great looking fish.

 

[Fishanatic]

My LFS has them, but my LFS specializes in rare and uncommon fish

You're lucky. I only get big pet shops, that specialize in attractive and common house fish.

 

[PolyptRus]

They're hard to find somewhat but my lfs has some now. Not pet co or petsmart tho

Ya they may have them now but i bet they rarely do. So my perspective a fish that rarely can be bought would be considered rare. Ive only seen them once which is surprising because where i shop Ive seen everything come and go in there even lung fish on two occasions. Almost everytime Ive gone in Ive seen big jaguars, datnoids, endlicheri, arowannas, rip saws.... The list goes on Ive only ever seen one batch of these guys so far. So i would put it on the rare list.

 

[Fishanatic]

Ya they may have them now but i bet they rarely do. So my perspective a fish that rarely can be bought would be considered rare. Ive only seen them once which is surprising because where i shop Ive seen everything come and go in there even lung fish on two occasions. Almost everytime Ive gone in Ive seen big jaguars, datnoids, endlicheri, arowannas, rip saws.... The list goes on Ive only ever seen one batch of these guys so far. So i would put it on the rare list.

Maybe because no one buys them? Not sure.

 

[cbourg746]

They aren't rare really how often do u see them available at the lfs?

Yeah.....at least at my lfs they are readily available. My lfs orders through Segrest farms and they are readily available.

 

[Freakgecko91]

I hadn't seen keyholes at any lfs in a 50 mile radius for 8 months, but they aren't rare not trying to knock your fish, I'd just call them uncommon rather than rare

 

[PolyptRus]

I hadn't seen keyholes at any lfs in a 50 mile radius for 8 months, but they aren't rare not trying to knock your fish, I'd just call them uncommon rather than rare

Yes for 8 months i have only seen these once for the entire time Ive been in the aquarium hobby. In response to previous posts stating they are readily available that is only because the places providing them to your lfs are breeding them. The number of places actually breeding these fish aren't that high even in comparison to other "rare" fish. Not only that but these fish are actually listed on the vulnerable species list thus there are issues with actually being aloud to farm these which means there are only select breeders of these fish. But if you are breeding a fish you probably would have them readily available even if they were "rare". I suppose thats how i got my hands on a African lung fish but apparently i am wrong as to what fish are rare. Maybe my lung fish is common too.

 

[Freakgecko91]

Don't take it as an attack by any means, all we're trying to say is what's rare in one area, may not be as a whole. I've seen african lungfish at 2 stores before, but they're still quite uncommon. It's all about perspective. I like to think that my dicrossus maculatus is rare, but I know there are many others with this fish, so they are just uncommon

 

[cbourg746]

Yes for 8 months i have only seen these once for the entire time Ive been in the aquarium hobby. In response to previous posts stating they are readily available that is only because the places providing them to your lfs are breeding them. The number of places actually breeding these fish aren't that high even in comparison to other "rare" fish. Not only that but these fish are actually listed on the vulnerable species list thus there are issues with actually being aloud to farm these which means there are only select breeders of these fish. But if you are breeding a fish you probably would have them readily available even if they were "rare". I suppose thats how i got my hands on a African lung fish but apparently i am wrong as to what fish are rare. Maybe my lung fish is common too.

Slow your roll little lady. just cause a particular species is not available often in one particular area, doesn't mean that said species is all that rare. nobody was knocking your fish or your knowledge about fish.

 

[PolyptRus]

Slow your roll little lady. just cause a particular species is not available often in one particular area, doesn't mean that said species is all that rare. nobody was knocking your fish or your knowledge about fish.

Whatever.... Research how many places farm them than get back to me. Till than don't knock something you know little of.

 

[Freakgecko91]

He owns polleni!!! Calm down, like I said, it's no attack, just trying to get you to understand that just because something is rare locally, does not mean they are overall rare. They are probably the most common of the Madagascan cichlids, and one of the main reasons they are threatened in the wild is because of 1.) the size of the island, and 2.) Madagascar is notorious for habitat destruction unfortunately

 

[cbourg746]

Whatever.... Research how many places farm them than get back to me. Till than don't knock something you know little of.

http://www.segrestfarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=catalog.search

Florida Tropical Fish DIRECT

http://www.oldworldexoticfish.com/stock.html

JEFF RAPPS IS TANGLED UP IN CICHLIDS

Paratilapia Polleni, Cichlids: African | PetSolutions

is that enough to validate the fact that this fish is not rare in the hobby nor is it hard to get your hands on one. at least not here in the U.S.

 

[PolyptRus]

Wow four breeders that is definitely lots of them wow they have as many breeders as guppies!!
*cough cough*

 

[PolyptRus]

Btw my store gets them from the same Florida farms you listed... There really aren't very many breeders who sell them for retail purposes and infact you just made it clear this is true instead of justifying your point that they are not rare