Check out my new Firemouth

[V227]

Bought this girl? A few weeks ago from my favorite LFS. Her coloration stood out in a tank of about 30 other standard Firemouths. She is very translucent with a red painted face. The dorsal fin is edged in red. For color comparison, a standard male Firemouth is pictured in the background.

 

[mbkemp]

She is pretty. I have always wanted this fish. Might have to do this soon

 

[V227]

Thanks Mike. I like Firemouths, because they don't get too big, or too aggrssive. I have four of them. They kind of remind me of overgrown Rams. This girl has a real unusual coloration, that I thought others might enjoy viewing. I bought a male from the same batch. Compare his coloration to the standard Firemouth in the background.

 

[mbkemp]

I like the Rainbow Cichlids for the same reasons. I think this is happening at some point

 

[Brookster123]

She's unique.. let's watch her grow!!

 

[coralbandit]

Nice eye for the uncommon. The red face is striking..

 

[V227]

Thanks guys.

 

[danvankleef]

Gorgeous!

 

[V227]

Thanks Dan.

 

[KristaButler]

Beautiful fish!

 

[V227]

Thanks Krista.

 

[TMaier]

Very pretty. How big will she get?

 

[V227]

Thanks. I believe Firemouth females grow to 4 or 5 inches. Be nice to be able to breed more like her.

 

[Brookster123]

Maybe shed go on a date with my thory? They'd make beautiful babies bahah

 

[V227]

That would be a good combination.

 

[Barliman]

Very pretty. I've always wanted to keep firemouths.

 

[V227]

Thanks Barliman. They are just like slightly overgrown Rams.

 

[V227]

Thought I'd update the progress of my "not so little anymore", pretty Firemouth Cichlid. Now about 4" long. She, maybe he? has colored up as well as any fish I've ever kept, which includes beauties like EBJD's, Festae, RIvulatus and even my Clown Trigger fish from the long ago SW days.
I've upped my Firemouth colony to five, and strongly recommend this feisty little CA cichlid.
I had to include the pic of one of the FM squaring off with my female Flowerhorn this morning.
FM' s do this behavior on a regular basis. All bark and no bite, unlike a lot of CA cichlids, where injuries often occur. Great little fish. As with most cichlids, can intensify or diminish their color by mood.

 

[mbkemp]

This fish is on my must have list one of these days

 

[V227]

Mike, I've ignored FM' s for many years, just because they are so common and inexpensive.
I started noticing that not all FM' s are created equal. Some of the LFS 's in Tulsa started displaying large batches of juv. FM's. In a few cases one or two FM' s would really outshine all the others and I'd scoop them up. Four out of five of my FM' s are really colorful and well proportioned. I made one sub par pic.
This is a pic of the dominant male; about 5" inches long.