Help... I cant figure out what type of cichlid this is

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mfdrookie516

mfdrookie516

Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
Joined
Jul 23, 2009
Messages
19,407
Location
Orange Beach, Alabama
Hi guys, im hoping somebody can help here... Im new to this, ive only had aquariums for 2 months now... I have some fish in one of my aquariums and i cant figure out what they are... the guy that gave them to me said they were jack dempseys... there are around 32 all together, the mom, the dad, and the 30 or so babies... the male looks quite different from the female, he is bigger, different colored and doesnt have the stripes that the female has... here is a picture of the female... after many many many searches i have started thinking they may be convicts rather than jack dempseys... its not really a big deal, but it is stressing me out big time, because i really want to know what all my fish are... i appreciate any help,and sorry about the dirty tank, i splashed some water out on the outside earlier when i was changing the water... thanks
 
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Your pic shows a female convict. She's pretty. :)
A male convict should have stripes... he'd look like the female, only bulkier and without the orange belly. Do you have a pic of him?
 
i dont... i just moved them in to their new home... i had them in a 10 gal tank when i first got them... i put them in maybe an hour ago or so before i posted... the male keeps hiding.. he has no stripes at all, he (to me) looks alot like a bluegill... he has a black dot on the side, is considerably larger, but no stripes... he is obviously the father though because of the way he acts with the babies... they seriously look like 2 different breeds of fish to me... and another question, what kinds of fish can i put in with these? i have a community tank that im constantly adding to with tetras, mollies, guppies, platys, and an albino catfish, another tank with bala sharks and some kind of catfish thats long and pointy... i want a few more fish if possible in this tank, ive just been scared to get any because i didnt know until tonight for sure what i had... and thanks so much for clearing that up for me... ill run and see if i can get a picture of the male
 
here are a couple pics of the male, and then the male and female... after taking pictures, the male does have some stripes, but like i said he still looks alot different...
 
and another "newbie" question... i have 2 filters running in all of my 55's, two of them have a hangon and either a fluval 305 or 405, the other has 2 biowheels.. is that sufficient filtration or should i up it a little and go for maybe another canister on each? im getting a 185 tomorrow probably so i know ill need at least 3 305's or 405's... i cant seem to find a good answer anywhere else
 
they are around half an inch long now... i think im going to try and sell them... im not sure now if they will be worth more or less because they are crossed... if i lived in vegas, id bring some over to ya spoonman...
 
i want to buy these, there is a local guy that has these for sale for $25 each... have no clue what they are, saw them on craigslist... any ideas as to what they would be good tankmates with?
 
mfdrookie516 said:
i want to buy these, there is a local guy that has these for sale for $25 each... have no clue what they are, saw them on craigslist... any ideas as to what they would be good tankmates with?
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Those are discus they tend to be a very delicate fish, as far as tank mates pretty much anything peaceful and not nippy.
 
mfdrookie516 said:
Ok, so i could put those in with mollys and tetras? if so, is $25 each too much assuming they are in good health?
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Discus can be quite expensive that price seems okay to me and they should be fine together but make sure that you research the care of Discus's they are a very picky fish.
 
ok thanks... i think im going to pass on them for now, since im new at this... maybe after i get some experience i can get some more "delicate" fish... i had been warned against angels as well... at least until i learn more about the various aspects of water parameters and things... thanks alot for the advice...
 
mfdrookie516 said:
ok thanks... i think im going to pass on them for now, since im new at this... maybe after i get some experience i can get some more "delicate" fish... i had been warned against angels as well... at least until i learn more about the various aspects of water parameters and things... thanks alot for the advice...
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I would grab an angel far before a discus as a newbie, you will also want to avoid german rams they are very picky as well. I say go for an angel if you're looking for a showpiece fish.
 
oh, well maybe i will then... i have been thinking about it, i have a co-worker that has some that are just getting big enough to re-home.. i might get one and see what happens... im just trying to get some pretty fish... i have got all but 3 of my fish free off craigslist... mainly because of money... i have around $200 in all of my equipment, including the 3- 55gal tanks, stands, filters, etc... now im at the point where im able to buy some fish... what would you recommend trying then... i want to keep the sharks in one, and the cichlids in one, but if angels wouldnt be too hard to keep, what would you suggest putting with them, i can give the tetras, guppies, mollies, and platys away if they arent compatable...
 
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