Mystery cichlid doesn't want to eat

[Ayshaya]

Hello!

I recently picked up this guy. He was in a tank of Acara's in a south american cichlid section. The store employee, who was fairly knowledgeable, and I were both pretty sure it was not an acara. I took it home anyways, I don't mind a dubious cichlid - but he isn't eating! He bites and spits out 3 different types of cichlid pellets and also flakes, including flakes for non-cichlids. I'm planning to get some various other foods to try, but since he is being picky I'd especially interested to figure out what he is so I can get him eating.

He is darker brown with gold/blue spots depending on the lighting. His anal fin is round. The back of his dorsal fin looks like it was munched on, so unclear if it was round or pointed. About 2 inches long. A little shy but generally out and about while sharing a 90 gal with a couple other fairly mild mannered south american cichlids. Gender is unknown, I just call it a "he". The rounded tail fin and head shape is unfamiliar to me.

Thanks!
Alexis

 

[SaraB]

It may just take him some time to get used to the new tank and eat.
If he's just super picky try live/frozen foods.

 

[Rutrag]

Maybe a Texas/Rio Grande cichlids?

 

[Ayshaya]

Still don't know what he is, I have a Texas in the tank and they have quite different find and looks. It took awhile but I finally got him to eat - green colored pellets were the answer! Wouldn't touch the normal brown pellets or the flakes or the little shrimps I tried, but went nuts over the green pellets! After a week of the green ones he started to learn to eat the brown ones too, like the rest of the fish. Happy to report he's growing and vibrant today!

 

[Sicklid]

Well they can't be too knowledgeable if they had that fish in the American cichlid section �� (Kidding, but not really, LOL) I'm 99% sure that's a young Paratilapia Polleni, or Starry Night cichlid from Madagascar.

 

[Brookster123]

Looks like a baby warmouth. Throw a small live worm in there and I'll bet he shreds it

 

[Sicklid]

Looks like a baby warmouth. Throw a small live worm in there and I'll bet he shreds it

Good call. That is exactly what he is.

 

[Ayshaya]

Update

Well they can't be too knowledgeable if they had that fish in the American cichlid section �� (Kidding, but not really, LOL) I'm 99% sure that's a young Paratilapia Polleni, or Starry Night cichlid from Madagascar.

Definitely agree! The employee knew just enough to know that he didn't know what it was, but thats about it lol. Here's some updated pics, has grown an inch, and is developing a hint of a racing stripe, or a lighter line, at the top of the top fin. Spots are blue to gold depending on the light and angle, I managed to get pictures of both. Sorry for the dirty tank, I set it up in my new house in the fall, and turns out it gets some very problematic direct sun in summer where it's at). I'd be terribly excited for a warmouth, I used to have native fish and loved them, but I think I am also leaning towards paratilapia! (Equally exciting) He's missing the striping behind the eyes of the warmouth, and has more uniform coloring with dots, rather than patterned.

 

[Ayshaya]

Good call. That is exactly what he is.

Ooh now that I look back at the original pictures I see what you mean. Interesting! I would say his body color has darkened and solidified a little since then. He still has some lighter tones above the mouth/between the eyes, the rest is a fairly uniform dark brown.

 

[Brookster123]

Very cool fish, he will rampage that tank, they're pretty aggressive and will grown the size of a small plate.