Top 5 Cichlids

[Rivers2k]

In your opinion what are your Top 5 favorite cichlids and why?

These are mine

1. Green Terror - outstanding colors especially gold saum. Seem to alway be curiouse about you and what it going on.

2. Honduran Red Point (especially Leucistic) - They look like little bulldogs to me squatty and thick they have funny ways of moving about when its time to eat. Their fin shape is really cool. Mine are always at the front of the glass watching me. Not overly aggressive

3. Fire Mouth - great colors that are always changing. you can find every color of the rainbow in them when the light hits them right, good parents, can go with so many different types of fish from Barbs to Orscars.

4. Red Dot Severum - The color! The shape is cool too the only reason it is not at the top of the list is mine seemed to have no personality, but maybe that was just mine.

5. German Blue Rams - so much color, different shape, and so much attitude packed into a little package. (sorry don't have any pics of mine)

 

[Rivers2k]

More pics

 

[CoronaBlue]

What's the first and last fish you posted in those pics. I like those

 

[Rivers2k]

What's the first and last fish you posted in those pics. I like those

first pic in the first post is Green terror and the last pic of the first post is Fire mouth.

 

[Fishy Smell]

Based on pictures it has to be the Rivulatus (false green terror), but in reality they usually disappoint.

In real terms
1. Jack Dempsey
2. Salvini
3. Oscar
4. Traditional Rams (not Bolivian).
5. Severum

I say this based on ones I've owned, but in shops the majority you see look pretty awful. If you get good ones though they can be beautiful.
The Salvini probably the prettiest, the Oscar for personality and the JD top for the combination of the two.


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[Rivers2k]

what do you mean by traditional rams?

Rivulatus do take a while to start showing those nice colors.

 

[Fishdude3233]

Probably means GBR. I think Bolivian rams were described before GBR though. Not sure do don't quote me on it.


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[gilpi]

Dumb question, of all the ones mentioned here, which other than Bolivian rams can co-exist together? I know oscars and GT are out of the question.

 

[bubbacichlids]

Dumb question, of all the ones mentioned here, which other than Bolivian rams can co-exist together? I know oscars and GT are out of the question.

Not true.... Had my oscar and gt together no problem. I'm sure in some cases they've killed each other what but not mine


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[bubbacichlids]

Also had 2 Severums with my gt


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[gilpi]

Ok, I thought GT and oscars once matured in captivity would kill anything else. What about fire mouth, with each other or roommates?
I'm also thinking huge tanks here?

 

[bubbacichlids]

Ive had gts and firemouths together.and about the gts and oscars thats what every1says i never had a problem. Right now i got 1 gt 1 firemouth 1 convict 1 red top zebra and 2 severum all live together no problems

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[gilpi]

Ive had gts and firemouths together.and about the gts and oscars thats what every1says i never had a problem. Right now i got 1 gt 1 firemouth 1 convict 1 red top zebra and 2 severum all live together no problems Sent from my LGMS323 using Aquarium Advice mobile app

That must have been a huge tank?
Thanks for all the answers

 

[Rivers2k]

I currently have the top 4 from my list in a tank together.

I would like to some others top 5 list.

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[dalto]

Hmm.....top 5 cichlids. That is a tough one.

1. Apistogramma. I will list the whole genus here because otherwise all 5 fish would be Apistos.
2. Satanoperca leucosticta - Really awesome earth eater. Truly a beautiful fish.
3. Mikrogeophagus altispinosus - The bolivian ram is the first cichlid I owned and I still consider getting more all the time.
4. Geophagus dicrozoster - Another nice earth eater.
5. Heros sp "Inirida" - A wonderful little severum. Peaceful and friendly.

 

[Rivers2k]

That's is a nice list very unique fish. Two I have not owned but want to ate the earth eaters and apistos.

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[dalto]

want to ate the earth eaters and apistos.

I am not sure Apistos would make much of a meal. They are tiny.

 

[Rivers2k]

I am not sure Apistos would make much of a meal. They are tiny.

Lol only thing I hate about the Samsung galaxy is its always changing what I want to say lol. I meant keep apistos.

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[Fishy Smell]

what do you mean by traditional rams?

Rivulatus do take a while to start showing those nice colors.

Traditional meaning GBR, although i really meant all of the colour forms, ebr, golden and gbr. I say traditional on that because here in the UK in the late 80's when i kept fish as a teenager there was just simply the 'Ram cichlid' which is what is now known as a German Blue Ram, a term i assume comes from the states and what i've now got used to using myself when i restarted in the hobby 3 years ago. Bolivian Rams were not available here in the late 80's early 90's as far as i remember. Neither was the EBR, and i don't recall the golden version either.


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[dalto]

EBR's are much more recent and becoming controversial.

The gold rams have been around quite some time in the US. I think most of the line bred forms originated in Europe but I don't know that for a fact.