Central American Cichlids • Update On My Red Texas. Peel Question.

[Boldstone]

I have had the lucky joy of owning this fella. I bought him from Petsmart and he was marked a red texas cichlid. I did not believe it at first because he was so cheap and an ugly gray color, but I've learned they peel as they age.

I have had him for almost 2 months now. He has started to peel. His ugly black bands are disappearing and being replaced with bright blue specks...well I can see the specks underneath his top layer. His dorsal fin is outlined in red and it shows the specks as well, but clearer. He is also showing a deep red undertone.

How much longer do you guys think I'll have to wait before I get a beautiful red texas?

[bernie comeau]

How much longer do you guys think I'll have to wait before I get a beautiful red texas?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but getting a bright red Texas from cheap petsmart red texas is quite unlikely. Even a light pale orange-colored fish may not even be that likely as many of the petsmart red texas have little resemblence to what this breed is 'suposed' to look like.

Red texas is a hybrid CA cichlid like a flowerhorn. These breeds do not breed true; red texas probably one of the most inconsistent. Different breeders cross different fish to produce a similar fish. The breeder is suposed to know at an early age what will likely develope into what the breed is 'suposed' to look like, and then cull the rest, which is often the majority. IMO, Petsmart is likely buying what the breeder should be culling......you can call that a 'red texas' as it is the product of the same cross, though often it has little resemblence to what the breed is 'suposed' to look like.

[crash2673]

+1. I have a good friend that works at petsmart in the fish section and they get 90% of there fish from china. That's why the fish are so cheap.you know what they say, a good haircut ain't cheap and a cheap hair cut ain't good.

[gutted]

sorry i have to agree with everyone too. they usually arent even a red texas but more of a kamfa flowerhorn. if you check out MFK they have lots of pictures ot people posting their "red texas" there in the HYBRID section.

[montellp]

can u post a pic