# odd leopard print cichlid



## thyshallsmite (Oct 13, 2011)

So got this guy out of a cichlid variety tank, but have had no luck at all finding another one and have no clue what kind he is or if he's just a mutt of some sort. This guy is pretty friendly though and has a very odd personality, when other fish poke him he just rolls over on them lol along with quite a few other odd traits. Would love to get another one, but have had no luck identifying it or finding another one.


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## thyshallsmite (Oct 13, 2011)

oh and here is the pic of him:


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## nismo_sky28 (Oct 5, 2011)

Nimbochromis venustus


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## thyshallsmite (Oct 13, 2011)

nismo_sky28 said:


> Nimbochromis venustus


guessing he's a she, or hasn't fully developed the blue face yet. Though hard to imagine such a tiny guy growing into a 10" monster lol.


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## nismo_sky28 (Oct 5, 2011)

How big is he/she? My male didnt start coloring up until 4 inches


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## thyshallsmite (Oct 13, 2011)

nismo_sky28 said:


> How big is he/she? My male didnt start coloring up until 4 inches


about 2.5"


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## nismo_sky28 (Oct 5, 2011)

Has to be one of my favorite. Even the females look good


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## thyshallsmite (Oct 13, 2011)

nismo_sky28 said:


> Has to be one of my favorite. Even the females look good


Its mine as well, though it has such an odd personality, like brain damaged or something lol. It enjoys swimming with just 1 fin even though both work just fine, likes staying near the top of the tank in the exact same spot for hours and does a little dance when i go up to the tank, its really quite amusing. Not to mention he does a barrel roll when other fish poke him


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

Not to worry - at the rate he is going to grow, the other fish won't "poke" him too much longer! They tend to be gentle giants, though, but that's not to say he won't make a meal out of any fish small enough to fit in his mouth.


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## dark SSide (Feb 12, 2010)

Mine dances at the top the tank anytime any one walks by, but it is because he is always hungry.


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## Tim54321 (Aug 30, 2011)

just be aware that this fish can kill ur small fish in the long run


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

I have found venustus to be quite peaceful, actually. Granted, keeping them with fish small enough for them to eat probably won't turn out well, but bullying smaller tankmates hasn't really been an issue. I have gotten in too much of a hurry before and found a 1.25" juvenile P. electra sticking out of the 7" venustus' mouth, but that was my fault. He enjoyed his $15 snack, though!

Most fish in the 2.5-3" or bigger range would probably be fine, but I guess you could get a more aggressive individual, just like any other species.


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## sevmeera (Aug 8, 2009)

at this size how do you tell its a venustus vs. livingstoni? just curious.


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## DIAMOND_CICHLIDS (Sep 22, 2011)

Yes he needs a little more time to color up, hes still too small for the blue face.


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

The yellow/green coloration is a good way to differentiate between venustus and livingstonii - livingstonii don't have any yellow or green tones. Also, their pattern is usually more mottled with many smaller blotches instead of large ones.


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