# First Red Devil...



## rdknjsr599 (Mar 2, 2007)

Well I was at one of the larger LFS's near me and I saw some Red Devil's (Amphilophus Labiatus) for sale. I've been wanting to get one or more of these for a while so I figured what the heck. I realize that these are probably some form of hybrid, but looking at the lips and slope of the head I figured that it was as close as I was going to get or need. When it was in the tank at the LFS it was almost pitch black, but it lightened up a little since I brought it home. Right now its about 3" and I have it temporarily housed no a 125g with a bunch of mbuna. I have a 75g that I need to reseal and then it will go in there (until I can get another 125). The individual who was helping me didn't know much about CA cichlid's so they weren't able to tell me if its the barred variant or not. Here are a couple of pics... any comments are welcome!


----------



## simo1973 (Jul 22, 2007)

*** not seen them like that in our lfs (in the uk)
i got mine about 3 weeks agoit was black and white, but over the last few days the black patches have gone and its all white.








the pic was the day i got it,but the black patches then darkend when it setteld in.
the lips are the same as yours. (think il call him mick jagger).
Nice fish anyway :thumb:


----------



## leopio (Nov 18, 2007)

i just got 2 F1 A. Labiatus from fishfarm and one of them looks exactly like yours. And when i first got him he was also pitch black too.


----------



## simo1973 (Jul 22, 2007)

do you have any pics??????


----------



## homerl (Jan 6, 2009)

When I bought my 6 2" red devils,all looked like yours, within 2 months 3 turned red and 2 turned red and white.


----------



## rdknjsr599 (Mar 2, 2007)

Well I ended up buying a few more RD's from the same place in hopes of getting a breeding pair out of the group. Anyway I figured that I would post a quick update of what my biggest RD looks like. He/she is about 4.5 - 5" and has slowly been morphing over to its new colors.

I was wondering if anyone could provide some feedback on whats the best substrate to use with RD's? I've heard that sand is not a real good choice... would smaller river pebbles be better to use? Any feedback would be appreciated.


----------



## homerl (Jan 6, 2009)

I use gravel as it seems that's there favorite thing is to dig and throw stones :thumb:


----------



## Johnson14 (Mar 29, 2009)

my midas loves sand, he is always digging in it. he will get a mouth full of sand and swim across the tank and spit it out and then swim back and do it over again, its funny to watch. opcorn:


----------



## Fishface57 (Dec 26, 2008)

I agree with the last 2 posters. RD are 1 of my favorite fish. I usually start out with my fav 3:
RD
M. chipokae
Banded Leporinus
I start them out at the same size most times.
The only one I have now is chipokae(16 juvies <1.5"). I have to get a larger tank, I want a 75g, may have to settle for a 55.  wayne


----------



## simo1973 (Jul 22, 2007)

Fishface57 said:


> I agree with the last 2 posters. RD are 1 of my favorite fish. I usually start out with my fav 3:
> RD
> M. chipokae
> Banded Leporinus
> ...


hows the m.chipokae and rd get on . what about the different food requirement,
m,chipokae is one of my fave malawi cichlids, if had loads in the past.


----------



## Bkeen (Mar 13, 2009)

Looks an awful lot like one of my fish:










I've been told it's a flowerhorn. :fish:


----------



## homerl (Jan 6, 2009)

Don't think it's a flowerhorn but if it is I'd say that flower line is one of the best I've seen.Really can't see the upper flower closer to it's head? :fish:


----------



## Bkeen (Mar 13, 2009)

homerl said:


> Don't think it's a flowerhorn but if it is I'd say that flower line is one of the best I've seen.Really can't see the upper flower closer to it's head? :fish:


It doesn't have the one on the side of it's head. My fish looked identical to the op's when it was a juvie.

Here's a cell phone pic from when I first got it:


----------



## rdknjsr599 (Mar 2, 2007)

Well its been a while so I figured that I would post some more recent pics of my devils. I ended up buying a a few more from the same location, 5 in total. Two of them look like they are colored, one looks like it will be a barred variant, but it still has allot of orange/red coloration showing. The final 2 look like plain barred variants. I haven't sexed any of these as of yet, but I have noticed that the more colorful barred version does swim around the largest colored devil (presumably a male) erratically once in a while. Would be nice if they were male/female and formed a pair. Anyway here are a couple of updated pics.

Largest colored devil.









Next two pics are of the more colorful barred devil.


















Smallest devil that is starting to color up.


----------



## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

homerl said:


> Don't think it's a flowerhorn but if it is I'd say that flower line is one of the best I've seen.Really can't see the upper flower closer to it's head? :fish:


a lot of flowerhorns have a full flowerline... and not all have the flower on the head


----------



## lil mama (Nov 24, 2007)

wow  Nice loking RDs there! I really like that barred one. The color on him/her is just gorgeous!!! :drooling:


----------

