# Cichlids and Bichirs



## straitjacketstar (Mar 8, 2004)

PB Midas, filling out a bit.









SMASH!









Flier









P. lapradei. Only good shot I've managed to get was the day I bought it, in the bag. It's been hiding in the plastic plants ever since and only patrols the tank when there's food about.









I love my Delhezi!








It gives off this ridiculously sexy green sheen.









My rescue Poly. I've always wanted an ornate. Both of it's eyes are really bad, has a crooked fin and a little dent in it's body but I loves him. :blushing: 
Before








After (a little thicker)









Little female C. sveni









and lastly, C. sp. Belly Crawler


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## herny (Nov 30, 2007)

you have some nice fish how big is the tank they are in


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## Desi&lt;3 (Feb 13, 2008)

they all look great!  :thumb: opcorn: :drooling: :fish: :dancing:


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## justin323 (Nov 29, 2006)

awesome fish..........as always :thumb:


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## straitjacketstar (Mar 8, 2004)

Thanks all!

The tank is 80 gallons. Everyone will eventually be moved to more appropriate accommodations but for now the living situation is peaceful and serves purpose.



justin323 said:


> awesome fish..........as always :thumb:


Thanks man, I see you're in 323? You should hit us up sometime!


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## justin323 (Nov 29, 2006)

Actually that's just random numbers I picked because I couldn't use my name alone. I am in the 760 though and I work down the hill quite often. Where about are you located?


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## justin323 (Nov 29, 2006)

P.s. I noticed you were having problems with hair algae in your 5.5 Gallon Nano South East Asian. I had the same problems in my community tank I used algae killer for a pond I can't remember the name right now, but it worked great. I don't really like using chemicals in my tanks but as you know that stuff won't stop.


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## nimboman (Jan 11, 2008)

I keep a black shark handy and bounce him from tank to tank. He clears up the rocks and even the glass in a couple of days. They do eat plants though :x . Nice fish by the way!!


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## straitjacketstar (Mar 8, 2004)

justin323 said:


> Actually that's just random numbers I picked because I couldn't use my name alone. I am in the 760 though and I work down the hill quite often. Where about are you located?


LOL I'm in 323.  
I'm not down thataway very often but I'll make a trip every once in a while.
Thanks for the algae tip. I'm not so brave to use any type of chemical warfare on my algae as I fear for the fish/inverts but I have used a true CAE to help combat the problem as well as short photoperiods to trip up the growth of the algae and it's seemed to do a decent enough job of keeping it at bay. :roll:

Thanks nimboman.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Sweet sveni ... need a matching male to go with her!! And a female for your BC ... not that I'm biased or anything.


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## straitjacketstar (Mar 8, 2004)

dwarfpike said:


> Sweet sveni ... need a matching male to go with her!! And a female for your BC ... not that I'm biased or anything.


LOL suuuure. :wink: 
Actually I do have a male sveni but he's on the "runty" side ATM.








He's slow to eat and still hasn't gotten used to even the frozen foods I offer so he's laggin way behind the plump female who adjusted right away.
I would have loved a female for the bellycrawler but in the whole tank full of them I couldn't make out a single one. They all looked male to me.
As it was female sveni was the only female left of her sp. in the tank. I would have picked out a much nicer looking male if I'd been a little more patient. :?

and for kicks, my other two pikes for the unbiased fellow. lol
C. sp. Pacaya









C. johanna









I have a little C. compressiceps around here somewheres to but he's hard to get a good picture of.


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## Desi&lt;3 (Feb 13, 2008)

I like the C. johanna! Pretty coloring!


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## straitjacketstar (Mar 8, 2004)

Thanks Desi.  
Yeah, he's a bit odd as far as coloring goes but in a good way. It's very cool seeing him progress like he is. When I bought him he looked like a normal little dingy gray johanna. It's been a nice surprise to say the least. lol


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Stunning pikes!!! Well except the male sveni ... he's just cute.  Deffinately a beautifully unusual johanna ... living up to the common name around here of red pike!

Can't wait until I can put up some big tanks ... so many pikes ... I figure I might be getting some sveni though, the wholesaler has some Cr. wallaci listed as wild columbian, which wallaci aren't from columbia at all ... but sveni are. Not sure if should risk the order, but then the chance of getting some wallaci is too much to pass up!!


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## straitjacketstar (Mar 8, 2004)

I really wanted to get some semifasciata from Rapps but passed them up. now I'm kicking myself. Maybe not the prettiest but I love their look. I'd also give any finger on my left hand for some cyclostoma.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

cyclostoma have the cutest bulldog face!! :lol: I can understand the missing fingerness for them. But I like my fingers ... I think it would take either rosemarie or tigrina to make me give up any digits. :lol:


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## straitjacketstar (Mar 8, 2004)

Oooooooh rosemarie... :drooling: 
Ah, stop that! I got my keyboard all messy. lol


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

I know what you mean ... saw 5 beautiful cintas today ... ugh. Cursing not living in a house. Someone might want me to buy them and ship them cross country though! :lol:


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## straitjacketstar (Mar 8, 2004)

How do you _see_ cinctas and then proceed to PASS THEM UP?!?!
*sigh* I suppose it is the wiser decision.
See I can't do that. That's why I end up with plastic tubs in random places.
Ever back arse-first into a grow-out tub in your kitchen? I never thought I'd be in a position where I had to worry about whether or not I just *sat* on my fish.


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Easier than it sounds ...

1) Largest tank setup and cycled is only a 38 gallon (36x15 footprint).
2) Largest empty tank is only a 50 breeder (36x18 footprint).
3) Second story apartment that's iffy in the building quality department to say the least
4) Having a lfs order a dwarf pike order of 2 differant species (noto's and wallacii - though if that is actually what comes in ... well we'll see).

Even then it was **** hard ... was the pretty blue peru variant too ... I think I actually died a little bit inside having to pass them up. And the argentaes. At least if the dwarf pike order falls through, they had orange head tapajos in, Biotodma wavrini, and Tahuantinsuyoa macantzatza in ... I can fit them in my tanks.

But none of them are as pretty as those cinctas ...


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## Desi&lt;3 (Feb 13, 2008)

You could rent a tank at the lfs :lol: ! then you could keep all you want and not worry about the bad building quality! Sorry you had to pass them up, I personaly would have said screw it and bought them, but thats just me 

PS Im addicted to buying what ever fish I want then buying a tank to go with them! Ahh the fun of fish keeping!


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## ArcticCatRider (Jul 13, 2007)

Nice Fish! :drooling:  
They are amazing.
Just wondering though, how big do most bichirs average?
I've actually thought of keeping them.
Maybe in my next tank.
and do they/can they get mean?


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