# Not a clue what kind this is.



## realmendontwhine (Aug 21, 2013)

My 10 year old fell in love with this cichlid at the LFS. He was much deeper "electric" blue in the densely planted tank in the store. He's about 3 inches long. My first guess is that it's a South American possibly an Electric Blue Ram but he does not have any of the color variations like the dark spots or black on his fins of a typical ram. Very iridescent. Never realized how hard it was to take a good picture of a fish til now. My other guesses are electric blue keyhole or peacock cichlid.


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

A pic would help, might be an electric blue hapichromis


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## realmendontwhine (Aug 21, 2013)

Sry, First timer. Thought I attached two? They show when I access the post. 
I'll try again, might had done it wrong.
















http://i.imgur.com/FDRM9pH.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ztpebJi.jpg


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## realmendontwhine (Aug 21, 2013)

I think the face is wrong for a Hap.


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

No that I look at it( only said gap because here was no pic) it look like a green terror but in an electric blue form, I think you we're right about the electric blue ram.


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## walzon1 (Jun 17, 2013)

I will second EBR, it's just stressed put some plants or something in your tank it should color up


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## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

Absolutely not an Electric Blue Ram, Rams do not have a red/orange border on the dorsal fin, which this fish clearly possesses. At first glance it appears to be _Nannacara anomala_, which has various populations of different color. However, there is something wrong about the shape for that Genus, and three inches would be a large male, who would have much more elegant finnage.

I suspect some sort of new aquarium strain of Blue Acara complex, as the head shape is right, as are the fin edges, but the body color is not any of the natural forms that I'm aware of. However, I've not heard of anyone doing this, either.


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## realmendontwhine (Aug 21, 2013)

I'm still not sure. Still leaning toward EBR but the fact that he has not a bit of black on his fins and has the yellow border on the dorsal fin makes me doubt. Also, the fact that his first few dorsal spines are not elongated (dorsal is too uniform) makes me wonder but his shape and the eyes completely match a ram's. The Blue Acara would now be my second guess. He does seem to have a dark spot slightly behind his mid line which would match and I have see a few pictures with similar eyes. I am hoping that it is not an Acara as I would like it to remain on the small side and not so aggressive. One reason I'm leaning toward EBR is that when he was in the store tank his color was very solid without striation. 
I'll have to get him some more plants and give him I few days to settle. I'm sure the stress is making his color fade but he is eating well. He's gobbled up a few ghost shrimp so far. 
Will post more picts in a few days.
Thank you very much.


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## walzon1 (Jun 17, 2013)

Mr Chromedome said:


> Absolutely not an Electric Blue Ram, Rams do not have a red/orange border on the dorsal fin, which this fish clearly possesses. At first glance it appears to be _Nannacara anomala_, which has various populations of different color. However, there is something wrong about the shape for that Genus, and three inches would be a large male, who would have much more elegant finnage.
> 
> I suspect some sort of new aquarium strain of Blue Acara complex, as the head shape is right, as are the fin edges, but the body color is not any of the natural forms that I'm aware of. However, I've not heard of anyone doing this, either.


Not sure where you are getting you info but all Rams have orange/red or white border to the dorsal fin. This all depends on how they are bred of course as electric blues are not a natural strain there are variations. 




When they are babies they do not have the elongated dorsal fins yet but it will come in time.


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## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

At three inches a ram is definitely not a baby, but the OP's fish appears to be not quite mature. The border in the OP's photos is a well-defined narrow line, if you look at that video, you will see that the "border" on the ram is neither well defined or narrow. The profile of the dorsal is straight on the OP's fish, a Ram has a more serrated edge with the spines extending more toward the front than the rest of the dorsal with males getting much longer spines than females. The head shape of a ram is round, the OP's fish is slightly pointed, exactly like an Acara.

It is not a ram, though I can see where an inexperienced person might mistake it for one.


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## walzon1 (Jun 17, 2013)

Mr Chromedome said:


> At three inches a ram is definitely not a baby, but the OP's fish appears to be not quite mature. The border in the OP's photos is a well-defined narrow line, if you look at that video, you will see that the "border" on the ram is neither well defined or narrow. The profile of the dorsal is straight on the OP's fish, a Ram has a more serrated edge with the spines extending more toward the front than the rest of the dorsal with males getting much longer spines than females. The head shape of a ram is round, the OP's fish is slightly pointed, exactly like an Acara.
> 
> It is not a ram, though I can see where an inexperienced person might mistake it for one.


Though I am not inexperienced but it did fool me. I did see your point about the dorsal fin very much like acara, I have seen juvies with a head shape exactly as pictured till matured but I was also assuming it was a juvie missed the part about the 3" size in the OP original post.. So I figured maybe you might be on to something....

Electric Blue Acara






Guess we all learned something today


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

walzon1 said:


> Electric Blue Acara
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yup, that is the same fish in the video. Never knew there was such a thing ...must be a newly developed strain.



Mr Chromedome said:


> Absolutely not an Electric Blue Ram,I suspect some sort of new aquarium strain of Blue Acara complex


Definitely got it right. Thought the same thing ...but could not find any pictures that matched. But the video Walzon1 found looks to be a match!


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## realmendontwhine (Aug 21, 2013)

Thank you sooo much for the verification. I agree 100% that it is an Acara but Arrrgggg, a day late and a dollar short. Well, long store short, I went to the pet store I got him at and got to talk to the "fish lady". Turns out he had come in with a bag of Bolivians. Of course this lead my to think it might just be a ram so I got a pair of Bolivians to put with him. He does have many similar characteristics with the Bolivians, including the location of the black spot. Even though, I was having more doubts that it was a EBR by the way he was gobbling up ghost shrimp. They are doing fine but now I figure this will only last a matter time. He even seems much more relaxed. I will have to prepare for his growth and to move the Bolivians to my community tank. I would not have found his species without you guys. He will get twice as big than I would like but I guess that is the only negative after researching them. Do they grow very fast? He is beautiful and is listed as only semi-aggressive. As I've been researching some of the forums suggest Bolivians as tank mates but won't they be too small when he grows? I believe they are in a 37 gallon tank (got it used and haven't taken the time to measure). I might have to see about getting another Acara and some type of schooling fish to help calm them. Maybe a group rummy nose tetra or marbled hatchet fish, something that will stay closer to the top out of their way. I'm also thinking about moving toward a blackwater tank.
Thank you again. As my first real experience with a forum and you guys are awesome.

Better picture of Acara








New Rams (Male and Female ?)








Together


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## realmendontwhine (Aug 21, 2013)

I know it's a little soon but any guess to the sex of my Acara? I'm leaning towards female due to the length of "her" anal and dorsal fins.


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## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

I think it may be a bit young, but it does look like it should be female. It is possible s/he may not get as big, many of these modified strains do not grow as large as the normal fish. It is interesting that someone has managed to get that color on an Acara, I fear some sort of genetic manipulation (i.e., hybridization or direct manipulation as with the "Glo Fish"). The species has been in the hobby for over 75 years, so a sudden mutation that happens to match similar mutations that are relatively recent, just seems like too much coincidence.

Interesting looking fish, and s/he seems a lot happier with "friends".  Good Luck!


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## walzon1 (Jun 17, 2013)

I believe it will be smaller and less aggressive as well, so really who knows what tank mates will be a good fit. I think the rams are a good start to guage the aggression level she will have.


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