# Update: Herichthys carpinte.



## Marc280106 (Sep 25, 2007)

It's been awhile since i've visited Cichlid forum. But i'm back to share a few photos, starting with the male Carpinte. A very personable cichlid, whether begging for food or flaring and biting the glass, he's always interacting with anyone sitting with him. He's looking rather lean, i know. Very fussy eater, refuses to accept prepared foods (really frustrating), mostly eating small morsals such as frozen bloodworms etc. He enjoys fresh shrimp/prawn yet has a strange habbit of only consuming this after lights out.

IMO, this species is one of, if not the most striking of all new world cichlid's.

Here's his territory, 40g of it. I recently changed the substrate to the off white you see here, which has somewhat taken the edge off his colour. I think i'll switch back to the natural looking stuff.










Here's some shots of the stunning little fella himself.


















































And a few i took a month ago of him over the darker substrate, showing much stronger colour. What's your opinion, which substrate?


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## dwarfpike (Jan 22, 2008)

Very beautiful fish ... from the pics, I would agree his blues pop more over the natural colored gravel. Excellant example ... do you know which variation he is?


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## Marc280106 (Sep 25, 2007)

Thanks mate.

Yep, he's from a long line of the typical aquarium/farm bred variety. :thumb:


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## xXGrEeNxTeRrOrXx (Jan 25, 2006)

Gorgeous fish Marc. I should put him in one of my articles.... oh, wait...  :thumb:


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## Paulbearer (Aug 29, 2005)

If you say he looks better with the darker substrate, you might go with black sand and move to have a dark blue background.


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## Marc280106 (Sep 25, 2007)

Thanks, Matt. I received the e-mail (my com. is playin up, so i did not want to risk you a reply.) and i must say, it read quite well. Nice work, matey. I appreciate you using one of my pictures, after all my camera and/or skills with it are nothing special. I'm still sratching my head as to why there was not anymore donations to your efforts, we all know there has been plenty of blockbuster Carpintis thrown around the net. ***Shruggs***

I appreciate the thought, Paul. But after seeing pictures/video clips of various species over black substrate posted in these forums, i can't bring myself to use it. From what i see, it won't so much as wash the fishes colours, but dull them down. Seems to darken the fishes base colour, with the rest dumbed down with it. Ya know what i'm sayin?


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## Paulbearer (Aug 29, 2005)

Understood....some do better than others. I was just going off what you were saying about him/her doing better over dark already  Maybe a play sand that is darker than pool sand at least it is here in the states. But either way, good luck.


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## Marc280106 (Sep 25, 2007)

This guy's to roudy for sand. I tried it once and found it reak havic on filters.


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## xXGrEeNxTeRrOrXx (Jan 25, 2006)

I must say I prefer the natural colored gravel. Much more complimentary to his colors IMO.


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## nothing else matter (Oct 2, 2007)

very very very stunning. nice work marc


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## jimmyknuckles (May 8, 2007)

I can only dream that someday I have a fish that nice.


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## Big Vine (Feb 26, 2007)

Beautiful specimen! :thumb: 
I actually prefer the lighter gravel in this particular case.

BV


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## AU Chief (Jun 20, 2007)

I'm with *Big Vine*, I think the difference is very slight, but I like the lighter substrate better.


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## Marc280106 (Sep 25, 2007)

Thankyou all for the kind remarks.


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## Bluekiller82 (Nov 16, 2006)

Very nice fish you got there. Where did you pick him up from?


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