Can someone identify this cichlid

[blue_ram]

I have a pond in my backyard and took my daughter to watch the turtles. I noticed a whole lot of brightly colored 3 to 4 inch fish lined up along the shoreline. At first I thought they were bream, but then one came up close to the surface and looked at me. He had big eyes and a reddish under belly with long flowing fins and blue speckles. I had read that down here in south florida we have lots of several species of cichlids. These are Tilapia, Jewel cichlids, Oscars, Convicts and several others. from what I understand, a breeder lost his entire stock into the canals during hurricane andrew and many tropical fish has colonized the canals and waterways here in south florida.

Anyways I took three pics to see if anyone can idenitfy him

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Port acara is my first guess.

Might be a hybrid between a few of them. My first guess, and just by glancing at it is a Port Acara.

 

[blue_ram]

Wow, you are awesome.

NAS - Species FactSheet

Nailed it right on the head.

I'll see if I can catch or get pictures of the red ones in there.

My daughter was feeding them bread and this huge powder blue fish about a foot long with flowing fins gobbled it up.

It's a shame that al these fish in there are gonna die because the pond was cut off and partially filled in so it will be a year or so before the pond ends up being a grassy meadow.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Heh, i try. You should go collecting and just take a camera with you. See whats in there!

 

[SinisterKisses]

Bit late, but yes, it's a Port Acara.

 

[blue_ram]

I scooped another out to see and it had the same shape, but a yellow orange color and a bump on the head looked like this.

http://www.cjexotics.com/images/barredmidasmalenf.JPG

Cannot get a decent picture at dusk and don't want to keep putting these things in a tank to take a picture.

Apparently I have an entire PetsMart fish collection in my back yard. http://myfwc.com/Fishing/pdf/ExoticList.pdf

Almost every species commonly kept in aquariums of the genus Cichlosoma is overtaking the waters here, including convicts and jack dempseys.

Anyway, having an opportunity to watch these fish(central american cichlids) in the wild has kinda opened my eyes on how they need to be cared for. These guys pack themselves very tightly by the shoreline in 1-2 feet of water and move around as groups of 20 or 30. They didn't fight or harass each other and moved up and down the shoreline in a 50 foot range eating anything unfortunate enough to fall in the water, or shuffle by their mouth. They act and behave just like bluegills or sunnies including driving minnows and fry to the bank as a team. Since i'll get chewed out for calling them schooling fish, I will say they are herd fish or pack fish.

Do the Africans behave the same way, what about my blue rams? Instead of separating my blue ams, should I put a few more in the 40g?

What an eye opener for me,

 

[SinisterKisses]

Port Acaras are actually South American, not central. I'm confused about the barred Midas picture you posted...you have that fish? Or that just is what you think one of your fish looks like?

Americans are not schooling fish, or "herd or pack fish". What they do in the wild is extremely different than what you can accomplish in a domestic fish tank. Those barred Midas, for example, may live together just fine in the wild, but don't try putting a male and female together in anything less than a 6ft. tank, and I wouldn't try two males in anything less than about a 240gal tank - and even then, you'd have to be lucky for two males to share the same tank. To have one barred Midas with any other possible tankmates, you'd also need at least a 6ft. tank, and would have to be very selective about what tankmates you try, and the fish will decide if it will allow any others or not.

 

[blue_ram]

Port Acaras are actually South American, not central. I'm confused about the barred Midas picture you posted...you have that fish? Or that just is what you think one of your fish looks like?

Americans are not schooling fish, or "herd or pack fish". What they do in the wild is extremely different than what you can accomplish in a domestic fish tank. Those barred Midas, for example, may live together just fine in the wild, but don't try putting a male and female together in anything less than a 6ft. tank, and I wouldn't try two males in anything less than about a 240gal tank - and even then, you'd have to be lucky for two males to share the same tank. To have one barred Midas with any other possible tankmates, you'd also need at least a 6ft. tank, and would have to be very selective about what tankmates you try, and the fish will decide if it will allow any others or not.

I put the port (black) acara back and scooped up another fish out of the pond and it looked exactly like the striped midas picture I posted.

I have no intention on keeping any of these, the port (black) acara I put in a tank so I can see what he was and take a picture. Now that I know what species to look for I can identify them.

I take my daughter out there to feed them every now and then.

 

[Whiskers]

sounds like you and your daughter are having fun with a wild fish tank. its to bad if the pond is shrinking and you can't save the fish. too bad you can't scoop them up and find them homes before they croak. i guess enjoy the time with them while you can.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Ok so who voted for Jewel Cichlid up top? LOL

 

[blue_ram]

sounds like you and your daughter are having fun with a wild fish tank. its to bad if the pond is shrinking and you can't save the fish. too bad you can't scoop them up and find them homes before they croak. i guess enjoy the time with them while you can.

She is 4 and gets so excited catching fish. She took her beach pail and shovel and scooped up a few mosquito fish fry (basically plain brown guppies) and was so proud of herself. We have abigger lake in the center of the comminity, about the size of a football stadium, there are a ton of oscara and mayan's in there.

 

[blue_ram]

Some pictures of the "wild" cichlids around here. These are mostly mayan and tilapia

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Wow. Thats cool in a bad way lol. Not cool that they are invasive species, but cool because you can go outside and catch them.

 

[Orion]

Goodness, no doubt. That's crazy.

Hey, have you thought about doing a cichlid pond outdoors? You could keep some real monsters in a 500g pond.

 

[blue_ram]

Goodness, no doubt. That's crazy.

Hey, have you thought about doing a cichlid pond outdoors? You could keep some real monsters in a 500g pond.

I don't own, I rent in a gated community so a pond is not doable right now, but I have considered it when I buy. Those pics were taken by the Fishing Hall of Fame in Ft Lauderdale which is slightly brackish.

The pond in the back is about 20 feet away so it is kinda like having a pond and has hundreds of the black acara, mayans and we saw a baby oscar. That is the one I take my daughtet to feed them.

 

[blue_ram]

Wow. Thats cool in a bad way lol. Not cool that they are invasive species, but cool because you can go outside and catch them.

The Mayans are beautiful with their torquiose and orange stripes and blood red throat.

There are some peacock bass and oscars in there, but they are fairly shy and hard to get pictures of.

There was also some pinkish cichlid in there, actually a few in teh area, don't know if they are albionos or possibly midas cichlids.