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Hi!
I picked up some new fish last weekend and I'm starting to get a little curious as to what I've actually got in my tank now. I know this sounds pretty stupid since you're supposed to research all potential new additions, but I guess I was caught up in a moment of weakness at the LFS.
Anyway I got what I thought was a school of serpae tetras and a couple rams. I had asked for a recommendation from the LFS guy for a nice colorful schooling tetra to go with my angels and the serpae are what he suggested (I found out later that they're supposed to be notorious fin-nippers). Well, even though they're faced with the constant temptation of two angelfish, I've yet to see any fin-nipping. So, are these actually serpae or are they actually red phantom tetras (their profile says the two are often confused) ?
Next, I was looking for bolivian rams and couldn't find any but I found these. I'm pretty sure they're a type of german, but I'm curious what their variation is called. The LFS just had them labeled as "baby round-body rams". Does anyone know if they'll stay round like they are or if they'll grow up to look more like regular germans?
Sorry for such a lost post and the poor pic quality]:|, but I would like to learn more about these fish since I've got them now.
Thanks

Last edited by skeletaljosh at 17-Sep-2005 12:51

Fish 1: Serpae Tetra

Fish 2: German Ram with a genetic mutation that deforms its body into a round, compressed form.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

not sure about number 1,

but i think those are now on the market " under Angel rams" or so my wholesaler says. my guess is no they wont grow into slender reg rams, but they are still fish too, so have fun with them.

The ram on the left looks to be a female too !


The Amazon Nut...

i bought a fish like fish number one and i believe it was called a bleeding heart serpae tetra, if it was the body color was a pinkish orange with a bright red colored area behind the fins on the side.



im not for sure on that one, but i've had those before, and mine didnt live

Chelle

*Chelle*
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I love the fishes cuz they're SOOO delicious...

First, your characin. Looks like it's probably a Serpae, but I'd need a better quality photo to confirm this.

Although this page is in Polish, that shouldn't be a problem. The photo of a Red Phantom Tetra (listed on this page under its old taxonomic name of Megalamphodus sweglesi) is probably one of the best you'll see of the species.

This page by way of comparison shows a Serpae Tetra.

If you check the pics, the major difference is in the dorsal and anal fins. Serpaes have a white edge to the anal fin (totally lacking in Red Phantoms) and a broad white border to the dorsal fin (Red Phantoms have a white tip rather than a full-blown white margin).

There is, however, a BIG difference in behaviour. Red Phantoms are generally peaceful, not to mention pretty tight shoalers, and as the males become mature, they'll start 'jousting' with each other harmlessly in much the same way as Black Phantoms, Lemons and Rosies. Serpaes, however, have a reputation for being nippy and at times downright vicious. Quite a few people have reported Serpaes as being responsible for shredding the fins of other fishes, including the fins of those eternal pacifists, the Corys.

Your tetra photo is more than a little confusing because your tetra has a small amount of white on the anal fin, which normally rules out identiifying it as a Red Phantom. However, I'm also aware that fish can be as individual as you or I, so who knows, you may have got lucky, and just happen to have a Red Phantom with a small white spot on its anal fin! The lack of white on the dorsal in your photo is, however, most puzzling ...

Now to your Cichlid. That is definitely a mutation of Mikrogeophagus ramirezi, which should be called the Venezuelan Ram, as that is its original home (they wouldn't survive five minutes in a pond in the middle of a German winter!). Furthermore, it looks to me like the kind of mutation that was induced using assorted mutagenic chemicals in Guppies in the 1970s. Keeping pregnant female Guppies in water containing formaldehyde resulted in offspring with shortened vertebral columns, and I suspect something along the same lines has been performed with these Rams. I therefore advise you not to buy them, because chances are this mutation will have a deleterious effect upon the long term health of the fish. The experimentally truncated Guppies had a shorter life span than those free from such mutation, and I suspect the same will be true of these unfortunate Rams too.

Personally, I can't understand why people insist upon such meddling with what is, after all, a stunningly beautiful fish in its own right courtesy of dear old Nature. Why mess about mutating a little jewel like that? Some people are never satisfied ... sigh ...


Last edited by Calilasseia at 22-Sep-2005 00:45

Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002