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When I was first planning my big tank the only fish the spouse was interested in was a Cuban cichlid (Nandopsis tetracanthus). No luck with lfs, until one day I was just browsing a store that orders from Jeff Rapps (Tangled Up In Cichlids) and saw they happened to get some in.

It's a curious and active fish, with a huge appetite, will eat anything...unfortunately it also has a taste for plants. Not a splashy, brightly colored fish but very interesting, distinct markings of black on grey/silver. It also has orange edging on the dorsal fin. I've read they grow to anywhere between 8" and 14", and I'm still not sure how to sex them.

Early last month when I first bought it, 'all eyes':



A couple weeks later:



And today:



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Last edited by Theresa_M at 24-May-2005 10:15[/font]

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There is water at the bottom of the ocean

wow there is quite a colour change

Its turning into a convict

Nice pics as always
Alex

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''All the clown fish and yellow tangs in the world cant save you now!''

Very nice looking cichlid Theresa and he/she looks like it's flourishing, well done and good luck with it

Nice pics as well of course

Theresa, the venerable Innes book has a lot to say about this fish. Including its taste for plants - when in the mood for breeding, it will rip them up and destroy them. Innes also considered it one of the more bad tempered Cichlids, but as you say, no less interesting for that. It can hold its own with bigger Cichlids, and if it feels the need, will launch into a head-on assault against Dempseys and Jaguars if kept with them.

Oh, unless you have the space to ameliorate some of the warlike tendencies of this fish, I'd watch it closely, especially if it shares its home with Jaguars (which can look similar in adult colouration) or certain other Guapotes/CA Cichlids. It's not quite the lurid psychopath that is Neetroplus nematopus (a pint sized demon that will even outdo a salvini in the aggression stakes, and with much bigger opposition to boot) but it can be a total berserker if it decides that some of the competition needs eliminating. In breeding mode, a pair of these will plant some eggs on a rock, draw a line in the sand around the eggs, and dare everyone else to do something about it. You're in for an interesting time with this fish


Panda Catfish fan and keeper/breeder since Christmas 2002