Id Needed

[Glenbo1981]

I went searching for a Blue Acara today (never kept one before) and i was sold this dude as a 'blue point flag acara' lol

Now is this just me or is that a mix of a load of names of 2 dif fish? lol

I understand that Blue Acaras are a Firemouth sized fish...gettign to around 8" max wheras Flag Point Acaras are a different fish altogether and only get to between 2"-4" so i wanted to know for stockign reasons mainly

Heres some pics of the little dude (not very good ones)

 

[minxfishy]

Looks like a normal BA to me

Never heard of a flag point acara, Flag cichlid yes, (Curviceps :http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=177260)

 

[Glenbo1981]

Yes that what they sold him to me as (that was the scientific name) however after a few searchs I can see a fish that looks a bit like a blue acara but not very much like my fish lol

So do you think he is a Blue Acara? (thats what i'm really hoping) or a flag cichlid?

 

[Bebobb]

Deffinately Blue Acara. The flag cichlid seens to always have a horisontal (sp?) line one it. At least that is what I got from Google Images.

 

[Glenbo1981]

Yeh I got the same images

I'm made up if it is a Blue Acara as I dont think a Flag would fair to well long term with my stocking.

 

[Bebobb]

I am sure it is a Blue Acara, don't fret.

 

[Glenbo1981]

If it turns out to be a Flag I think he could end up getting a pasting from my Breeding Kribs or Firemouths.

I did some more google searchs and it seems Blue acaras have stripes on there head same as my dude does but the flag thingys dont have any,the only similarity's is the lightning markings on the face.

The dude who sold him to me could bareley string a sentence lol which shicked me as Maidenhead are usually really really good,he also went on to tell me that I should be wary buying this fish as it could eat a Adult Angel and it was oscar/convict like in temperament.

Obviously I did a bit of reading up before I bought it,and Minxy advised me they are nice fish in teh past so I bought him anyway.

 

[Davo86]

Deffinately Blue Acara. The flag cichlid seens to always have a horisontal (sp?) line one it. At least that is what I got from Google Images.

It is almost certainly a Blue acara,
Its defo not a curviceps (flag cichlid), or Port Acara,

 

[Glenbo1981]

Oooo

This is worrying...

 

[minxfishy]

Its defo a BA, they can change their colouration with their mood, their backgrounds etc, not a major shift in colour, but sometimes they have stronger markings than at other times.

Its not a curviceps, wrong facial shape, wrong colouring. Its a BA, your sorted

 

[Glenbo1981]

Legend

Hes happy now and he looks just like this

One side of him is green and the other side speckled blue

 

[Davo86]

Its defo a BA, they can change their colouration with their mood, their backgrounds etc, not a major shift in colour, but sometimes they have stronger markings than at other times.

Its not a curviceps, wrong facial shape, wrong colouring. Its a BA, your sorted

Agreed,

 

[Glenbo1981]

Result!

Hopefully your all right I post some more pictures as he grows.

 

[snowflake311]

It looks like my fish and they are blue acaras your looking at a 6" fish could get to be 8" but not likely. I have heard of a dwarf flag cichld it's in the acara genus but they have a much rounder head and only get 3".

Lots of fish are sold under different names that's a fact. But your little dude looks like an blue acara too me.

 

[Glenbo1981]

Yeh he does look exactly like your avatar

You never know tho,It seems juvi Flags,BA's and GT's amognst others look very very similar to a non expert eye.

Its not the first time this has happened to me tho My Partner was sold a Albino Oscar as a Red Spotted Severum by P@H years ago also recently Sold my Bosemani Rainbows as 'some uknown kind of tetra' by Bow Aquatics of course I knew what they were and lapped up every minute of it (the price for 3 was less than the price for 1 in all other shops hehe).

The Threadfin Acara (Hecklii) that I owned was also sold to me by Maidenhead Aquatics as a Geophagus Surinamensis. (I traded this dude in for my Blue Acara earlier).

Pets@Home is the best,because none of them have any knowledge on fish at all,you could buy a Discus as a neon Tetra in that place haha

I'm still kinda laughing to myself that both Miadenhead and Little Fish (2 seperate shops) told me that Bue Acaras are of Oscar Size and of Convict temperment

This seems to be a common misconception and the main reason I have never kept one in the past until I started using these forums and realised what a cool fish it it