Red Terror Cichlid -Cichlasoma Festae

[lloyd]

Has any body kept these fish.
I dont really have any plans on keeping these but i do really like them and would love to see peoples pics and hear what people who keep them have to say about them

 

[ZoddyZod]

Haven't seen anyone on here keep these brutes......but great looking fish.

 

[lloyd]

Yeah they are great lookers

 

[Dilema]

I had 5 f1's imported from the States, they were stunning, but they killed everything in sight. I even tried silver dollars and giant danios as target fish, but they all got killed too. They have a reputation for being quite shy, but mine would eat from my hand. I had to get rid of them because of the aggression.

Males can be quite stunning, but females really do look special. Just aswell really, because they will usually be the only thing in the tank

 

[holidayinn]

I'm currently keeping a breeding pair of festae, male about 9", female 6"...Don't try to keep them with any tankmates unless you have a huge tank! I have to keep a divider between the male and female as he's already killed a previous female.

Festae grow although slowly, to a big size so make sure you have adequate room for them.

Not the most interactive fish (i.e. not the behaviour of an Oscar) but imo the mos stunning of cichlids (in breeding dress).

 

[lloyd]

I'm currently keeping a breeding pair of festae, male about 9", female 6"...Don't try to keep them with any tankmates unless you have a huge tank! I have to keep a divider between the male and female as he's already killed a previous female.

Festae grow although slowly, to a big size so make sure you have adequate room for them.

Not the most interactive fish (i.e. not the behaviour of an Oscar) but imo the mos stunning of cichlids (in breeding dress).

Thats interseting, i didnt realise theyd fight with each other. How long have you had them, do you have any pics?

I had 5 f1's imported from the States, they were stunning, but they killed everything in sight. I even tried silver dollars and giant danios as target fish, but they all got killed too. They have a reputation for being quite shy, but mine would eat from my hand. I had to get rid of them because of the aggression.

Males can be quite stunning, but females really do look special. Just aswell really, because they will usually be the only thing in the tank

Do you have any pics?

 

[ZoddyZod]

Do you have any pics?

a very good question!

 

[holidayinn]

Had them for about year and half. Yep, festae can turn on one another, even when they are a bonded pair.

Pic is from 6 months ago or so, and you should be able to make out the fry. The male is much bigger and a stunner also now. (Photo taken on phone, apologies for poor quality).

 

[ZoddyZod]

absoloutely beautiful!

 

[holidayinn]

Thanks Zoddy Will take and upload more recent pics and start a separate thread. I've got some pics on phone of both in breeding dress, the male has almost the same colours as the female.

 

[lloyd]

very nice

 

[ZoddyZod]

Looking forward to them.

If i don't reply then send me a pm.....might miss it!

 

[lloyd]

Those fish a beautiful. Would it be safe to say that keeping a pair of females is a risk not worth taking, even if they grew up toggether

 

[holidayinn]

I've never really kept two females together, only when growing out as juveniles, female festae are aggressive and may want to exert dominance over one another even if there isnt a male festae in the tank. Also, their colours only come out when in breeding mode, and I've found a male cichlid needs to be in the tank for that to happen, my spare female festae was kept in a community and showed its breeding colours with the trimac when it was in the tank.

Personally, I think festae are only worth keeping in pairs or in aggressive cichlid tank setups, but as soon as a pair is formed, other inhabitants are at risk.