Introduction. Lots of Iowans
like African cichlids. Not so many specialize in the "other cichlids"
-- those from the Americas and even Madagascar. We think we recognize
a real fish nut when we meet one. We can also say Russ has gone way
over that line. Some people keep baby pictures in their phone.
Russ showed me several excellent cichlid pictures on his phone. On
February 24, 2008 we trekked over to Knoxville to visit his fish room. It turned
out to be fish rooms, because he had at least one tank in every room. Prepare
to see some excellent cichlids -- some you may not have seen before. LA
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Russ on one of his visits to Aqualand.
First Tank. We'll start with the 125 on the
right side of his living room. It contains various types of Amphilophus
species (plus one plecostomus).
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Russ calls this his
Amphilophus tank -- Midas, red devils, hybrids, etc.
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Home is where the PVC pipe is.
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9-inch male amarillo. Female in pipe at lower right corner.
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Female coming out a bit further but not alll the way.
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7-inch red devil hybrid.
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His slightly smaller female midas hybrid.
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Slightly larger male midas hybrid. (I can't tell them apart, myself.)
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8-inch uropthalmus.
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4-inch barred sagittae.
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6-inch female amarillo -- slightly chewed on.
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Costa Rican red face midas -- even more chewed upon.
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Female zaliosum.
Hardly anyone in this tank gets a free pass.
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Except this female amarillo.
Second Tank. On the left
wall of his living room, we find a 55 stocked with severums and uarus.
It's been a long time since we've seen an adult uaru and like never on
the rottkeil severum. We see the little ones often -- not
impressive. The big guy -- very impressive.
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Uarus and severums fill this 55. Currently running at 82 degrees
F.
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6-inch adult dark green male severum. He would shred these plants
if they were live.
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Nice finnage.
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Very nice same size rottkeil severum.
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5-inch (not quite full-grown) adult uaru -- another dedicated plant
eater.
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We haven't seen adult uarus for quite some time.
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Bunch of these three and four inchers in here also.
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Madagascar cichlid known as Katria katiras
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Ditto.
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Ditto.
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Ditto.
Third Tank. Under the 55 you'll find
a quarantine tank.
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Bifasciatum in here has been swimming upside down for six weeks with no
end in sight.
Fourth Tank. His last tank in the
living room contains a single fish -- a Paratilapia polloni from
Madagascar.
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We don't see very many Madagascar cichlids. The Paratilapias
are striking examples.
Russ took over on this guy and grew him an extra two inches.
That's it for now. My brain is worn out.