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Americans Not Fashionable?


Stezimov

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some people on here keep americans ;) i also keep guppies

i'd say theres a few reasons they're less appealing

theres not many american cichlids on the legal import list anymore, so lots of the nicer ones are becoming harder to find

theres a bit of stigma that american cichlid means aggressive tankbuster

africans are generally more collourful

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Most people forget Americans include Discus , Rams , Apistos , Angels , Geos etc. You could probably say people are not so interested in Central Americans as they are generally large and aggressive . I love them but also understand the reluctance of some people to dedicate a tank to sometimes one fish.

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I love americans. And if you want Americans that are not aggressive it's not that hard to achive.

I like to have a mixture of both Aggressive tanks and mild but large yanks.

There are plenty of American keepers here. I find that most american keepers hold their fish long term as they take longer to grow and when they do they have more personality and actually get attached to their owners.

Some of the Queensland forums seem to be more American Cichlid orientated.

I also like to see what the UK and USA sites have and they really have great species that we cannot get. Youtube is a great place for the yanks as well.

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I have just got into Thorichthys Maculipinnis AKA Eliotti... great looking fish and not too aggresive compared to the larger species. I'm also looking to get some Hecklii (threadfin acara) also another stunner... very difficult to source though.

bottom line is I've always had myself an american mixed in with my africans like the gold sevs in my avatar. Unfortunately have to adjust them to a higher Ph since my wife likes the tank looking more marine type.

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I'm one of these poor fools that likes everything...lol I keep many Africans, but in the American department, I have:

Vieja synspila

Red Tiger Oscars

Vieja maculicauda

Petenia splendida

Heros severus

Jack Dempseys

plus a few others...

I think Africans may be more popular because of space limitations. Some of these larger Americna s require a lot of room to be housed properly, and as a result, interest in them suffers. But for me, you can't go past those magnificent Americans!

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2 silver sharks

2 sucking catfish

1 sailfin plecostamus

Synodontis ocelliifer

7 black spotted barbs + fry

12 Uaru

3 H.bocourti

1 breeding pair of H.pearsei plus 2 sub dominants

1 H. tempoalis

1 Gold Severum Male

1 green Severum Male

1 x breeding par of Nicaraguans

1 banded leporanis

2 Veija. Synpylum male plus 1 subdominant male

1 x breeding pair of Veija. Zonatus. sp. coatzacoalis plus some fry

6 Marbled Veija fenestratum

1 red devil male

I just gave 3 fish away.

And am looking at cutting back some of my collection

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Ok Mate this will make your eyes water

Umbee

Dovii

Jaguar

Red devil

Chocolates

Hartwegi

Pearsei

Bocourti

Cuban

Robertsoni

Uaru

Festae

Neets

Ellioti

Blue eyes

Green Sev

Gold Sev

Snooks

Red Snooks

Angels

And Vieja

Melanurus

Zonatum

Blackbelt

Pure Fenestratus

Marble Fenestratus

also

Bristlenose

pleco

Blackspot Barbs

Raphel Cats

Hemibagrus Nemurus

Brisbane fish junkie

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any ways the point is; there is still alot of people that love em! all my mates have got a few or a bunch or keep some of each.

I reckon they are still fashionable but the sale in LFS is more the bread and butter cichlids... Americans is becoming more the specialist type of fish.

Deffinately if you live in a main city like Sydney or Brisbane you can find all of the above mentioned fish but if you live in a place like Coffs you've got a 5hr drive one way to get yourself a new bloodline.

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firemouth

ellioti

hecklii

geo tapagos red head

rainbow cichlid

brasiliensis

blue eyed cichlids

bolivian rams

green and gold sevs

angels

JD

i generally stay away from larger aggressive ones, maybe one day though :)

anyone seen the 'super red' gold sev in aust? its gold but has red highlights

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  • 2 weeks later...

I personally love the americans. Big fish, big attitude and big personality. Have only got Festaes at the moment but with any luck I might be able to brach out into other species after I finish setting up the growout tanks and sell off some of the fry.

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Man, I can't get enough of my Central Americans - unfortunately I lost quite a few fish recently due to velvet (a very sad & tiring experience)

To me there is something about their interaction amongst themselves and their care of their young. I still fondly remember my very first pair of convicts (albino) as well as a nice neon blue forest cichlid (not CA I know)... These were my first 'real' cichlids apart from angels & to these 2 pairs, especially the convicts, I owe my addiction to Central Americans & Pacific Coast South Americans... In the years since, I have dabbled in Marine/reef aquariums amongst other things, but in my heart of hearts, for me Central Americans are what I can't get enough of... Anyways enough of these weak dribble trying to pass off as memories, for those interested here is my list of Central & Pacific Coast Southerners:

Cryptoheros:

Sajica

Septemfaciastus

Spilirus

Vieja, paratheraps?

Black belt

Synspilum

Fenestratum

Hartwegi (lost my male recently, not happy at all)

Others:

Neets

Convicts

Nicaraguensi

Firemouth

Robertsoni

Salvini

Pearsi

Rainbow cichlid

Jack dempseys

Escondido carpinte

Normal carpinte

Red Devil

Green terrors

Sapayo cichlid

That's all I can think of now.

I hope to get some trimacs and fredies if I can find any.

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  • 1 month later...

I would love to know what Stezimov said to get his post removed????

But for me, there is no doubt, Americans and in particular, Central americans are the go!

Big Colourful fish (not just yellow and blue) with Big Colourful Charactors that take time to raise.

Checkout sites like Monster fish keepers and Cichlid Room Companion and source some of the Dutch

and German sites.....those guys do fish like you would'nt believe. Checkout "tangled up in cichlids" stocklist if you want to make your eyes water. Jeff Rapps does wild caught americans like no other. Things that we can only dream of ever owning in Australia... allthough i must say, that in recent years, there have been a lot more species available than there used to be. Once upon a time, Firemouths and jack Dempseys (mainly because there names were easy for the public to say and they were quite attractive) were the only centrals you could get.

Guys like Norm Halliwell always had things that you had never seen before. I still remember my jaw dropping when i walked into Riverside and seeing that huge tank he had with two, 4ft long, Alligator Gars swimming up and down and another tank with 3 differant species of full grown Peacock Bass. If he knew you were keen... he would let you have a look out the back at his "secret" collection. I was invited to his house once but couldn't make it. I'm still kicking myself for not going. I'm told his private collection would blow your mind.

Still, if by "fashionable" you mean popular....then you might be right...but most of the guys i know who keep americans have done the "african thing" and now have big tanks with big fish and most of them aren't in it make make a quick buck. These fish are their pets not just their "stock"

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Doesn't look like i will ever find out what was said......

Hey dave

I kick myself everyday mate.

When i think about the fish i have had.

And some of the fish i have had the opportunity to have and have not.

:santa:Merry Christmas :santa:

it was good to see you again the other day mate.

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