Hi
I've just found out something regarding some of my fish that I'm really gutted about.
Some of you may know that I've got Ed, the Yellow Acara (Aequidens Metae) plus 3 Yellow Acaras I got from Maidenhead Aquatics in Leicestershire that my local MA store moved to them for me.
Well, recently I was on other forum and one of the members was posting about some of his fish that he'd recently bought and a pair had spawned within a few days of getting them. He put a few pics up and when I saw them I was like "Wow they look like the 3 Yellow Acaras I've got". However the fish he had weren't Yellow Acaras, they were called Aequidens Diadema.
I contacted the guy by PM and showed him the pics of the 3 Yellow Acaras I got from MA, he was certain they were the same as what he had, i.e. A. Diadema. Obviously he wasn't 100% but he said to try a few cichlid forums and see what there members say.
So I tried another cichlid forum and showed them the pics of the 3 fish and the majority of the people said they thought they were either Aequidens Diadema or could possibly be Aequidens sp. Jenaro Herrera. A few people asked me questions about Ed, about his markings especially and those few confirmed he was a Yellow Acara (Aequidens Metae).
I also emailed Aequidens and Cichlid expert Alf Stalsberg and he also said that Ed was a Aequidens Metae but he was sure the other 3 were Aequidens Diadema.
The info I have to determine the differences are
- A. Metae have a brown/black line running from behind the eye downwards and forwards, whereas A. Diadema have a brown/black splodge/spot behind the eye.
- A. Metae have no markings between the eyes and on the forehead area, whereas A. Diadema have a wavy pattern on the forehead and between the eyes.
Here are three pictures of my fish to see what you think, the first one is Ed and the second and third pics are of 2 of the other fish.
To say I'm gutted about finding out the 3 fish I bought are not what I bought them as, is an understatement. I'm really upset about it.
I have spoke to the manager at my local MA, who sorted out getting the 3 fish over from Leicestershire, to see if he can find out for definite what they were when they arrived at the store in Leicestershire, I'm not sure if they really would know the difference, as apparently A. Diadema are easier to get hold of than A Metae.
With there being 2 different Aequidens species in my tank, there is the potential for them to interbreed which isn't a good idea. I would really like to try and look for 3 A. Metae to keep Ed company and sell the 3 A. Diademas on, but I can remember last time I looked for the A. Metae they were really hard to find.
Now I'm left with a dilemma and don't know what to do, 1) Do I just keep them all and hope they don't interbreed? Or 2) Do I sell the 3 fish and try to get proper Yellow Acaras to keep Ed company? Or 3) Do I sell Ed and get 1 more A. Diadema?
To be honest, with Ed being such a character and he was the first Aequidens cichlid I got, 3 is definitely out, which leaves the other 2 options. What do you lot think?
Btw if any of you know anywhere that sells A. Metae, please let me know I would be very grateful.
Thanks.
I've just found out something regarding some of my fish that I'm really gutted about.
Some of you may know that I've got Ed, the Yellow Acara (Aequidens Metae) plus 3 Yellow Acaras I got from Maidenhead Aquatics in Leicestershire that my local MA store moved to them for me.
Well, recently I was on other forum and one of the members was posting about some of his fish that he'd recently bought and a pair had spawned within a few days of getting them. He put a few pics up and when I saw them I was like "Wow they look like the 3 Yellow Acaras I've got". However the fish he had weren't Yellow Acaras, they were called Aequidens Diadema.
I contacted the guy by PM and showed him the pics of the 3 Yellow Acaras I got from MA, he was certain they were the same as what he had, i.e. A. Diadema. Obviously he wasn't 100% but he said to try a few cichlid forums and see what there members say.
So I tried another cichlid forum and showed them the pics of the 3 fish and the majority of the people said they thought they were either Aequidens Diadema or could possibly be Aequidens sp. Jenaro Herrera. A few people asked me questions about Ed, about his markings especially and those few confirmed he was a Yellow Acara (Aequidens Metae).
I also emailed Aequidens and Cichlid expert Alf Stalsberg and he also said that Ed was a Aequidens Metae but he was sure the other 3 were Aequidens Diadema.
The info I have to determine the differences are
- A. Metae have a brown/black line running from behind the eye downwards and forwards, whereas A. Diadema have a brown/black splodge/spot behind the eye.
- A. Metae have no markings between the eyes and on the forehead area, whereas A. Diadema have a wavy pattern on the forehead and between the eyes.
Here are three pictures of my fish to see what you think, the first one is Ed and the second and third pics are of 2 of the other fish.
To say I'm gutted about finding out the 3 fish I bought are not what I bought them as, is an understatement. I'm really upset about it.
I have spoke to the manager at my local MA, who sorted out getting the 3 fish over from Leicestershire, to see if he can find out for definite what they were when they arrived at the store in Leicestershire, I'm not sure if they really would know the difference, as apparently A. Diadema are easier to get hold of than A Metae.
With there being 2 different Aequidens species in my tank, there is the potential for them to interbreed which isn't a good idea. I would really like to try and look for 3 A. Metae to keep Ed company and sell the 3 A. Diademas on, but I can remember last time I looked for the A. Metae they were really hard to find.
Now I'm left with a dilemma and don't know what to do, 1) Do I just keep them all and hope they don't interbreed? Or 2) Do I sell the 3 fish and try to get proper Yellow Acaras to keep Ed company? Or 3) Do I sell Ed and get 1 more A. Diadema?
To be honest, with Ed being such a character and he was the first Aequidens cichlid I got, 3 is definitely out, which leaves the other 2 options. What do you lot think?
Btw if any of you know anywhere that sells A. Metae, please let me know I would be very grateful.
Thanks.
