Port Cichlid

[vaine111]

I had one a long time ago that I saved from a LFS. They are one of the first cichli0ds introduced in the hobby.

I don't know where some of you guys got the info and how correct it is but I was informed that they are vegitarians and they are easy to come by it's just there really isn't a demand for them.

I ordered some from my LFS and will be getting 2 for $10.

 

[thatcichlidguy]

That's the thing , Demand. If you can get one of the blue-er varieties , they are great looking fish , downside is that really nice ones are a little harder to come by , and overall they have been eclipsed by the flashier cichlids in popularity. Sad too cause they are a great fish. All that makes them a relative rarity for many , since low demand equals low availability at the LFS. Not like they'll stock them if they don't feel they can sell them.

 

[vaine111]

Yeah. My LFS had one for a long time and one day I decidied I wanted another and he was gone.
I think they forgot that I wanted 2 cause I have been getting alot of rarities from them and they know they don't fit my style.
You are right on "they are a great fish too". Out of all the fish I have had over the past 12-13 years it is one of my favorites.

 

[ryansmith83]

I've never heard the vegetarian thing. I feed all my fish a variety of veggies and meatier foods because most of the cichlids I keep require veggies (festivums, uaru, severums, etc.). Mine pretty much eat anything.

Ports are usually really passive and make great peaceful cichlid tankmates (unless they're spawning, of course). The only problem I had is that when I was raising out a group of 10, the males started to kill one another when they hit sexual maturity. Toward other fish they were completely fine.

 

[Sab_Fan]

my male port is the largest fish in his tank (he's about 6" in a tank with other medium-size cichlids) . . . he's easy going and doesn't chase any of the fish - - and none of them chase him - - but he is downright mean to the female port; she's the only fish I ever see him harass

she's a sweetheart, I may have to separate them at some point . . .

 

[reallybigfish]

I would like to see more personal photos of all these ports. I have come across a lot of ports...But, none of them were like these. Many were just the black ports.

 

[ryansmith83]

Mine were pretty plain. They were brown with black blotches and black-edged scales. They were fun, friendly fish but they weren't very showy. Here is one of the adults I kept.

I almost ordered some of the blue ports from CichlidBroker a few years back but I didn't have the tank space at the time. I'd love to find some C. dimerus or one of the other colorful varieties.

 

[Sab_Fan]

I've been trying to get good pix of mine just for this thread . . . I'll see what I can do . . .

 

[leopio]

here are a couple more shots of mine.

 

[darth pike]

All the port cichlid species are Cichlasoma now, none are Aequidens. They are the only cichlids that belong in Cichlasoma. There are about 12 or so species.

They are broken up into two clades (aka groups), northern and southern. In general the northern ones seem to be more plain (brownish or grayish) and the southern clade doesn't to be the more irridencant ones (true ports, dimerus, bolivians). The OP's seem to be one of the southern clade, might even be true ports (Cichlasoma portalegrensis) due to the blueish coloration, but the port cichlids are a pain in the arse to ID.

Leopio's are also a southern clade port, I'd guess Bolivians ... ryansmith's appear to be one of the northern clade, am on my laptop so can't get a good look at the pics, but it appears they have only 3 anal rays which could help narrow down the exact species. If it it 3, then you can for instance rule out the black port (Cichlasoma bimaculatus).