Real "red" devils - where to find?

[auratum]

There is a tremendous range of colors for both midas (citrinellum) & red devil (labiatus) not to mention all the other variants that have recently become more available. I am looking for a strain of fish that is more reddish as I don't think I have ever seen a true red "red devil". Is there a particular strain of fish the is currently available (bred by someone on here or available by mail order) that would match what I am looking for.

Looking for a recommendation on a source for an amphilophus (sp?) strain that pushes more toward the red range of colors.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[fishnut]

I have been looking for the same thing. The only real red midas/devil that I've seen are the wild caught with very deep red color.

If you do find someone selling, please let me know. thanks.

 

[VRWC]

There are "Real" Red Devils all over the place but you more than likely wont find a "RED" red devil unless someone has been keeping them in a pond. In the wild, their colors are brought out mostly by the natural sunlight & diet. In captivity, they tend to fade or if bought as fry, never get those dark reds. A banned member on here did a thread (below) on all his Amph. species and the discussion turned to how much wild caught faded once put in an aquarium. His looked so good because he kept them in a 10x4 tank outside.

Link to thread showing the deeper colors from being outside.

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203143

 

[the animal guy]

It's not pond or outside. It's the sun that give them good colors. But they are still orange. No matter how long they are kept in a pond or outside, they'll never be real red because that's not the quality of their line. Some get a red face and the red just not strong to go through out the body.

And the red you are asking for Aratum, it is in quality and strain of the fish. I would love that flammin hot deep red one too for sure.

My fish is in this video is redder than any of those fish in the pond and he's never been kept outside. And only 6". Good rich coloring comes with age and he was a 6" baby. Tank bred and raised. Not wild or raised outside.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xB-YItVt2k

I want what youre looking for too.

 

[the animal guy]

this tank outside is sweet.

 

[VRWC]

It's not pond or outside. It's the sun that give them good colors.

It IS being in a pond or outside because the sun is overhead in a pond and outside (I was assuming people would know that when I said pond, I meant an outside one. I dont consider anything inside a "pond", no matter how big it is unless its at an aquarium or national park which usually have glass roofs to allow the sunlight in.)

Youre midevil with the red could have more red because line breeding can bring out brighter reds as well. Also, thats a snapshot of 1 stage in its life. It probably wasnt like that from day 1 and it probably isnt like that today. All fish go through color phases and aquarium kept fish just dont get the color that wild ones or captive bred fish kept outside get.

Look at these pics Modest_Man took while fishing for cichlids in Hawaii

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106081

That red devil is the red Im sure the OP is wanting. Its just not possible to mimic natural sunlight and environment to the degree that these fish get it actually "in the wild".

Also keep in mind, the RD isnt native to Hawaii, so for all we know, it could have been a petsmart RD that was that red.

 

[guapoteman]

The one in the video is nice the reddest ive seen is in jeff rapps photo gallery on his website tangled up in cichlids pretty sure the specimem I speak of is wild caught due to the enlarged lips

 

[auratum]

Look at these pics Modest_Man took while fishing for cichlids in Hawaii

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106081

That red devil is the red Im sure the OP is wanting. Its just not possible to mimic natural sunlight and environment to the degree that these fish get it actually "in the wild".

OK now this is what I am talking about from the thread you posted by Modest_Man.

I understand this was caught from the wild in Hawaii and could have been a hybrid. This is the exact kind of fish I am looking for. I understand this fish would likely not have as strong color in my aquarium, but most of the Midevils I see are faded/washed out or go the white/creamsicle color I am not looking for.

Is there a strain someone is raising/selling that could produce specimens like this? I would love to go to Hawaii and catch my own, but sounds like customs wouldn't allow me to bring them back...

Thank you for all who have posted on here and offered thoughts...

 

[VRWC]

Is there a strain someone is raising/selling that could produce specimens like this?

Highly doubtful. Even the wild caught RD's that Tangled Up in Cichlids offers will fade and lose their lip size once maintained in captivity. Fish adapt rather quickly to their environment and if its not used, its put away. The lips are like they are from having to suck between rocks & shells to catch food (for the most part) and the ones I had lost the majority of their size within a year of me getting them.

Look at the Amph. Labiatus here:

http://www.tangledupincichlids.com/photo.html

Notice those are past fish hes had, yet, at least on MFK, you cant find any pics of them that have retained their color. It just rarely happens unless they are line bred like EBJDs or kept outside year round.

Thats why you dont/wont see but a minute population of captive kept RDs those vivid colors.

Its highly possible that a diet high in vitamin D might help, but I doubt it will make that much of a noticeable difference.

 

[Modest_Man]

That fish was more red than any of the other devils I caught out of Wilson Lake.

He maintained a nice red in tank (not quite as red as when I first caught him) due to two things beyond genetics - he got several hours of direct sunlight a day and I fed him a diet high in red swamp crayfish (think like flamingo's turning pink after eating shrimp - which are quite high in carotenoids, like the crayfish).

After seeing cichlids in outdoor ponds in Hawaii I will swear by sunlight having a DRASTIC effect on color. In my mind it goes from most important to less important - Sunlight > Genetics > Diet, with these three factors being the largest in terms of what will effect color.

I discuss more of this in this topic HERE.

Also, Hawaii customs doesn't care either way what you ship OUT OF Hawaii. They just care about what is shipped INTO Hawaii. I shipped small fish out of Hawaii with no problem. The only issue is the massive expense of shipping something over night from Hawaii to the mainland. You're looking at $200 plus for a single larger fish.