I got a call today from an older lady (late 60s, maybe early 70s) very upset that her goldfish all of a sudden were fighting, and tearing each other up. She told me how she had gotten new ones over a year ago, and they were about an inch then, if that. She said they had grown to about 4 inches and starting just a day ago were destroying her fantails.

I told her I had never heard of goldfish doing what she described, but she was very close so I told her I'd give her a hand.

Turns out they were most definitely not goldfish. They were 5 Midas cichlids. Well, I'm about 90% sure they're midas anyway, they could be red devils or snooks since I have trouble telling the three of them apart when they're smaller.

I'm amazed the goldfish lasted that long. The only thing I could think of was that she didn't have a heater on her tank so they were more subdued since it was cooler. She said when she got them they were in a tank right by all the other goldfish and thought these guys were too. D'oh.

...Good one. You just can't make up stories like that. So did you end up with them?

Yeah do you have them or what happened...don't leave us hanging here?

I told her what they were and that she needed to pick. If she left the two together the goldies were done for. So she stuck with the goldies, since she had them longer, and should have by now picked up some melafix for the fin damage.

Now I have 5 midas that I'm not sure what exactly to do with them yet. On the plus side though I have a home for the two fantails that have been living with the koi here.

Cool! I wish I had room for them I would love to have another midas!

This is the first time I've had Midas here. Just now doing some research on them. Want to know how big they get and anything else I need to be concerned with. Hopefully they won't be around here too long to be an issue. Since everything I'm reading points to evil.

Wish I had a tank up. Would love a couple a midas.

If you had a tank set up, I'd ship you some. I can usually only house evil for short terms.

cool, nice save

Heres some info I found on the red devils. I can not take credit for the info because I did not write it.

Red Devil Cichlid

The Red Devil is a beautiful fish, but because it is extremely aggressive, it is usually kept singly as a show specimen!
The Red Devil is a very large fish, reaching up to 15" (38 cm). It has a great deal of variability in its structure and coloration. Some are bright red while others are white or yellow. Some have a black-tipped tail and fins. The lips can be black too, or they can be thick rubbery orange lips. No matter what the color, this is an extremely personable fish. It is very "owner conscious" and will follow you when you walk in front of the aquarium. It will also respond to interactions like cleaning the aquarium and feeding

One of the South American cichlids found only in Nicaragua, the Red Devil is known for its aggressive behavior. Although they can be kept in aquariums around 50 gallons, bigger aquariums can reduce their aggressiveness. They have been known to live with other fish, but will usually not tolerate the same, or other species of fish in the same aquarium.

The Red Devil is very similar to Midas Cichlid Amphilophus citrinellum, and some sites still list them as the same fish. These two fish differ very little in the appearance however they are found in different places. While the Red Devil is only found in the Nicaraguan lakes, the Midas Cichlid can range from Costa Rica to Nicaragua.

Distribution:
The Red Devil was described by Günther in 1864. They are found in South America in the Nicaraguan lakes; Nicaragua, Managua, and Xiloa. Inhabiting open waters, rarely entering rivers, they feed on small fish, snails, insect larvae, worms, and other bottom-dwelling organisms

Status:
This species is not listed on the IUCN Red List.

Description:
The body of the Red Devil is robust and stocky. It has a great deal of variability in its structure and coloration. Some are bright red while others are white or yellow. Some have a black-tipped tail and fins. The lips can be black too, or they can be thick rubbery orange lips. They can live up to 12 years.

Size - Weight:
Red Devils get up to 15 inches (38 cm). This is a rather large fish!

Care and feeding:
Since they are omnivorous the Red Devil Cichlid will generally eat all kinds of live, fresh, and flake foods. To keep a good balance give them a high quality flake food or pellet everyday. Feed brine shrimp (either live or frozen), blood worms, or other live foods as a treat. Older books have listed them as carnivores because they will eat or attack most other fish. South American cichlids tend to be less aggressive than their african cousins, but space is very important. Larger South American Cichlids need a lot of room. A minimum 55 gallon aquarium is suggested for a single fish, 125 gallons for a pair, and 200 gallons if keeping several large cichlids. They need moderate water movement along with strong efficient filtration. Provide a bottom of fine sand and plenty of hiding places among rocks and wood. They are avid diggers and plants don't fare so well as they will be eaten or shredded. Make sure rocks are well bedded on the actual glass bottom of the tank to prevent toppling. Leave an open area in the center for swimming.

The Red Devil is a rewarding specimen for the aquarist as it is moderately easy to keep as long as the aquarium is large enough and and the water quality is maintained. They are subject to infections as well as other diseases that ail all freshwater fish, especially if water is stale and of poor quality and oxygenation. Ich is easily treated with an elevated temperature of 86° F for a few days. To help prevent the notorious 'Hole-in-the-Head' disease (HLLE - Head and Lateral Line Disease) that large cichlids are prone to, do water changes of 20 to 25% a week, depending on bio load. Hard water can also contribute to Hole-in-the-Head disease, so using driftwood can help pull the pH down if you have very hard water. Intestinal disease can be treated with metronidazol.

Water Region: Top, Middle, Bottom:
These fish will swim in all areas of the aquarium.

Acceptable Water Conditions:
Although they are undemanding as far as water conditions, the following parameters are suggested:

Hardness: fairly soft.
Ph: 6.5 to 7.0
Temp: 75-79° F 24-26° C

Social Behaviors:
Red Devils are known for their aggressiveness, thus the name Red Devil. They are very territorial and are occasionally very rude toward conspecifics (same species) as well as heterospecifics (other species). For this reason they are often kept by themselves. They are known to be diggers and will often rearrange the gravel and aquarium decor. Make sure any aquarium rocks or decorations are placed on the bottom of the aquarium or undergravel filter if you have one. Also, plants may be uprooted.

Sexual Differences:
The male Red Devil grows larger than the female. The male has a pointed genital papilla, the female's is blunt.

Breeding/Reproduction:
The Red Devil is an open spawner with a patriarch-matriarch family. Typical open spawners, they prefer to spawn on inclined substrates. The spawn is usually around 600-700 eggs which are a transparent, amber-yellow color. The female takes care of the initial brood. At 25 deg. C the larvae hatch after about 3 days. After another 5-7 days they become free swimming. They can be nourished with Artemia nauplii. At 2-3 weeks old the young will also graze on their parents skin for additional food.

Well from personal experience they reach 13 inches on average. They are not too picky on water and love live foods. They also grow very fast compared to most Cichlids. They need a lot of space and become mature at about 5-6 inches....this is when you will start seeing a lot more aggression/territory disputes. Make sure they have lots of hiding spots...I think at four inches you will be ok for a while till you can get rid of them.

Wow good info Mike!

Yea. Good to know. I don't see all 5 leaving as a group with them getting that large.

Right now, they're doing fine in a 30 with a very large plant to give them spots to hide and some empty pots. I really wasn't prepared for it, so I'm hoping they'll be cool in the 30 until I get back. It's the only thing I have free, and even tho they look healthy they need to be quarantined. I didn't have the heart to leave the those goldies to be tore up.

As cool as they were kept, I don't think they would be prone to ich. I've never ever seen goldies with it.

saint_felony wrote:

Yea. Good to know. I don't see all 5 leaving as a group with them getting that large.

Right now, they're doing fine in a 30 with a very large plant to give them spots to hide and some empty pots. I really wasn't prepared for it, so I'm hoping they'll be cool in the 30 until I get back. It's the only thing I have free, and even tho they look healthy they need to be quarantined. I didn't have the heart to leave the those goldies to be tore up.

As cool as they were kept, I don't think they would be prone to ich. I've never ever seen goldies with it.

They should be fine in a 30 for a few weeks but then need to be upgraded. Post some pics please