D. maculatus/filamentosus

["the dude" <theoutlaw_torn@hotmail.com>]

Hello,


Alright Im trying to figure out whether I have D. maculatus or filamentosus. 
I have about 8 fish from the original 30 that I got wild caught. They came 
in as Crenicara maculata, however they came in from Colombia. Mike wise told 
me that only D. filamentosus is from Colombia. Also D. maculatus are more 
harder to find... So I have been looking at the Baensch photo index and I 
was reading some articles on thekrib and again mike wise stated that a way 
to tell them apart are the length and width of the blotches on there sides. 
My fish have the blotches that are identicle to D. maculatus in the Baensch 
atlas, and look like the young fish in the picture of D. maculatus on 
thekrib. They are quite small and I had always thought that I had all 
females. Now a few i can see red and blue on the dorsal and on the tail. As 
well as blue pectoral fins. 3 of the 9 fish have this colouring for sure, or 
the beginnings of. However the rest dont. NOW im worried I have no 
females... Do the females have black on the pectoral fins? because a few of 
these fish do.
I am still not positive that I have D. maculata since these fish came in on 
a colombian order. However, there are a lot of signs poiting in there 
favour. The only colouring on them that looks more clolesly to filamentosus 
is i can see a little orange between the spots. However these fish have the 
more faded spots and several rows of them. (which are similar to the spots 
pictured in Baensch for maculata)

So I hear that males of maculata get quite large, I decided to do 10% water 
changes a few times a week so I can feed them 3x a day on live 
babybrineshrimp, frozen daphnia and the occaisonal black worm feeding. 
Hopefully they will grow faster this way and I can tell what they are. I 
guess I want to know, so i can get the other kind!! Also the males are about 
1.5 inches maybe a little more, and dont have lyre tails yet!

I adjusted the tank and now the Ph is 6.34 and the hardness is almost non 
existant. The box filter in the 15 gallon heavily planted tank has just 
filter floss and unwashed peat in it. The temperature is about 80-81. Should 
I raise it? Im not planning on breeding them until I can sex them and tell 
what they are. Then I will isolate 1 male and 2 females into a 10 or 15 
gallon breeding set up. Im hoping since there are quite a few of them in 
there, they will be too crowded to spawn.

So what is the decree? filamentosus or maculata? or should I just wait?

thanks
coby

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