# Venezuelan Rhombeus



## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Picture #1


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Picture #2


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## Dasu95 (Oct 18, 2003)

Nice Shot Kool Rhmebeus


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## MR.FREEZ (Jan 26, 2004)

nice how big


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Picture #3


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Thanks guys! He is around 11-12" TL. Thanks to Ash for getting him for me!


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## ctarry (Nov 29, 2003)

Great looking rhom :smile:


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## Memphis (Apr 26, 2003)

what size tank you got him in knifeman..and BTW that is a one of a kind looking rhom you got there i really like the look


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

He is in a 90 gallon tank. I tried to keep a Raphael Cat in there with him, but unlike some of my other rhoms I've owned this one will not let anything swim in his tank with him.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

Oh my god...that rhom is amazing John!!


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## sccavee (Feb 11, 2003)

Great looking Rhom.


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## mattmatt123 (Nov 13, 2003)

man he looks nuts


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## mantis (May 16, 2003)

he is badass!


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## Xenon (Nov 15, 2002)

John I have marveled at many of the specimens you have kept since I came into this hobby.... This rhom is no exception..... I am once again envious!


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## vlahos (Sep 7, 2003)

great colours on him. nice pick up


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## phil (Feb 15, 2003)

I'm speechless


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## LEON (Dec 5, 2003)

Outstanding Rhom. I'm jealous!!!!!!!


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## Genin (Feb 4, 2003)

I don't even really like rhoms and that one makes me want one. GREAT FISH!!! good shots to.

Joe


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## TheFishCatcher (Jun 26, 2003)

your very welcome John, Glad i was able to help locate and get this fish for u, he looks awesome, his colors really came out, very nice fish


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## MPower (Jan 29, 2003)

The first pics looks almost identical to the I have.


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## Novato (Jan 25, 2004)

Wow ! awsome Rhombeus! Ash is the man. Like everyone says. I am about to order one too, but I was just doing research before getting it. cool pics.


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## MStiers (Mar 21, 2003)

Very nice pickup John. Nice to see you around and posting. How is everything going?


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## rbP NUT (Dec 2, 2003)

its not nice







its [email protected]@@@@g STUNNING


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## tecknik (Jul 18, 2003)

He's flawless...


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## NIKE (Jan 27, 2003)

omfg





















wow congrats man......


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## SLANTED (Dec 7, 2003)

Truly a magnificent rhombeus.


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## BAD ANDY (Oct 31, 2003)

HOLY COW MAN THAT IS A MONSTER I CANT WAIT FOR MINE TO GET THAT SIZE.
VERY NICE THE BEST ONE I HAVE SEEN.


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## Mr. Biggs (Oct 30, 2003)

Awesome picture and awesome fish John. It's nice to see you back on the board again. How about we see some pictures of your pack of caribe you got now. Your fish are always so healthy.

Scott


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## StuartDanger (Aug 7, 2003)

wow , is that red on the last shot on his belly


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## Sir Nathan XXI (Jan 29, 2003)

is this one as active as the one you had before it John?


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## andymel (Oct 27, 2003)

Awsome Rhom. I am sure he is a killer and he certainly looks the part!


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## traumatic (Jan 29, 2003)

wowo, that's a nice rhom. That's what you call a highback. Those eyes are just plain evil. makes mine look like a muppet. lol


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## Gibbus (May 23, 2003)

Knifeman

That is a nice rhom. That makes me want to get back into piranhas


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## J_TREAT911 (May 29, 2003)

wow amazing rhom!!! great black color and those eyes are so red!!!


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Thanks for all the positive words guys!

Mike, things are going really well, but very BUSY! I just moved to Pataskala, and have been caught up with moving crap.

Scott, pics of my caribe shoal are coming soon. I actually took some when I took the rhom pics, but they didn't come out as good.

Spider, no...that is not red you're seeing on my rhom's belly. It is more yellowish, with the gill plates being a dark gold in color.

Nate, he is pretty active, but not quite as active as the rhom I just sold. The thing I like best about this one is that he blows up food like an elongatus. He is very bold, and when you drop food into the opposite side of the tank from him, it is amazing how quickly he sees it and slams it.


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## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

Very nice John!

Did you flip him over and look for the official "Killer instincts~A wolf in the water" stamp? It should be between the caudal fin and the anal.











> I just moved to Pataskala,


Where is that?


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## Xenon (Nov 15, 2002)

Knifeman said:


> Mike, things are going really well, but very BUSY! I just moved to Pataskala, and have been caught up with moving crap.


 Please keep us updated on this monster..... I would love to see the caribe tank soon because we both have the same shoals.

Mine is doing very well but I am redecorating and planting some live plants due to some algae i wanna get rid off. I will post pics soon


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## HighOctane (Jan 2, 2003)

OMG, need to go change my underware now.


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## Red Eyes (Nov 25, 2003)

Awesome rhom!!! Congrats!!!


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Nick, Pataskala is about 20 miles ENE of Columbus. More of a small town country setting, which I prefer. I lived here for about 10 years when I was married.

Mike, I will keep everyone posted on my rhom and caribe shoal. Somebody needs to tell me how to get my digital to not blur my fish when they are swimming though. My rhom is easy to photograph, as he comes to the front of the tank when he sees me and just sits there waiting for me to feed him. The caribe shoal are always moving though, and my camera seems to blur the whole picture when it senses movement in the picture. I'll include a couple of shots here so you can see what I mean.

I am curious to see how your caribe are doing also. How many do you have now, and how big?


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Another shot


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Here is a shot of the whole tank. I am looking forward to my Amazon Swords growing to fill out the tank more.


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## B. Scott (Apr 24, 2003)

AWESOME!

That is the nicest looking VE Rhom that I have seen in a LONG TIME!

Good to know you have him John!

Great stuff!


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## trick095 (Aug 26, 2003)

Sweet I want one!!!!!!! I cant wait for my RBP's to get that big


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## chomp chomp (Oct 28, 2003)

Pataskala is not too far from me. I live off of Waggoner Rd. If you need a hand moving some Ps let me know.


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## chomp chomp (Oct 28, 2003)

almost forgot, nice Rhom..


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## Xenon (Nov 15, 2002)

John my caribes are doing great. I have 7 in a 125 and the biggest is probably about 4-5 inches now. I raised them from under an inch. I feed them primarily a diet of smelt, shrimp, catfish fillets. Their tank is undergoing a makeover right now as I had some algae problems I am trying to clean up. They are in a double overflow with a nice 30-40 gallon wet dry sump so their water is primo (need to hook up a fresh water drip).

The best part about small caribe are their color (yours are awesome!) I have black sand in my tank and they are BRIGHT red on their bellies and virtually black/gray on their upper bodies. It is awesome. Looking nice man.


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## BAD ANDY (Oct 31, 2003)

DAMN THE RED ON THOSE CARIBES IS INTENSE







WHAT IS YOU SECRET?


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## Xenon (Nov 15, 2002)

BAD ANDY said:


> DAMN THE RED ON THOSE CARIBES IS INTENSE
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 youth.


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## Kreth 10RBP (Dec 5, 2003)

Awesome Venezuelan Rhom!!! my mother picked up a stuffed/gloss coated 4'' one that i got for my bday last night, im going to take pics when iget home and share!


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

Nice photos. I'm having that S. rhombeus photo of yours looked at John by a Venezuelan scientist. I'm curious regarding the color though. It doesn't appear to be atypical for that species. What colors do you actual see "live" ?

Thanks


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## losts0ul916 (Nov 19, 2003)

OMFG!


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## jahnke31 (Dec 4, 2003)

holy buckets!! john your fish are amazing!!! what do you feed your caribe? they have amazing color!!!! keep posting pics!


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## SERRAPYGO (Feb 4, 2003)

jahnke31 said:


> holy buckets!! john your fish are amazing!!! what do you feed your caribe? they have amazing color!!!! keep posting pics!


 Most cariba are that bold red at that size. Knifeman does take primo care of his fish though.


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## Husky_Jim (May 26, 2003)

he sure is a "Wolf"...i envy you!!!!!







Beautifull fish!!

Jim


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## thePACK (Jan 3, 2003)

Xenon said:


> Knifeman said:
> 
> 
> > Mike, things are going really well, but very BUSY! I just moved to Pataskala, and have been caught up with moving crap.
> ...


 word...


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Again guys, thanks for the nice words on my fish.

Mike, have you tried running a UV sterizer to combat your algae problem? I tried one on one of my tanks, and it polished the water so well that I had to have another one. Also, I think that feeding shrimp like you are doing (mine are smaller, so I feed them krill) also has a lot to do with our caribe looking so red on their bellies. Although age/size does make a huge difference, I believed that Frank also has a thread to demonstrate how much of an effect shellfish can have on piranha coloration. I would highly suggest throwing in some earthworms into your piranha diet occasionally as well. The nutritional content is tough to beat, but you have to get your P's accustomed to eating them.

Andy, I think the above paragraph will answer your question about the color on my caribe.

Frank, I am very interested in hearing about what you find out from your Venezuelan friend. The color on my rhom is not really all that different from what you see in the "Wolf in the Water" video. I think the fact that my water is clear and one of my bulbs in my lightstrip is actinic makes the color of my rhom look a little more brilliant. I like to think that diet makes a difference as well. Basically though, he is silver-grey backed, gold gilled, and at times has some yellow tints on his belly. It is pretty much exactly how the pictures depict him, and I tried to vary the shots/angles to show how his color seems to vary at different light angles. Again, please keep me posted as to what you find out.

Kreth, post a picture when you can of your stuffed rhom. I'd really be interested in seeing it.

Scott, I mostly rotate whole silversides and krill, but about once every couple of weeks I get some earthworms and throw them in there.


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## MStiers (Mar 21, 2003)

Your tank looks great John. I believe the blur that you are finding difficult to avoid is caused by apechure size which has to do with the amount of light being let in. I believe if you can increase the apechure size/speed, you can rid your ppics of the blur. I will check into this more for you, but my digital doesn't have this option, so I live with the "blur."







Nice to know you're in Pataskala. I'm in Reynoldsburg off of Rosehill.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

> Knifeman Posted on Feb 13 2004, 03:08 AM
> Again guys, thanks for the nice words on my fish.
> 
> Mike, have you tried running a UV sterizer to combat your algae problem? I tried one on one of my tanks, and it polished the water so well that I had to have another one. Also, I think that feeding shrimp like you are doing (mine are smaller, so I feed them krill) also has a lot to do with our caribe looking so red on their bellies. Although age/size does make a huge difference, I believed that Frank also has a thread to demonstrate how much of an effect shellfish can have on piranha coloration. I would highly suggest throwing in some earthworms into your piranha diet occasionally as well. The nutritional content is tough to beat, but you have to get your P's accustomed to eating them.
> ...


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## smtNL (Feb 12, 2004)

that rhom is build nice and i love his colours... have a secret you wnna share


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## Judazzz (Jan 13, 2003)

Awesome collection of fish, John - they look flawless, as always
















Do you have a full tank shot of the rhom tank?


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## Xenon (Nov 15, 2002)

Knifeman said:


> Again guys, thanks for the nice words on my fish.
> 
> Mike, have you tried running a UV sterizer to combat your algae problem?


 You know I actually thought about this and will most likely include one in the tank redecoration. It is my display tank so no expense is too much. I just purchased a brand new pump as well. I will sahre pics when I am done with the redecoration.


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## IDONTKARE47 (Jan 5, 2004)

nice rhom wish mine looks like you when fully grown


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Okay Jonas, here you go...


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

And here is one more from a little further back...


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## BAD ANDY (Oct 31, 2003)

nice set up. what size tank is that?


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## SLANTED (Dec 7, 2003)

Both tanks are amazing setups( not to mention the flawless rhom and caribe). I am impressed


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## andymel (Oct 27, 2003)

Read the post above yours.


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## Xenon (Nov 15, 2002)

John what plant is that?


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## Mr. Hannibal (Feb 21, 2003)

Great looking Rhom...here you can see my Venezuelan 8" Rhom (looks white because the gravel)...


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Andy, the tank is a 90.

Mike, if you are referring to the large plants in the back corners, they are artificial and made by Fancy Plants. The smaller plants towards the middle are live though...amazon swords. The swords were doing really well until I starved the tank for light when I was combating algae (like you). I finally gave up and bought a UV sterilizer, and the tank was crystal clear the next day.









Hannibal, that is a very nice looking rhom. Almost looks albino.


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## mattmatt123 (Nov 13, 2003)

holy cow omg those are nuts. PLEASE GET A FEEDING VIDEO! omg there so sexy holy sh*t. you lucky basterd lol


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## smtNL (Feb 12, 2004)

Kewly fish... i like 2 c some pics of him killing something... he looks awesome..


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## Brick Top (Feb 9, 2004)

man i wish i have one exactly like that


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## Death in #'s (Apr 29, 2003)

that guy is sweet


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

Sorry on my tardiness on this post. The last photos gave me a sigh of relief on your fish John. When I sent the closeups to my Venezuelan scientists friend he thought the fish was S. altuvei (body shape and color). I must admit I was in agreement with him-----that is until I saw the distant photos, then it looked like S. rhombeus. Your camera gives it more colorful appearance. Thanks for putting my original thought to rest.


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## Knifeman (Feb 3, 2003)

Thanks for the update Frank, and for taking the time to discuss my fish with your friend. Thank him for me as well.


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## Xenon (Nov 15, 2002)

Knifeman said:


> Mike, if you are referring to the large plants in the back corners, they are artificial and made by Fancy Plants. The smaller plants towards the middle are live though...amazon swords. The swords were doing really well until I starved the tank for light when I was combating algae (like you). I finally gave up and bought a UV sterilizer, and the tank was crystal clear the next day.


 Im definatly going to be investing in a UV sterilizer for my show tank very soon! Your water does look crystal clear! Thanks for the advice!


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

> Xenon Posted on Feb 17 2004, 01:26 PM
> QUOTE (Knifeman @ Feb 13 2004, 05:57 PM)
> Mike, if you are referring to the large plants in the back corners, they are artificial and made by Fancy Plants. The smaller plants towards the middle are live though...amazon swords. The swords were doing really well until I starved the tank for light when I was combating algae (like you). I finally gave up and bought a UV sterilizer, and the tank was crystal clear the next day.
> 
> Im definatly going to be investing in a UV sterilizer for my show tank very soon! Your water does look crystal clear! Thanks for the advice!


Interesting. I remember reading a German article a few years back about UV sterilizer and piranas breeding. For the life of me, I can't remember if the success story had to do with breeding them because of UV or not on the followup. I do remember where they installed the UV sterilizer they found several hundred baby pirana that were not there before. Evidently the algal growth was hiding them. Where my memory lacks is remembering if they had further success with breeding the fish. BTW this was a public aquario of several thousand gallons.


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## smtNL (Feb 12, 2004)

interesting though


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## master_of_puppets (Aug 29, 2003)

great looking rhom!!


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