Calico African

[cyradis4]

Hi!

I saw one in a picture on the forum, and a couple at a local fish store, but me being me I didn't wright down the name. The fish is mostly orange with black and I think some other color, kinda like a calico cat. I'm just looking for more info on this fish, what their name is, where they are from, and whether they would habitate with the Cynotopia Afras I have, or if I really wanted them if I would have to set up anther tank and what would go with them.

Just curious!
Amanda.

 

[longstocking]

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=807

I really don't know much about this fish... so I'll let others chime in.

 

[Charlutz]

The real (as in occurring in the wild) are the OB zebra that Sarah linked, as well as the OB variants of the fuelleborni and trewavesae.


http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=2300

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1694

The OB gene has been crossed into peacocks and sciaenochromis fryeri ("Blue Ahli") as well. The fish look good, but are man made.

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1372

http://www.cichlidlovers.com/s_fryeri_OB.htm

The mbuna can work with your afras in the right size tank though they will be larger than the afras, so the size of your tank maters. The peacocks can coexist with mbuna, but you have to use some care in finding an appropriate mix. They naturally have different diets and temperaments. While I was searching for a pic of an OB fryeri, I also found a seller who listed OB afra for sale. I think those are also a hybrid, but don't know for certain.

 

[cyradis4]

Aw crap. I had no idea there were so many different hybrids of this fish (or so many different fish with this (to me) unusuall color pattern!). Well, no buying the LFS version! Maybe in September I'll get something calico if someone in the club has some. I liked all of those fish....

Thanks!
Amanda.

 

[SubMariner]

First of all, they are all hybrids and YES there are all kinds of OB's.

I have several, including a 5" Pseudotropheus OB Mbuna who is orange and black and he actually co-exists with 4 gigantic Oscars. They absolutely love him and is one of the guys in that tank. I guess they have been together for about a couple of years now. What had happened was that my Mbuna was next to death after a beating he got from a PS Deep. So I had no where else to put him, but in my baby Oscar tank and that's where they became friends.

You're right, their color is so unique and beautiful, but they are a mix breed ya know.

Anyways, I also have 3 OB Peacocks Malawi who are absolutely gorgeous, but they are Nasty, especially with each other.
I have a Sapphire blue mix Peacock and a Fire Red Peacock and a Golden Yellow mix Peacock who is absolutely gorgeous.

I love 'em, but I would recommend that if you buy a OB Peacock he is best off within a community tank of HAPS and Peacocks. Don't put him in with the Mbunas because they will destroy him eventually. If you get a OB Mbuna then he needs to stay with the Mbuna community. The price on these fish tend to average about $15 dollars (LFS) or so, but you can ask around if anyone in CCA is trying to get rid of one.

So go for it!


Regards,


SUBMARINER

 

[Tim]

First of all, they are all hybrids and YES there are all kinds of OB's.[/b]

I didn't follow all the links to Cichlid Forum, but not all OB species are hybrids. There are natural occuring OB geographic variants found in Lake Malawi.
Just a short list...
There's Metriaclima callainos OB from Makonde you see imported as "Blueberry" sometimes.
Metriaclima estherae OB from Minos Reef, Metriaclima fainzilberi OB from Makonde and
there's Tropheops (also from Makonde), Genyochromis and Labeotropheus species also sporting the OB colorations.

If you were referring to the OB Peacocks, then I agree. Hybrids. Most likely hybridized from one of the species mentioned above. Still pretty fish, and I have to admit keeping them in the past, although I'll probably never do so again.
Tim

 

[Charlutz]

First of all, they are all hybrids and YES there are all kinds of OB's.

You're right, their color is so unique and beautiful, but they are a mix breed ya know.[/b]

Are you saying that the mbuna are hybrids too? That would be contrary to what I've always understood. The OB mbuna (zebra, fuelleborni and trewavesae) have been in the hobby since I started 25 years ago. There are many references online to them being wild. I don't have a book with me in the office, but you can find them listed as WC, as well as on many import lists. The peacocks and fryeri are definitely man made. They started appearing within the last ten years and are always listed as man made. If you have something to point to showing that there aren't the three species of wild OB mbuna, I'd be interested to see it.

 

[Charlutz]

I was typing while you were posting Tim and someone came into my office for a short meeting, but now it just looks like I piled on. :blush: Didn't mean to.

Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow. Have a good trip.

 

[maddog10]

I like to pile on! Yep, OB is a naturally occurring trait. It is also a trait that is engineered into other fish just like the albino gene.
Leave it to us to take a good thing and twist it!

 

[cyradis4]

Ok, lotsa research time.... I personally don't mind hybrid fish if I'm just getting them for looks, but my dad definitely has a preference for wilds. And I just want an Mbuna tank for now, so time to hit the books!

Amanda.

 

[Charlutz]

Amanda ... there were two bags of adult trios of OB labeotropheus fuelleborni in the club auction today. Had your name written all over them! Word around town is that the seller was someone we know...

 

[cyradis4]

Well, being as I did get them... Yes they had my name all over them!

I was quite surprised, and it certainly shook up my afternoon plans (had to set up a tank) but they are nice fish!

Amanda.

 

[Charlutz]

Congrats! I was asking around at the meeting and got to meet a few new people, but didn't know you were there and thought someone mentioned you couldn't make it. To put faces to board names, I was sitting in front left with my 5 year old daughter.

 

[Pat Kelly]

Hey Amanda
I thought of you when I caught them. lol Trying to figure out what to bring and I remembered this post.

Sorry, I got busy at the meeting and never labeled the bags. I should have done it before I got there.

They are actually Labeotropheus Trewavasae. You should be able to find info on the net about them. They were very peacefull for me. They would eat anything I put into the tank and never had a problem with water changes. I put that in because I usually do 50% or larger water changes on most of my tanks every 2 to 3 weeks. Some fish can not handle that big change but they seemed to thrive on it. My water comes out at about 7.4 or so. Nothing special about what they seemed to need. Just tap water and food.

When I do a search, these are the first couple of listings.
labs
another one

I do not keep records so I am not sure of the age. I think they are about 1.5 - 2 years of age. I picked up their parents at a club auction and bred them one time. I then took the parents back to an auction and sold them. You will not have a problem breeding them. They were in a 40gal breeder tank with about 40 peacocks of the same size. Very crowded and they still were breeding in there. One of the females was even holding when I bagged her.

Have fun
Pat

 

[cyradis4]

Thanks!

I thought a female might have been holding, but I wasn't sure. I think I actually saw her "tumbling?" the eggs (chewing them) this morning. I've never had a mouth brooder before (except the Afra babies I got a few meetings ago who are not breeding size yet) so I wasn't sure! They are in a 20 Long now and will be moved to a 40 breeder as soon as I find a place for it. When I move them in the next few days, should I leave the holding female in the 20L? She seems to be getting beat up a bit by the others.

Thanks!
Amanda.

 

[Pat Kelly]

Yes, I usually isolate the female if I want the fry. It is better for both her and the fry. She will release a little sooner if she thinks no one will eat them. That is a little easier for her since she then can start eating again.

 

[cyradis4]

Ok, thanks!

Also, did you ever get any of the males with the OB coloration? I think I saw something like the 1 out of 100 have it or something. And do you know if you breed those male OBs to the females OBs if you get a better ratio, or is it like the white gene in horses (as opposed to the common gray gene which turns the horse white with age) where if its present in two doses the fry don't survive (as in embryos die)? Or is that unknown?

Thanks! I like to do a bit of genetics stuff (even though I'm very much a beginner at it).

Amanda.

 

[Pat Kelly]

I really don't know. I was under the impression that was the difference between the sexes.
Males blue / girls not.

 

[marge618]

Congrats on the New Fish! They are pretty, and bigger than I expected them to be. Mouthbreeders are interesting. Keep us posted about the eggs.

Marge

 

[Charlutz]

I really don't know. I was under the impression that was the difference between the sexes.
Males blue / girls not.[/b]

I think it depends on the locale. If you page through the profile links on the cichlid forum, you will see many different variants. In addition to OB (orange blotch) males and females, there are also pics of a blue male with black blotching. Not sure if that was fuelleborni or trewavesae though.