What's type of cichlid?

hayrea

Members
Please help identify these cichlids. My son picked them out for his b-day. The top and bottom are both males I believe but I'm not sure. They both chase the middle one but not aggressively. However, the bottom male constantly runs the top male up behind the filter.

Thanks
Jake

what type of cichlid is that.jpg
 

dogofwar

CCA Members
They're Tropheus. Best in large groups to minimize aggression. They're from lake Tang vs. Malawi.

Matt
 

Jefft

Members
They are all of the Tropheus species. The closest I can find to the bottom one is the Tropheus Kibwesa Nord, The Middle banded one looks closest to Tropheus Hinde B. The top one is a bit more blurry is the middle band two shaded and red? The top guy could be a couple of different things but closest to 3 varients.. Yunga, Yunga Sud. Dont think it could be a Zinzia because they have vertical striations. How do I know I am looking at a poster. Longstocking breeds tropheus you might want to IM her. I am sure there are lots of other folks who might have more reliable reference material.
 

fischfan13

Banned
They are all of the Tropheus species. The closest I can find to the bottom one is the Tropheus Kibwesa Nord, The Middle banded one looks closest to Tropheus Hinde B. The top one is a bit more blurry is the middle band two shaded and red? The top guy could be a couple of different things but closest to 3 varients.. Yunga, Yunga Sud. Dont think it could be a Zinzia because they have vertical striations. How do I know I am looking at a poster. Longstocking breeds tropheus you might want to IM her. I am sure there are lots of other folks who might have more reliable reference material.

Wow, where did you get THOSE names from...never heard of one of them.

One looks like it is possibly Tropheus Red Rainbow and the other looks like Tropheus sp Murago
 

hayrea

Members
Thanks. No, wonder I couldnt find any info under Malawi Mbunas. The top and bottom are the same. he gets real dark when he gets enough courage to come out from behind the filter tube, but when he is hiding he is the same dark light dark combo with a redish tipped fin.
 

Jefft

Members
WOW Fish names.

Wow, where did you get THOSE names from...never heard of one of them.

One looks like it is possibly Tropheus Red Rainbow and the other looks like Tropheus sp Murago

off this Tropheus poster I have.. I am not claiming to know ANYTHING about Tropheus I just looked at the poster and found what looked the closest to it. Thats where the names came from. Poster came in one of the books I purchased. Comes from aqualog.. and on second and a closer look it the poster shows drawings of the fish with a chart that describes characteristics and comes from aqualog. Website is www.aqualog.de. Also it appears the poster is naming not species of fish but region or area of the lake they come from. Shrugs. Might help if the website and poster was in English huh??
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DiscusnAfricans

Past President
I'm thinking these fish may have come from petsmart or petco, as one of the two has an "assorted" tank that sometimes includes tropheus. They don't properly label them either, further lending to the confusion.

I think the banded one is either ikola or bemba, as it doesn't have the spotting of a juvenile duboisi. I think the other is a moliro, but one of the red types regardless. Just making an educated guess according to what I've seen at the chain stores. They won't be able to have a more definitive ID until they show more of their adult coloration.

The tropheus aqualog poster is a great resource, but the descriptions are locations on the lake. You have to consider that over 50% of the fish shown on the poster are not generally available in the hobby, at least in the US. The book is a good resource, and I believe Sarah said its the only book on tropheus written in english.
 
Going forward, when dealing with cichlids, it's really important that you only get fish that you:

1. know what it is
2. have the proper tank for it when you get it home
3. have the proper tank mates for when you get it home.

You can throw a bunch of non agressive tetra, cories, live bearers, etc, together and have it not matter. With cichlids, you end up with dead fish.

The fish that's hiding behind the heater is likely to get killed or harassed and stressed to the point he get sick. I've not kept tropheus, so I'm not speaking for direct experience. But more than once I've had to rescue a peacock that was being terrorized, and I didn't always intervene in time, which still makes me feel rotten.:(
 

hayrea

Members
I know I made a mistake with this tank setup. I got little carried away with my kids at Petsmart. Guilty! I'm setting up a 125g that I've posted about in the Equip & DIY forum that is going to be a Malawi Mbuna mostly and maby a friendly Peacock group.

I think I'm going to move the Mbunas out of the 29 and put them in the 125 and put more of the Tropheus in the 29 to help with the agression.
 

verbal

CCA Members
I think I'm going to move the Mbunas out of the 29 and put them in the 125 and put more of the Tropheus in the 29 to help with the agression.

Tropheus in a 29 won't work. You generally are looking at a 55 minimum due to the large group they require to disperse aggression.
 

Tony

Alligator Snapping Turtle/Past Pres
For tropheus, the general strategy is to buy 20-25 of the same species as juveniles. In the end, if things go well, you'll end up with a breeding group of a 10-15 adults. If you can, take them back.

You will almost certainly end up with one angry fish that doesn't play well with your mbuna.
 

Jefft

Members
29 bow fronts are a royal pain in the rear end. Cant catch the fish when you need to due to the nets not fitting in the arch of the bow and leaving enough space for the fish to "escape". If its a tall tank like the one I made my first mistake with there is precious little bottom space for rocks and hide a hole that sort of thing you are gonna need that. I gave mine to the neighbor for his little girl and some gold fish. I gave it away and started over. I WISH I could have started over with a 125.
 
I started with 30 gallon cubes (both of which I don't have any longer) and I know what you're saying about the 29 bowfront (except for the catching fish thing), but the 29 is perfect for a wide variety of SA cichlids and a nice size to try your hand at plants, too. So don't rule it out as a viable addition to the 125!!
 

hayrea

Members
Jeff and Holly your advice and comments are well recieved. I think I'll give a few of the SA cichlids a try, any recomendations?
 

hayrea

Members
Anyone up for some clicking? :D I starting to play around with stocking ideas for the 125. Per Holly's advice

"One easy option is a mixed peaceful mbuna and peacocks. Stocking would be something like this:

8-10 yellow labs
8-10 p. acei
8-10 rusties

plus

a breeding colony of less aggressive peacocks, perhaps a ruby red

1 or 2 M to 6-8 females"


I'm thinking a colony of Peacocks and three of Mbunas. I know my experience is limited but I not one to follow the path of least resistance. I like things a little out of the ordinary. Check out some of the fish I'm considering in the list below. The list is from Daves fish. I liked his website because it showed alot of pics of both male and female which will hopefully keep me from getting females that look to similar. They are kind of in order of the ones I like the most. Anyway, check it over and let me know ya'll think.

Peacocks
1#
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Aulonocara stuartgranti Mdoka.jpg

http://www.davesfish.com/images/Aulonocara maylandi.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Aulonocara sp Lwanda Hai Reef.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Aulonocara sp Stuartgranti Maleri.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Aulonocara sp Walteri Likoma.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/aul_steveni_usisya.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Aulonocara sp Tangerine.jpg

Mbuna

http://www.davesfish.com/images/Pseudotropheus sp ZLP Mdoka.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/ps_polit.jpg

http://www.davesfish.com/images/Tropheops sp Red Cheek.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Cynotilapia afra Jalo Reef.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Iodotropheus sprengerae.JPG
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Labidochromis sp SRTK.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Metriaclima sp Elongatus Chewere.jpg

http://www.davesfish.com/images/Cynotilapia sp Mbamba Mpanga Rocks.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Cynotilapia sp Elongatus Taiwan Taiwan Reef.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Cynotilapia afra Cobwe.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/Metriaclima sp Patricki Jalo Reef.jpg
http://www.davesfish.com/images/ps_sp_elongatus_jewel_spot.jpg
 

Jefft

Members
LOL Jon Clark would be the man to talk to about SA... I stick in the African area and am still pretty new to it all.. I love my yellow fin Acei, red fin borleyi, yellow labs, cynotilapia (a few different varients) and a few electric blue ahli. (sp?) and I havent had any real issues of aggression. Everyone is breeding.. and happy, thats in my 75 in my 55 I have rusties and red empress. I have a 40 gallon breeder cube in which I keep those coming along. Mosty cynotilapia variants as well.
 

Jefft

Members
Daves Rare Fish is the place to go though.. I purchased from him shipped 48 fry. I picked up at cargo area of airport and didnt lose a single one.
 
Yes, it's the same place. Dave is great. another except source is Dykemyster's. Both will be happy to talk to you on the phone and help you develop a viable tank with the right fish and right numbers.

As for your 29:

I"m a big fan of the rainbow cichlid and quite a few members have my babies. The male is very handsome and about 4-5", the female a bit smaller and less colorful. They breed readily, are great parents and are not too nasty to other tanks mates, including cories and tetras.

Another good choice is a group of Bolivian rams. They are less delicate than blue rams but still very pretty. You can usually do them in a group of 5, unlike blue rams which are a pairing fish. Apistos would work, too, but they can be delicate and difficult and I'd probably not recommend at this point. Other good options: keyholes, curviceps.
 
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