kimb

I am not a great phtographer by any stretch, but am looking to ID this fish. There are actually 2 in the tank. The other has brighter blue, and 2 horizontal stripes on forehead. Any help appreciated. One is about 3 ", the other about 2.5. Thanks in advance!

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aquarist48

Hello Kim! I'm not sure what it is but it's beautiful!

kimb

It is! Now if I could figure out what it is! I am a sucker for fish thatr no one else wants. I feel sorry for them in little tiny tanks, when I know I could do better. Hopefully someone will have an idea, so I make sure they are getting the best diet etc. Right now, they are on pellets, average temp. but seem really happy!

kimb

Note: my LFS guy thinks they are electric blue, if that helps!

btate617

Can you get a pic of the whole fish? It would help a lot. Does the fish have egg spots? Circle spots on the tail fin ot the fin on the bottom of the fish just before the tail.

From those pics I don't thinlk they are elec blue. Elec blue seem to have a more sloped head. What else do you have them with, and what was with them in the tank at the store. If the tank was full of elec blues, there should have been some grey fish in the tank also. All elec blues start out grey and the males color up to blue with the females remaining grey. They are a cool fish but remember they will get up to about 7" or so and eat anything small enough to consider food.

The problem with Africans these days is their are so many hybrids out there sometimes it is hard to get an id on them.

Brian

kimb

They do both have egg spots on both tail and and anal fin, the one in pic is "gray" of the two, the other is more blue,,,they were in a tank by themselves at store, and are in a tank by themselves now. I will try to get a better pic.

Angela_96

Def not an electric blue, there are two species that have that nick name and its neither.

Do you have a pic with more of the fish?

kimb

I don't know if these are any better. You guys are great thanks again!

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cerianthus

Try googling for different images or different color morph of Cynotilapia afra.

kimb

You may be on to something! Believe it or not, the two pics above although look like very different fish, actually in person look the same. One just has brighter blue stripes. They are different coloured depending on where they are in the tank. I will def look up some more info on them. Thanks so much for your help!

cerianthus

glad to hear but dont get disappointed if cant ID since there are so many species and color morphs available (naturally occuring or thru selective breeding). During my exposure to African (Lake Tang, Lake Malawi, Lake Victoria, and even riverine) and have spawned just about most Malawian avail on the market (In NYC, pretty much all fish avail including wild ones), I found there are so many species which resemble sne another. TO correctly Id, one may have to kill fish to run tests. But what for? I would rather have live fish w/o correct Scientific Nomenclature rather than idenfied dead one,lol.
Besides, so many cross breeding has occurred in last 20 to 30 yrs by very irresponsible hobbyists or breeders, it maybe very difficult to correctly Id fish, especially with mbuna.


Enjoy them and keep posting pics as they may display different colors depending on their mood, lol!

BTW, sometimes pics dont do justice.

kimb

Agreed! So....feeding wise would it be safe to assume they are omnivores? And temp wise, if I keep tank at about 75 should be o.k? They have a nice set up (in my opinion) and certainly seem happier than they did in the 10g in the pet store. I have just made my first batch of all veggie homemade food which they devoured! They are starting to peek out at me from their respective caves. I am all for rescuing "sad" fish, but want to make sure I am doing the best for them. Don't really care "what" they are, just wanted a ballpark so I could give the right care. Cheers

cerianthus

I am sure they know that they are at much better place with you. Although will just about take any food given, they are more hervivorous.They graze on algae on the rocks.
Although had experienced few occassional malawi bloat, IMHO, it had to do more with quantity given at one feeding rather than omnivorous food. Try staying with more veggie/spirulina food with very small percentage of Hi-Protein food. I am fish would not say no to insect larvae in nature when opportunity knocks, lol!
Just control the amount given at one feeding. Grazers takes in whatever they can continuously thus may experience digestion problem when given too much at one feeding.

Good Luck and Enjoy.

kloseo

look up a pic of malawi zebra ( metriaclima zebra) and a socolofi ( pseudoropheus socolofi) it looks similar to those from the pics

Angela_96

I hate to say it but this is just the one time I have to say hybrids. I would treat them as herbivores as they are mbuna.

kimb

Thanks for looking up Angela, I am o.k with hybrids, my fave fish are my BP's. They are healthy and happy. In my book, thats all that counts. Will feed as herbivore, and keep tank settings where they are at. Thanks again!

Angela_96

if ur not into it for breeding hybrids are great.
one of the prettiest mbuna I have is a hybrid and I woulndt trade him for the world.

kimb

No, breeding is not in my mind with these guys. Being a purebread dog owner, I certainly understand the necessity of keeping "pure bloodlines". That being said, I also own a mutt. I imagine with fish it is the same thing, that being said, hybrids are here. I think we can own them responsibly, and not water down the species any more than it already has been. I am trying to get my head around this whole African Cichlid thing, am I right that Mbuna is an "umbrella' term that is then broken down into subgroups? If you can explain it in simple terms to me I would appreciate it. I seem to see ALOT of tanks that are simply labelled "Africans"....not sure why? thanks in advance.

Angela_96

You could get a few more friends for those 2, just keep with males.

The fish stores are notorious for labelling them "africans". With the rift lake cichlids you have Lake Malawi, Lake Tanganika, and lake Victoria.
Lake Malawi has the Haps, peacocks, and mbuna.
Its where the fish live in the lake. The mbuna are the rock dwelling fish (mbuna in African is "rock dwelling", they are mostly veggie eaters. Then you have groups from mbuna, labrochromis, thropheops, psuedothrophus, melachromis, metriclima, cynatilapia.

The fish stores mostly have "hybrid" fish from fish farms that mass breed and sell. Then they label the tank "assortied africans".


The peacocks and haps are more open water fish, they are meat eaters.

kimb

They are in a 29g...could I still have more?

Angela_96

Are you going to put them in a bigger tank? Most mbuna species need a 4 foot long tank.
Even in a 29 you could have about 5-7 of them. If you overstock and over filter they do better.

kimb

[quote=steveangela1;628720]Are you going to put them in a bigger tank? Most mbuna species need a 4 foot long tank.
Even in a 29 you could have about 5-7 of them. If you overstock and over filter they do better.[/quote

Angela I hope you see this....O.K so following your good advice, I have purchased another 55g. I love these 2 fish so much, they deserve the best. Knowing what you know about them....could you please recommend (using common names if you can) what else I can put in with them. In the tank where I got them from I believe there are a couple more that seemed to get along o.k (look slightly different) The tank will be ready in the next week or so as I am transferring all filters over. Changing out the bottom to sand and have some amazing rocks to create hopefull a good home. They are doing well, losing their shyness and coming out often to say hello. Sorry if this is the wrong place to post (with this new topic) but it was easier to keep adding, since their were picks. Any help much appreciated, thanks in advance!

Angela_96

[quote=kimb;633827]With not knowing for sure what those fish are you already have I will try to make suggestions (guessing the hybrid is some type of psuedo group). Im glad you have a 55 now, they will really love it.

I would go with the less aggressive species like afra, labs (electric yellows), red zebra.
Then stock 1 male to 2+ females or get all males. Up to 15 fish for that tank.

kimb

Thanks so much Angela, I am reading as much as I can and really enjoying these fish. It is a bit overwhelming...now do I have this right that the ones you have recommended would all be Mbuna?

Angela_96

yes the ones I have recommended are all mbuna. one place you might want to check to buy some is aquabid.

Shawnie

I missed this thread!!!!!! wow what beauties you have kim! congrats!!

the one on the left looks like a blue zebra to me http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/25284...71558030_8PGsQ

but remember, im new to africans and IMO, they are and will be the hardest fish to ever identify ...I have a tank of just a mix of everything...im sure allot are hybrids in my tank as most LFS have no clue whats in their tanks to begin with ....hence the "mixed africans" label...LOL ..im not out to breed either and if and when my fish do, I just give away my fish as I like sharing....seeing how im not sure the exact species of my tank, I feed a combo of kens premium cichlid flakes, veggies flakes, spirulina, daphnia, hikari cichlid pellets , and occasionally frozen blood worms and beef heart...my tank is the most active beggers ive ever had..even worse than my oscars ever were

kimb

Thanks Shawnie, I think this tank may be a bit of trial and hopefully not error! As you say, so many look alike,the names sound alike etc, you really can't be sure. Mine eat a good combo of food also, def prefer the veggies based (I make my own too). Will add a few more as we go along and hope for the best. Lots of good advice here as alway, so I know both myself and my fishies are in good hands!

josh11551

that isnt an electric blue im about 75% sure of that....look up electric blues you'll see why