Jasmine Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Okay, my female was being majorly harrassed and I caught her cause she was at the top of the tank gasping for air. I looked and there were eggs in her mouth. I put her in the tank with some baby brichardis (about three cms long, so not baby babies). Problem is I was told they're Melanochromis but I'm not sure they are, so have no idea what she is really. I had no idea where else to put her where she wouldn't be harrassed. She spat out one of her eggs, but the others seem to still be there. If she isn't too stressed and the fry survive, will the Brichardis eat them? I have no idea how big they'll be having never bred cichlids before. Is this an ok place to put them? I know it's not ideal than her own tank, but don't know what else to do, she was being majorly bullied, especially by the bumble bee cichlids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 The first problem here is you dont know what they are or who bred with her (assuming she was in a mixed malawi tank when they bred) so you potentially have hybrid babies which are a bad thing to keep.. Brichardi will most likely eat the fry if you want to keep them wait till she's held for 2 weeks then strip her into a guppy trap with an airstone to keep them moving so they dont get fungused. First place I would start is get up some pics of the fish and id them, and then also question if something else bred with her, because if she's a hybrid or her partner didn't breed with her then its best just to strip the egg's out into a community save her and you the stress of raising hybrid babies.. That is just my opinion though either way good luck and let us know what you do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted July 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Well, the thing is I've got one big fish sold to me as rainbow Melanochromis, or three blue males with vertical stripes which, when I was starting out the tank and didn't know better, was sold as Melanochromis or Electric Blues, no other part to the name. She was in the tank with the three males, one of which is the dominant male in my tank so I assume it was him. I'll just take pictures now if possible. The thing is, I don't know when she was bred either, and yes, it's a mixed tank, but it would only be one of those four which bred her. Three would be the same type, or the rainbow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted July 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Here's some pictures. Forgive the quality, any help in identifying appreciated! http://taintedkitten.com/photo/thumbnails.php?album=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Hey Jasmine, I have looked at your pics I have no idea what they are, a common ploy for selling fish when people don't know what they are is to guess the genus ie melanochromis and then not name an exact species.. The pics of the dominant male resemble what is commonly sold in nz as johanni but I don't really know what they are, I dont think they are pure and somehow got into the country as something random. Is it possible for you to get any better pics? I know its hard but you cant tell much from the small pics and when you enlarge them they are all blurry and you still cant tell much. Have a look through here and see if you can find some that match up http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/r ... ?genus=122 Also what colour is your holding female? Sorry I cant be of more help im sure someone can Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted July 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 My camera's usually pretty good, but was unable to catch the fish well. The colour of the female is a grey kinda colour with a bluish tinge. http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... php?id=759 - This is definitely what my rainbow Melanochromis is. The males kinda look like this one I guess but with thicker strips: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... php?id=753 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herefishiefishie Posted July 28, 2007 Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Hard to tell with the pics you have placed up. Look like hybrids to me. Why? Body shapes, stripes etc are random as. Which even with the poor quailty of pics leans me that way, as you only have a couple of pure species of Melanochromis in NZ. Frenchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted July 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2007 Yeah, I was afraid of that. Don't know what to do with them really. If they are hybrids I don't want them breeding, but the male is such a big pretty boy, I shouldn't sell them but can't bring myself to cull them. I'd like one of my pure fish to become dominant male if possible though. They were my first ever fish I brought when I got the tank, back when I was just excited to have fish and didn't do too much research, just wanted something cheap to start cycling the tank :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted August 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 Just stumbled across Pseudotropheus zebra...looks very very similar to my dominant male, especially this one is almost a spitting image! http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... php?id=846 Right down to the white stripes down the bottom front fins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herefishiefishie Posted August 12, 2007 Report Share Posted August 12, 2007 Well the problem is you said... was sold as Melanochromis or Electric Blues & Pseudotropheus sp. "Crabro Blue" is way off to those. Different genius, body shape etc again. The fish you just named I have never heard of being in NZ or Aussie. Judging by your pics, I fail to see the similarities. Body shape, striped depth of colour.... Frenchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jasmine Posted August 13, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 Well, the reason why I started searching was because I brought a whole lot of zebras, and I was amazed by how similar in body shape they looked to my dominant male. I was searching through the different types of zebras just in case, and saw that one, and spent half an hour comparing them and asking my brother and his gf for opinions (my computer's right next to my tank). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 Id say it looks more melanochromis than zebra but not like any pure fish ive seen.. Not that ive seen much, going through profiles and trying to id fish can have some results (if you know pretty much what you've got already and just want to clarify it a little). Your really on the back foot because all you knew was "was sold as Melanochromis or Electric Blues" and unless its blatantly obvious to people who've seen a few fish you usually wont get you very far, sorry ive been there too when I first started with fish and its not your fault but it just happens theres alot of hybrid/incorrectly labeled fish around everywhere they seem to get everyone every now and then unfortunately. Comes down to whoever bred the fish and sold it to the pet shop (if they were locally bred) or whoever imported/sold the fish in nz.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herefishiefishie Posted August 13, 2007 Report Share Posted August 13, 2007 That is right Ryan. Problem is when people/shops sell zebras, mbunas as electric blue, or blue zebras etc they are not a pure cichlid at all. I have seen thousands of these fish over the years. The joys of people not taking note of the proper names, keeping mixed fish in tanks, therefore cross breeding etc. Shops will on sell them if they look nice, $5 is $5 after all. & some people are not particular, just want pretty fish. The problem is, electric blue is a common name in most places for Sciaenochromis fryeri. Which isn't even a mbuna. As stated here a hundred times before. You can only call your fish for what it was named as. Just a tip, try buying cichlids with scientific names, or if it is a common name make sure it exists for the fish concerned. When I first started with cichlids, I used to write down the names, then do research. Firstly, I found it hard to believe some shops with fish ID & compatibility with others.{some just want a sale} Plus it is hard to remember some of the names. Frenchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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