smidey Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 Protomelas taeniolatus - Red Empress I have 8 of these that are around 2 inches in length. None of them have shown any colour yet, is this normal or have i been unlucky enough to get all females? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 I got mine from Alex fully sexed at 6-7cms male had definate colour and more egg type spots (not a full big egg spot like some peacocks) on his anal fin. This colour disappeared because I had them in a mixed tank with some other larger fish while I was away to minimise tanks.. I have since got them into their own tank and the colour is returning, do you have yours with anything bigger/agro that might be suppressing their colour? Heres my boy a few months back Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted December 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 they were in a tank with fish half their size up until a month ago & didn't show any colour. they are kow in the main tank with larger fish but no change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryanjury Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 I would say they wont colour up until very late if they are in a tank with larger fish.. Mine seem to be quite shy so that is why they are by themselves again as I want them to colour up well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lynnie Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 I got mine from Alex too. Mine didnt colour up straight away but now is showing the start of colour in the male. Some take longer to colour up than others. Mine are in will very mixed size fish with no aggression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-town... Posted December 8, 2008 Report Share Posted December 8, 2008 yea my mates one took quite some time to colour up one male several months later coloured up and looks stunning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firenzenz Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 My males started to show colour at 6-7cm. Bigger tank will get them growing but as Ryan suggested tankmates might keep their colour subdued. definitely worth the wait. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herefishiefishie Posted December 21, 2008 Report Share Posted December 21, 2008 Just give it a bit more time. They are probably big enough to vent sex, if you are really worried about it. Frenchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mj Posted January 22, 2009 Report Share Posted January 22, 2009 my boy is about 5-6cm and is colouring up, he is in a 240litre tank with just his 2 girls and 3 much smaller yellows ... seems every day his colour is changing ... will post some pics if he ever stays still long enough (or doesn't give me yet another front on shot) :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firenzenz Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 A recent pic of my biggest boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted January 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 A recent pic of my biggest boy. are you sure that is a red empress? it doesn't have any of the black lines showing through, did it have them originally? this is a pic off the cichild forum species register which mine are the same as except they don't have any colour yet. mine are basically silver with vivid black markings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firenzenz Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 I am glad you have brought this up Smidey. here is a pic of the same fish but at a younger age. Here s the link to the profile you have got your shot. http://www.cichlidforum.com/profiles/sp ... hp?id=1368 And here is the link to my fish: http://www.cichlidforum.com/profiles/sp ... hp?id=1369 The difference : not much except for the the lineage. My Red empresses were from Tropheus and your I suspect came from AAE1. I think both came from the same source in CHCH but at different stock at different times therefore the difference in colouring. There are in fact 10 protomelas taeniolatus listed and they are all different due to the region of the lake from whence they came. Only the sub species from Namalenje Is. are refered to as "Red empress" I did at the time Alex was selling these query the history of his as the adults appeared a little different from mine and perhaps thats why some are less vivid than the images they have reffered to. All this is a bit of speculation, and longwinded. the short answer to your question is yes I am sure that my fish is a Red empress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smidey Posted January 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 I am glad you have brought this up Smidey. here is a pic of the same fish but at a younger age. Here s the link to the profile you have got your shot. http://www.cichlidforum.com/profiles/sp ... hp?id=1368 And here is the link to my fish: http://www.cichlidforum.com/profiles/sp ... hp?id=1369 The difference : not much except for the the lineage. My Red empresses were from Tropheus and your I suspect came from AAE1. I think both came from the same source in CHCH but at different stock at different times therefore the difference in colouring. There are in fact 10 protomelas taeniolatus listed and they are all different due to the region of the lake from whence they came. Only the sub species from Namalenje Is. are refered to as "Red empress" I did at the time Alex was selling these query the history of his as the adults appeared a little different from mine and perhaps thats why some are less vivid than the images they have reffered to. All this is a bit of speculation, and longwinded. the short answer to your question is yes I am sure that my fish is a Red empress. sweet, great fish! thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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