Aquarium1
Aquarium Advice Addict
I picked up my first cichlids today. 1 Yellow Lab and 1 Red Zebra (which likes to chase his reflection lol)
What do ya think?
What do ya think?
My First cichlids :)
- Thread starter Aquarium1
- Start date
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Zer0
is back to save the day!
They're awesome! So happy for you! Finally got fish!
OP
OP
Aquarium1
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thank you. Theres been a little chasing but nothing too bad. I'm going to try to get 2 more yellow labs next weekend if I can get around to mowing the yard. The red zebra just follows it around for a while and then it moves away and the zebra gets the idea for a little while, but then he forgets again
. XD
spoonman
Aquarium Advice Addict
Awesome. Congrats! I am so excited for you. Great choices and nice looking fish. They are feeling each other out. They will be great together....
mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
Congratulations. Glad to finally see some fish in there 
JustOneMore20
Algae Fighter
Awesome! I'm excited for ya!
OP
OP
Aquarium1
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks. Can't wait to get some more. I'll try to get some vids up later. They love eating btw.
mfdrookie516
Aquarium Free - 2+ Years
They do like to eat.. wait till you have several in there... All of mine come swimming up to the front of the tank when i walk close, like theyre expecting food or something. It is so hard not to feed them 10 times a day lol
spoonman
Aquarium Advice Addict
All 21 of mine can get about 1/2 of their bodies out of the water at feeding time. It looks crazy, they are like little dolphins at seaworld!!
Sonomakid
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Congrats.. great looking fish.. my bumblebees like their reflection too
OP
OP
Aquarium1
Aquarium Advice Addict
Turns out my yellow lab is a female (I'm pretty sure, there's no egg spots and the red zebra is a male.
spoonman
Aquarium Advice Addict
Egg spots arent a sure thing. Have seen lots of females with them. The only sure way is to vent them. DizzCat has a link that shows how to do this. Maybe PM her and she can send it to you. You will have to catch them and check out by their pooper...LOL
OP
OP
Aquarium1
Aquarium Advice Addict
lol, I think I'll be okay with guessing. However I read that with the zebras, the females have 0-3 eggspots and males have 4-7 and he has 4. I don't want to hassle with all the venting stuff I already read about it.
spoonman
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thats the way I am too. I just bought 4 of each and hope for the best. The only way I know what 2 of my acei are is because 2 of them have been holding babies.....LOL
OP
OP
Aquarium1
Aquarium Advice Addict
Thanks. I was going to get some more today but the lfs is closed
OP
OP
Aquarium1
Aquarium Advice Addict
New Zebra
I got a new red zebra today.
He's the one farthest away from the side.
I got a new red zebra today.
He's the one farthest away from the side.
DizzCat
Aquarium Advice Freak
Not true either. My two grown females have at the least 8 egg spots on their tails! With Red Zebras, most of the time you can tell by shinning a flash light on them. If they have a blue sheen to their fins and body, its most likely a male. Females may have a tiny bit of blue in the fins, but males have it in the body and dorsal fin. Once they are adults you can see the blue all over the male without a flashlight.
Egg spots on males tend to be bigger and darker, but really do not show that way until they reach about 4-5". My Acei male only has two egg spots, and my big females have more than 5. But, his are bigger and darker than theirs. I have noticed that the males spots really don't become very pronounced until they get bigger.
Venting is also hard when the fish is below the 4" mark. I have not been able to tell until mine grew to almost 4".
DizzCat
Aquarium Advice Freak
Actually your Yellow Lab looks to me like it might be a male. Males have more pronounced black in their fins than females. My big dominant guy didn't get an egg spot on him until he was almost 5".
