Black Barred Zebra

[Jason7894561230]

Hey guys,
This weekend im going to be looking for a black barred zebra! There is a cichlid convention and they sell over 500 fish! So hopefully it will be there! I have been saving the last spot for something special like this! Just a quick check, will it be friends with these guys?
5 labeotrophues Trewevasea
5 Hongi
4 Electri yellow
1 Kenyi
All juviniles largest is a yellow at around 3 1/2 inches.

Thanks Jason

 

[Malawi MaD]

He will be fine with the fish you already have, which species are you thinking?

There is the metriaclima maison reef and the metriaclima zebra chilumba( Like the one you have a pic of), i like them both .. Both awesome fish.

 

[Jason7894561230]

either one, im not picky loved them both!

 

[Wy Renegade]

You might have some issues with the Kenyi, as the colors are close to that of the female kenyi. Other than that, I don't see any issues. Very nice looking fish, love the dramatic difference in the black and blue.

 

[kay-bee19]

Hey that's actually a old picture (circa 2006) of one of my BB zebra's (Metriaclima sp. zebra Chilumba 'Luwino Reef'), the very same fish that's in my avatar!

I've got 20+ BB zebra's in various tanks, one of my favorite mbuna species.

When they're juvies they start out as solid purplish-brown fish:

Maturing young males sparring (now displaying their first stripes)

Fully matured male (toward the latter part of the BB zebra, thehe stripes fade to near solid white-blue); they also have very bright yellow throats.

Mouthbrooding female (most of the time the females look like this)

Female displaying dominance (when the females look like this they're worked up):

These are a fairly large mbuna species, the largest male I've seen was 8".

 

[Jason7894561230]

You might have some issues with the Kenyi, as the colors are close to that of the female kenyi. Other than that, I don't see any issues. Very nice looking fish, love the dramatic difference in the black and blue.

Hey thanks for the reply, im pretty sure my kenyi is male as i am starting to see faint yellow tinges in the bottom fin and in its body.

 

[Jason7894561230]

key bee! Thanks so much that is a great post! Ill definitly be looking for a male! how long does it take for them to mature?

 

[kay-bee19]

It will take years for them to fully mature size-wise (6"-8").

Color-wise, however, male dimorphism manifests quite early. Here is a 2.5" 15-18 month old male essentially displaying full breeding colors at "selling size":

They can be tricky to 'sex' because in the next moment this same fish can shift to solid brown-purple colors and blend in with the females and other sub-dominant males. Once they get reach 3.5" the striped pattern becomes permanent.

The lighter-colored stripes of the dominant male will be a light white-blue; the sub-dominant males lighter stripes will be blue. Black-barred zebra's and msobo's (alpha male at the left, sub-dominant males at the right; note the male black/blue msobo bottom-right corner):

...they also have very bright yellow throats...

The BB zebra's yellow throat that I had mentioned earlier:

Only the alpha male and his challengers will display bright yellow throat pigmentation.

...my kenyi is male...

The BB zebra and male kenyi will certainly vie for the alpha position in the tank if kept together. BB zebra's are on the aggressive side.

 

[Malawi MaD]

Nice fish Kay-bee, are these wilds or F1s??

 

[Jason7894561230]

hey thanks A LOT for this! If there is trouble between the kenyi and the BB i have my spare tank in case of emergencys

 

[kay-bee19]

Malawi MaD, not wild caughts.