what kind of cichlid is this?

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mr funktastic

mr funktastic

Aquarium Advice Addict
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i bought 2 cichlids out of a mix cichlid tank and i think they are kenyi but i am not sure. i was hoping for some opinions from some more experienced cichlid keepers. i dont really think it is a kenyi because people have mentioned that kenyi dont have yellow in their fins. in the pic it is the bottom fish, the top one is an Elongatus Mpanga, thats what the sign said and thats what other people have also said. thanks in advance
 
(message from previous post) Yes, Kenyi's are very aggressive once they hit sexual maturity. But to me, it appears to be a mixed specie, not a full breed. The yellow side fins is what really perplexes me and makes me believe that it is a mix. I'd wait until it matures and try to ID it at that point. Juvi's can be difficult to determine because they change so much at adulthood.
 
i actually have 2 of him. got them super cheap. they were in a mix tank like i said and were only listed for 3.99 and i went on tuesday which happens to be the buy 1 get 1 free day so i got 2 for only 4 bucks. i am only worried about what they are like at adult hood becasue i have a demasoni in the tank currently and he is by far my favourite so i dont want there to be any chance of him getting hurt. they appear to be very mild mannered but u never know what can happen. thanks for the replies.
 
aren't demasoni supposed to be little thugs when they grow up? I watched them for a bit at the pet store, all they did was chase each other around.
 
The demasoni will be very aggressive towards it's own kind. But to other tankmates, not as much. But, I'd still watch out for aggressiveness, especially considering the color similarities. Alot of things go into determining how aggressive they will be (caves, tank size, etc). If you see signs of overly aggressiveness, you may want to seperate them.
 
Do you have a site reference dingogirl? The mouth structure of the fish posted does not resemble the characteristics of the Trewavasae's. The Trewavasae has a downturned mouth. It would have to be of a Pseudotropheus, Maylandia, or Melanochromis grouping due to the facial and body characteristics.
 
i realize that the demasoni are very agreesive fish but he has a little cave on the far right side of the tank that he has claimed and only chases fish that go into it. i plan to get some labs and maybe a few other cichlids so he will have so many different fish to chase it will not do to much harm. i agree with fishy finatic that the mouth doesnt look the same. also his lines are much darker than the Labetropheus Trewavasae. the one pictured is always out and swimming but the other one is always hiding. i have noticed a definate size difference in them since added to the tank. the one pictured has gotten quite big and the other one has not grown at all. could it be 2 males fighting for dominance so the other one is being sgunned to the side? any other peoples guesses are welcome. even if it is the wrong fish i can look at them and maybe think about adding to the tank later. thanks again
 
I have Kenyi with some Acei, and Yellow Lab's.... Kenyi won't be a problem with the others later as they mature will they?
 
Yes, Kenyi's are mean little buggers once they hit sexual maturity. Just watch your fish carefully, monitor for any excessive chasing, nipped fins, or loss of coloration. Aceis and Labs are very docile, two of the most peaceful Africans. Kenyi's generally fit into this category until they reach maturity.
 
it definitely looks liek a kenyi... with my understanding about buying from mixed tanks tho you need to be careful not because of the fish but if u want purebred fish you shouldnt buy from them. i have been told the assorted African Cichlid tanks generally have mixed breeds. I however prefer some of these mixed breeds.

i may not be right tho!? it does look like a kenyi mixed breed tho
 
It's definately not a pure Kenyi. Possibly a mix with Kenyi are a parent? Could be. But I suspect it is something else. The stripes do not show uniformity.
 
i actually think he looks a little better than a kenyi so i guess the mix was a good one lol. but i am just worried about the bahavoir of this fish. there are also 2 of them so if i knew what they were i could sex them so see if maybe they will breed. i really like the yellow of their fins but i dont get that much colour out of them. it was the flash that brough out the color. the only other way i can see it is in direct sunlight but its not worth the algae growth. i am building a custom canopy for it with a 48" dual light strip so i can put in a marine bulb to bring out the blue and then a powerglo bulb to bring out the yellow in the fins of the other guys plus my labs :) it is going to look nice when it is done.
 
How strange of timing... last night I was watching my fish and the Kenyi kept cornering my Acei (one in particular) and attacking him and nipping up his fins.

I have now separated the Kenyi from the labs and Acei. They are real peaceful and school real well all together now.
 
Definately watch the behavior. Hopefully it's not a mix with a Kenyi so you don't have the aggressiveness. Although, the tail pattern at the base does reminds me of one.

Alvarez- It may be time to perminantly seperate the Kenyi from the Aceis. Thinking of getting more Acei's? :D Can ya tell I'm a big fan of them?
 
tropicalfishcentre.couk/redtopzebra.htm....I do believe it is a type of pseudotropheus as well and not a labetropheus
 
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