What am I ...

[xray]

Actually I have three fish I would like ID'd. I have een having trouble post pic to the forum so I put them in my gallery. Please look and hazard a guess please. Thanks everyone.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I'm not sure exactly which fish I am looking at. If it's the yellow ones, then a Yellow Lab Cichlid. The gray one with splotching, mixed breed?

 

[whitetiger_CJ]

that would either be a peacock, or a jacob almosy certain it is one of the two

 

[xray]

Fishyfanatic The yellows I got.
enlarge the pics I have the fish numbered
#1 is long green and silver with a horizontal black stripe.
#2 is silver with black spots
#3 is silver with thin black vertical stripes

#1 I have labeled as a red empress in my sig (but that is just a guess). :?
#3 was sold to me as a C. Moorii (but Iknow that was a lie). :x

 

[xray]

whitetiger_CJ which one

 

[TankGirl]

Fish #1 is definitely not a Red Empress, and not even an Aulonocara sp. That looks like a formosa hap.

Fish #3 is almost definitely a female Aulonocara, and that could even be a female Red Empress, but I can't tell for sure.

Fish #2 could be a N. livingstoni, as they are commonly seen in the "mixed African" tanks at the LFS, but I am not sure if that is what it is or not - it does not seem to have enough spots.

 

[xray]

I think I figured out what #1 is possibly Champsochromis caeruleus.
http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/panis/champsochromis_caeruleus.htm

If its this one I'll have to get rid of him soon, my tank is just not big enough. I wish the lfs guy would have told me how big a tank this thing needs. I guess he was just trying to make a sale. I wont be bying fish on the spur of the moment any more.

 

[xray]

TG- I think you got #3 right. I hope it gets some color so I can figure out which one.
#2 is silver with black spots, maybe its a bad picture. Livingstoni usually have brown spots. and many more of them.

 

[TankGirl]

What do you think of this photo? (borrowed from Malawicichlids.com)

Very similar to #1, unless the picture is not showing the fish as it looks in the tank. Champsochromis caeruleus are usually blue-ish, and I don't see that in the pic. A juvie of course could have a different appearance. Quite a quandary!

There is an article at Cichlid-Forum.com about Mixed African Cichlids and, I quote, "Are you feeling lucky?" You just don't know what you are getting, and there is always the issue of hybrids, so it makes it tricky. This #1 fish has me curious, though, so keep us posted!

 

[xray]

TG #1 had to go. Once I started looking at him I noticed how powerful his jaw looked. He is definately an open water hunter. I don't want no hunting in my tank. Traded him to my LFS along with the alonacara and 3 Labs for 5 P. acei. Very pretty fish. #2 is still hangin around though and we haven't figured him out yet.