New Cichlid ID help and plant problem

[cheezysquirrelz]

I got new cichlids yesterday!! I never had them before because I have only had community and goldfish. Could anybody give advice on cichlids?

I got 2 jewel cichlid(dont know gender), and some small assorted africans.
----One is blackish-dark bluish and when scared/stressed it turns greyish with blackish vertical stripes.
----One is small and yellow with horizontal black and white stripes.
----One is pale bluish greyish with slighty darker stripes.
Can anyone ID these?

I am keeping all of them in a 20gal x-tall with a tough skunk loach. The pH is 8.0 and I dont know the dH. I have 2 flower pots--the hole in the top on 1 is about an inch and the other is about 4". Today Im going to buy lots of slate to build caves and such.
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In my other tank I have a bunch of amazon swords. Many of the leaves look like green mesh. What is wrong with them?

Thanks!
--Heather

 

[Fishyfanatic]

The yellow one, is the belly yellow and it has black and white stripes towards the top? If so, could it be a female Auratus? On the third one, what color stripes? Does it have any other colors? Which way do the stripes run?

 

[cheezysquirrelz]

---Yes on the yellow belly part!

---The third one--its body is pale greyish with vertical light greyish-bluish stripes and it has pale shiny bluish fins. I dont know if it is its true color because I need more hiding places for them.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

How about the stripes on the yellow? Try this website: http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pcatid=864 and see if the Cichlid's are posted here. The first one, possibly a Cobalt?

 

[cheezysquirrelz]

I didnt see any that looked like mine on that site. Could any of mine be mixed breeds because they came from the "Assorted Cichlids" tank? (except for the jewels)
----horizontal black and white stripes on the yellow

 

[cheezysquirrelz]

The yellow one is definatly a female auratus.

 

[whitetiger_CJ]

The yellow one is either a female Auratus, or a female Chipokae

The black one could be a number of fish. it could be a peacock

The third one could be a kenyi or a female Lombardoi

Could you post pics? It would make the ID easier.

 

[cheezysquirrelz]

I really wish I could but I have no digital camera. I have friends who do so maybe I could borrow theirs. BUT I have an iMac thats really old and slow. So I guess I could try posting it at their house.

 

[cheezysquirrelz]

the yellow is a female auratus because the tail is half yellow.

 

[Menagerie]

I would not mix mix the jewels with the Africans. You will find once the fish hit sexual maturity that 20 gals is way too small and that mix of fish is no good.

 

[FishLover14]

differnt groups of fish have totally differnet aggressions and it is unwise to mix 2 differnet groups of cichlids. I would personally not go with the other cidhlids take them back to the lfs-If you like jewels a lot then take the others back and get 8 more jewels and once they hit maturity get rid of all your males but 1 and keep like 5 femlaes and 1 male.Be prepared for babies thouhg! BTW if you decide to keep all the fish take back the auctus they are posivtielty evil fish and will kill fish twice thier size in the same tank.

JMHO

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Watch the Auratus. I have been told that they are very agressive, one of the most agressive Cichlid's. She may cause problems for you. It sucks that the lfs didn't give you that kind of info when you made the purchase. Then agin, mine didn't either.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I don't agree that they are "positively evil" but they are aggressive. Mine isn't, but I think that we just got lucky on that one. Plus, the Ice Blue is the one doing the chasing.

 

[xray]

I would not mix mix the jewels with the Africans. You will find once the fish hit sexual maturity that 20 gals is way too small and that mix of fish is no good.

I agree. Also SA cichlids need a lower Ph. The other two may be zebra's. Or #3 could be a kenyi