# Tropheus coloring (Maswa)



## 7armz (Dec 17, 2002)

I'm wondering how many other people have purchased F1 Maswa fry only to have them grow up and display anything but the wide yellow band? I will not disclose the 2 dealers I have purchased from, but am beginning to wonder if the dealers know what they are selling. I purchased some Brichardi Ulwile that were awsome as fry and have correct adult coloration. But my Maswa have half stripes, thin white stripes, no stripes at all, some have a stripe on only 1 side of the body. Anyone else suffering this same fate? Could it be the diet or water, both of which I think are up to par with what the rest of you are doing with your tanks.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

I understand the band is narrower in the southern part of the range and intesity of the yellow is enhanced using spirulina etc and varies also. But I see lots of F1 "Maswa" sold here (at a premium price) and I find it hard to believe they are as sold, as the WC are few and far between and rairly exported to the UK I hear. Interested to hear what it is like near you.

Maswa seems to have become rather a catch all term? I think the ones you are after are selected Karagao wide yellow band. But half bands are common in even these while they are still young I think.

All the best James


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## 7armz (Dec 17, 2002)

24Tropheus, I'm not familiar with Karagao. Looked for it on this site and didn't see it. I'm here in the states and there are a lot of different online venders. Most if not all my local vendors get their stock from Florida where there are many fish farms. Thus the reason I like to order online instead of buying local. I plan to get rid of my current colony and tank. Gonna upgrade to 180 and plan to do 2 colony again but not duboisi since I can't get what I ask for with those.
Any suggestions on a good complimentary tropheus to go with Brichardi Ulwile?


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Ah I know nothing about how Tropheus are sold in your location.

Karagao is I understand to the North of Kobago and Halembe, the ones shown on this site.
But as you can see from this site there are quite a few shown with the name Maswa attached, all slightly different. Karagao would I guess also be called Maswa here think. The Maswa types I understand tend to have thicker more yellow bands as you move north in this population.

Mixing Tropheus, I tried it for a few years, about 10 I guess, it never seemed to work as well as single types for me. I used to have three types in a 220g and two in a 120g.

All the best James


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## geoff_tropheus (Feb 13, 2003)

if you are not going to pick a duboisi type as your second colony in the tank, you are going to have to be really careful.

Dont get a sp.red, and since you have picked Ulwile, do not get anything that has a lot of yellow in the flank and I would stay away from the more barred type fish as well.

Doesn't really leave you many choices. Which ever you pick make sure your numbers are close to equal, and in your choosing of a 180 gallon standard US tank, I would go with 20-25 of each.

Best of Luck!!

BTW..my opinion of most pondraised fishes right now, are no real good. Not the quality they once were.


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## 7armz (Dec 17, 2002)

I have no problem duing duboisi I just want nice blue faces, wide yellow band on both sides on dark body, all the time as full grown adult. If there is not a suitable 2nd colony to the Ulwile ill just stick with those and couple other tangs as dithers.


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## fiupntballr (Jul 7, 2004)

I have had that exact situation from a very well known vendor that is a sponsor on this page.

Bands are non existent on some and if its present its not close to a full band.

It is out of focus but you get the idea....


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## 7armz (Dec 17, 2002)

That is how some of mine are. I wanted them ever since I seen a picture in a book of what was about 12-15. They all had identicle coloring and bars were wide and yellow. Faces were blue and body black and they were full grown adults. It makes me wonder about temperment as some say adults will try to keep juvenile coloring to avoid aggression from dominent males? Also the effect of water quality and food. But the other colony in the picture above looks fine! I'm sure we know what we are doing with water or else we wouldn't be able to keep these fish.


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## geoff_tropheus (Feb 13, 2003)

There is a lot of belief that the band is all genetic. This is why you want to keep a good breeding colony and if your are not getting wilds, get from numerous sources so that your genetics is as varied as possible.

If you got a dominant male that has a ugly band, then you need to cull him elsewhere.


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## Born Again Tropheus (Dec 2, 2002)

These are what I have and they are a mix of F1 Helembe and Florida tank raised. Im glad to here about the differences in bands between Northern Maswa vs. Southern Maswa, makes more sense as to the lack of solid wide bands.


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## Born Again Tropheus (Dec 2, 2002)

fiupntballr said:


> I have had that exact situation from a very well known vendor that is a sponsor on this page.
> 
> Bands are non existent on some and if its present its not close to a full band.
> 
> It is out of focus but you get the idea....


You know the reason why your dubs are not shining as great as you would like them to is because them reds you got in there are the dominate ones. imo, Dubs should be in their own tank to really see their potential.


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## mobaillangi (Feb 4, 2008)

these are not maswa they are kigoma dubosi 
maswa has the yellow band 
kigoma has the white band.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

mobaillangi said:


> these are not maswa they are kigoma dubosi
> maswa has the yellow band
> kigoma has the white band.


Choice Maswa do indead have a wide yellow band when in good conditions and adult. But not all.
Karagao are my favs for this. There is a hypothysis that they need to eat algae to get this bright yellow wide band as adults in captivity.
Kabago/Halembe tend to have thin yellowish bands.
White bands are common to Bemba, Kigoma and Karilani and some fish that come in labeled as Maswa.

But the way they are kept seems to make a big difference to how they look.

Kept with other Troph you are unlikely to see thier best colours.

Sure is to hard to tell from one photo of a group (no idea of age or size (they all start with incomplete white bands after losing the spots)) to tell em appart with any confidence.

All the best James


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## eugenechng (Mar 2, 2006)

I ever bought 6 of the baby dubosis at around 1-1.5inches in length which i later put together with some ikolas of the same size. As the dubosis grew to about 2-2.5inches in length, even though they still had the polka dots on their bodies, only one had the band on the side while the others didn't have. I thought nothing of it thinking that they'll eventually all colour up nicely with the thick white/yellow bands when they are sub-adults to adults, but i was wrong!!

Even at around 3.5inches, the only one that had the band had half the band on it's side while the rest either had no bands at all or only had a slight thin band and this is when their bodies no longer had the polka dots. The colours were really pathetic.....  I think it all boils down to bad genetics and the following reasons makes me come to this conclusion,

1. they are all from taiwan cos at that time my country only imports in those and the taiwanese are well known to mass produce and sell them cheaply
2. i don't think its the food cos i fed the same food to my muragos and red rainbows and they coloured up well
3. water parameters should be good cos i do 50% water changes every week
4. i gave them all to my LFS and after 3weeks in a tank of their own there, they still had the same pathetic colour which rules out the reason that they're colours are being suppressed by the dominant ikolas.

The thing is, irregardless of whether they come from the North or the South, the thin or thick white/yellow band should go all the way down across the body and not 1/3 or half the body if the genetics is good isn't it?? My Point 1 rules this out since taiwanese are known to mass produce them with no regards to their quality.

*By the way i also noticed that recently a LFS who brought in the german bred F1 dubosi, most of the around 1.5inch fishes already had a slight band on it's side even though they still had the polka dots.* My taiwan imports were much bigger and they had the dots without the bands. Is this a good way to see whether the quality is good a not?

I would love to hear more comments on your own experiences.


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## scottbla (Jun 26, 2011)

if your fish ever have a cracked band or no band or if there acting wered its probably inter breeding


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## scottbla (Jun 26, 2011)

in breeding sorry


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## TitoTee (Feb 18, 2006)

There's a few reasons why you are not going to get many yellow band tropheus.

First, this is the most prized of the Duboisi and are in high demand.
Second, many people just get Dubs from various places and let them interbreed, thus reducing the yellow band by mixing.
Not many Wild Caughts available - most Dubs come from Farms.
A really pure strain Yellow Band colony will have most of the fish - both males and females showing the Yellow bands. If anybody has a colony like this - they know they have a gold mine and will be wise to breed and sell as many offspring as they can.

It's all about teh connection! If you havbe a friend that has a friend that has a really nice colony - you are lucky.

As for vendors here or any other cichlid site - they get their stock from the farms - it's a business to them and it should be - they are selling to make money - just like Macy's and walmart.


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