# Red Zebra pure or mixed? Or something else entirely?



## mia_ann (Dec 20, 2008)

I'm not sure, and I would like to know before breeding her


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## zenobium (Jan 5, 2006)

I dont see any glaring hybrid traits, but its kind of hard to see the mouth in that photo. Do you have any reason to be suspicious? Where did she come from?

-Zen


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## mia_ann (Dec 20, 2008)

I got her for free from a friend who bought her at Wal Mart :roll: so yeah I have no idea.

Here are some other images I have.


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## bma57 (Sep 16, 2007)

It looks pretty consistent with my females/immatue males. Around here, the cichlid quality and and selection at Wal Mart is notoriously poor, but I've heard that isn't necessarily the case all over the US. You can only tell so much from a photo, but that appears to me to be a pure, healthy M. estherae.


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## mia_ann (Dec 20, 2008)

Thanks a lot .


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

I don't believe it is pure. Face shape is wrong, and the scales have that bluish tinge to them... seen a lot of these recently.

The face should be blunter..


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## mia_ann (Dec 20, 2008)

What, in your opinion, do you think she is mixed with?


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## Norse76 (Jul 20, 2008)

Where did you purchase it from?

Im not trying to be negative or discouraging. But I am starting to learn the hard way that mostly all cichids from chain retail pet stores are mixed hybrids. :?

I even had a salesman from a Pets Plus try to sell me a fire mouth juvenile as a "Bolivian Ram" at one point..I started an entire 75 gallon entirely from cichlids from area LFS and Retail Pet Stores, so far every fish I have tried to be identified has turned out to be poorly bred, or a hybrid of some sort!! 

I would like to return them somewhere for store credit and go with a legiti breeder.

Sorry for the short novel, but your fish looks exactly like my once thought "M.Estherae" and I had to vent a little :lol:


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## mia_ann (Dec 20, 2008)

Norse76 said:


> Where did you purchase it from?
> 
> Im not trying to be negative or discouraging. But I am starting to learn the hard way that mostly all cichids from chain retail pet stores are mixed hybrids. :?
> 
> ...


A friend bought her from Wal Mart *sigh*. She was sold to my friend as a "community fish". I went to her house, saw her in there and told my friend she needed to move her or all of her other fish (tetras) would disappear :lol:. She gave her to me


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## bac3492 (Jul 25, 2008)

Doesnt have the right "metriaclima" face for me to say its pure.


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## mia_ann (Dec 20, 2008)

bac3492 said:


> Doesnt have the right "metriaclima" face for me to say its pure.


Is it possible to tell what she may be mixed with?


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## mia_ann (Dec 20, 2008)

Some new insight: Recently studying pictures of electric blue johanni females, I have noticed that my fish's fins on the bottom have the same white edge to them. Perhaps a zebra/johanni hybrid? Is this possible? I'll try to post some better pics soon.


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