# Another kenyi question



## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

Back a while back I bought 2 little kenyi(about 1.25"), one male (yellow with brown bars) one female (blue with black bars). They were that color when I bought them. I've since bought a couple more females and still looking for even a couple more females, if I decide to keep them.

My original male and female is now close 3" long and the female is changeing her color some. It looks like she's trying to get some yellow on her. When the male gets near her she changes back to blue. He's really starting to pay alot of attention to her now (something new too). Could it be that she is really a he, maybe a subdominate male? Does it take some males that long to get male coloration? I know they are all born blue with black stripes.


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

If she's starting to change I'm thinking she is really a he who is a subdom male.


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

That's what I'm thinking too. This is my first time with fish so I don't know alot but know they are all born blue with black stripes then the males turn yellow (kenyi that is). I figured males would all turn color around the same age or size though. Do dominate males color first? Are they dominate when still real small? I figured dominance was something that happened when they got sexually mature and fought for the position. Maybe that's not the case at all and some are born dominate and subdom?


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

I guess I just don't understand the dom & subdom thing and why one would show male color so early and another so much later when they were bought at the same time from the same tank.
Here's a new pic of the male with a female behind him.








A pic of the one bought at the same time that's now changing. Hope the yellow shows up. The colors were right on my computer.








Hope someone can explain it to me. I'd like to understand as much about my fish as I can.
Thanks for looking.


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

I don't know much about Kenyi, but IMO the males do look really cool as they're transforming.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If a fish is afraid/feeling cautious (subdom) it turns off it's male colors as much as possible so the other males don't attack it. Day old fry start to develop positions of dominance immediately, but it becomes much more of a focus when the fish is sexually mature.


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

Ahhh thanks for clearing that up DJRansome. The one changing did look neat but he went back to the LFS today. I don't think 2 male kenyi in a 55g. is a good idea  . I was hoping to get a couple more female kenyi today too but no such luck. I also retuned one of my male auratus. I had 3 auratus that I got when they were real small and all looked female. Recently 2 of them started turning male color and one got it's tail chewed off by the other so I put the tailess one in another tank to grow his tail back out and it did so today it went bye bye too.
Darn LFS gave me $4.00 credit for the 2 of them. The tank of mixed cichlids they have that are the size of the ones I took in (I think that whole tank is ones people have returned) they are selling for $14.99 :x Wish I could find another store to deal with.


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## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

Hey you are lucky they give you anything back... The LFSs around here will take any fish back, but they feel they are doing you a favor taking it back and so don't give you a dime... I took back my two Kenyi a few days ago and they are reselling them for full price. I took them back because they were simply too agressive for the rest of my tank.

I figure I would rather the fish be OK and taken care of if I need to bring it back, so I simply accept it as the price I ahve to pay for keeping fish.


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

Yeah I know where you're coming from CichlidWisperer. If money was really that much of an object to me, it would have been cheaper to flush them down the toilet than to have spent $8.00 in gas taking them back to the store lol. I hope they find good homes though. I also used my $4.00 credit towards a mid size yellow lab while I was there. Ended up getting it for $11.98. Still to much, in my opinion but I couldn't go home from a fish store empty handed :wink: .


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## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

LOL... I ended up with three fish when I dropped off my boy and girl Kenyi. I can't resist them once I see them either.


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

What did you get to replace the kenyi? The store I went to didn't have much selection when I went today. I had 3 yellow labs that I've had since last summer and haven't had them breed yet so been thinking I probably have all males. One day not long ago I saw a teeny tiny one at Walmart and got it hoping it's female but it's so small it stays hid all the time so today when I saw a bigger one I thought I might as well get it since there wasn't anything else I liked. I tried venting it as I put it in my tank but I've never done that before and could only see the one hole so either my glasses aren't strong enough, I really don't know what I'm doing, or it's a male too. :?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

CichlidWhisperer, if you are near me I can refer an LFS that will buy back fish for store credit, send me a PM. I got back $90 one time and spent $150!


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## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

I got a Maingano, an Afra, and a Daktari. I have an all male tank with relative mild Mbuna. The most aggressive ones are my cobalt blue (may be a hybrid) and my Hongi (I think more agressive because he is the biggest fish right now.) Since I got rid of the Kenyi, the tank is very peaceful though. Most would consider my Maingano a very good specimen and in fact I ahve a picture of him that I took 2 days ago where he looks very similar to your icon. I have psoted it below.

I have given up on venting too. I think it is good to always try, because hopefully after trying a bunch it will become more obvious though. I know with Yellow Labs the girls tend to have less black, and usually no black on their pelvic fins. It is a generalization though, and hard to evaluate if there aren't a lot fo them to choose from. My method of chosing males is similar. I look for the brightest (uausally also the boss) in the tank at the LFS.

Do you ever travel to other fish stores to get fish?


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## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

Hi DJRansom, 
I am not sure where Boonton is... I live near Cherry Hill. I am really hoping not to have to bring back more fish, as I get very attached to them. But I am always interested in good fish stores. Would love to get the information on that one.

Thanks!


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

Ah I saw recently where someone posted about having a Daktari. Maybe it was you lol. Do you have a pic of it?


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Dewdrop, do you still just have the one tank, or did you get the other one set up?

What is the current stock list in the tank(s)?

Kim


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

Ah here it is...
Hey Kim,
I still just have the one 55g. running. Hubby says we just don't have the room for 2 -55's and a 5 ft. tank and he's probably right. With graduation coming up the 22nd & we have a senior, I'm not sure I'll even get the 5ft. for my birthday on the 14th. but I'll at least get a quarentine/hospital tank. Hopefully that will help until the 5ft. comes through.

Here's the stocklist as of now.
2- Banded Leporinus fasiciatus (they are about 6&7" now and needing a bigger tank or new home)
2-Plecos (they're about 4-5" now and still doing a great job but will trade them in for smaller ones eventually)
3-albino Pseudotropheus socolofi (1M.1F. 1either female or subdom male...it stays hid alot but comes out to eat. I'm really thinking it's a subdom male because of it's hiding. I really like this species and want to keep them and get their numbers right when the bigger tank come through)
4-Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos (I started out with 3 then got another. I have 2 holding right now and have 2 tiny fry in the 1.5g. tank that I think are maingano)
2- Melanochromis auratus (Started out with 3 but 2 got male colored and fought so I took the subdom one back to the LFS. The one I thought was F. is now getting a little dark on it too so I'm watching it closely)
3-albino Melanochromis auratus (1M.2F.- one of the females held one time but not long)
3-Metriaclima estherae (all Males..don't think I will keep them unless it's just one in an all male tank. They don't fight yet but the biggest one has his spot he doesn't let anyone else near)
4-Metriaclima callainos (don't know the sexes and only one is really nice looking)
3-Metriaclima lombardoi (Started out with one M.& one F.. Got 2 more what I thought was small females. The first female started turning male color so I took it back to the LFS. I've since read that females can get male color when breeding so I may have took it back to soon. There wasn't any trouble out of any of them yet. I doubt I end up keeping these long term though)
3-Pseudotropheusp. acei (don't know the sexes for sure but kinda think 1M. & 2F. I like these alot and would like to get a couple more when the 5ft. comes)
4-Labidochromis caeruleus (Started out with 3 thinking all males.Now have another that might be F.)
1- Pseudotropheus socolofi (1"dunno the sex or why I got it)
2-Copadichromis borleyi (small..dunno the sex. Didn't even know what it was when I got it but after I found out, I went back and got another :roll: )
2-Neolamprogene brichardi (small..dunno the sex. was hoping they would pair and I could start a colony of them in a 20g. tank but they don't act like a pair...yet anyway. I had wanted some of these for a while so when I saw them I jumped on getting a couple. They might end up in a tank of their own.)
Geez is that 38 fish?


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

hmmm I even forgot one I didn't have wrote down yet. A little all yellow fish that is probably a lab/red zebra mix :roll: . I was hoping it might be one of those auroa, I think it's called? It will probably go back.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Where is that "shaking your head" smiley?

I don't see any sense in going through it all again.

But I certainly wouldn't _add_ anymore fish.

Kim


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

LOL Dewdrop!


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

I don't think there is a shaking your head smiley :wink: . I've gotta settle for the blushing face and eye rolling one lol. I'm sure anyone with any sence knows my tank is ridiculous and it's a wonder it's not total chaos or mayhem. Honestly though, there isn't much I regret doing. It is a very colorful & interesting tank and all considered it's relatively peaceful. I wouldn't recommend starting out the way I did, buying pretty fish not knowing what they are most of the time and then learning about them, but if I would have started out the right way, with three species of fish and the correct M.-F. ratio I don't know that I would have done nearly as much reading and research on them. It's been a great learning experience. Also take into consideration that I started out buying fish in trios because I was thinking of going with an all male tank. With that in mind, it really wouldn't be so ridiculous if I'd just get rid of the females lol. So far, with the exception of the yellow labs, the red zebras, and possibly the albino socolofi, I have managed to get rid of what I thought were extra males :thumb: (pats self on back here lol even if I did run right out and buy more  ). After I get the 5ft. tank, I still want to keep the 55g. running and a quarentine/hospital tank and also probably a fry grow out tank. Maybe even a 20g. for the brichardi if they pair off :roll: . There's a couple victorians I'd love to have too plus a few more species of malawi, just not sure where to put them yet unless I do stick to the plan and have one of the tanks an all male tank. That might not be a bad idea considering all the different species I want. I guess there's a limit to the number of fish you should have even in a 5ft. tank lol. opcorn: Sorry so long.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I have a six foot tank with only five species. It has PLENTY of fish.


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## Splash55 (Jan 24, 2008)

Does this pic look familiar Dewdrop? :roll: I think alot of us do what you did. I too was born in the month of May if that means anything.


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

That's what I mean DJRansome, I'll probably have to do the 5 ft tank all male because even it wouldn't hold all the species I'd like to have. Then use the 55g. for maybe 3 small breeding groups.

What are the dimentions of your 6ft. tank? I can only go 5ft. long because of wall space. I know I'd like it to be 60" x 18" but not sure of the height. I guess alot depends on the height of the stand. I want to be able to reach into the bottom. I'm pretty short (5'3") and can reach into our 55g. (48"x12"x21") pretty good but I'm thinking if the tank is 18" wide, it will be harder to reach the back if it's also 21" tall. I think there is a 5ft.tank that measures only 18" tall. I just wonder if I'll miss those extra 3 inches at the top or if the being 3 inches shorter will even help with the extra width. :-?


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

Hey Slash55, we must have been posting at the same time. Your tank looks awesome. Very colorful! At least you weren't trying to squeeze them into a 55g. lol :thumb:


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I think you need 3 five foot tanks! Especially if you want to keep some of those aggressive species you have. Glad you are having fun with the hobby!


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Dewdrop, you make me laugh!

I think you're ideal situation would be to go all male. :thumb:

Kim


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## Cook.MN (Mar 11, 2008)

Nah, ideal situation would be like an 800 gallon tank...or at least that's what it is for me


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