# Tropheus Chimba Red Colouring



## punman (Oct 24, 2003)

I purchased 30 Chimba Red Tropheus six months ago. They were around the two inch mark. From my pics shown here you can see that they are in various stages of coloration. I had Black Kirizas before and they eventually all coloured up to look identical. Will this happen with the reds or will some always be brown? Will they all lose their stripes? Are the reddest ones likely males? The reddest ones seem to be exhibiting male behaviors (spitting, leaving the toilet seat up etc.).
Based on their current size (3 inches - 7.5 cm) and coloring, do you think spawning will soon take place? My blacks were spawning at that size.



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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Based on my Ndole (not totally dissimilar to Chimba) and partly on keeping Chimba years ago.

Yes they should all get more red.
Yes they will all lose the bars but some females esp will keep em for longest and regain em now and again when showing subserviance.
Yep males tend to be reddest and lose the bars (not stripes just to be a pedant) first but it is a poor way of sexing em as it seems more to do with dominance in the group rather than sex.
Yep you can hope for breeding with females at 3" but 31/2" they should be holding to term better and getting better/larger broods. Females in a group may not exceed about 4" then again occational ones do. Males tend to be bigger but not always.

All the best James


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## punman (Oct 24, 2003)

Thank you for the input. I was hoping that someone like you would come along with some information.


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## punman (Oct 24, 2003)

I can now report that my chimba tropheus are engaging in "sexual activity". I saw two of them spawning today and the female has a mouthful of eggs. Let's just hope she can hold them first go around but if not, they soon learn.


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## Pali (Dec 22, 2009)

Congrats :thumb:


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