# H. lifalili ready to breed?



## mbargas (Apr 19, 2009)

Yesterday I received 6 lifalilis, which I ordered online. They are just over 2" in length. When in the bags they were pale. Almost immediatelly after going into the tank, they all became light pink. Two of them subsequently developed the more intense red coloration, and they appear to be ready to breed. Is this premature? I would have thought that the stress of transport would have set them back somewhat. Should I put the other 4 in a different tank? :?


----------



## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

i wouldnt move any fish untill u see for sure signs of a pair.....better to let them choose then you


----------



## mbargas (Apr 19, 2009)

Here's an update:

Those two remain colored up, one is a bright clean red, and the other is a slightly brownish but still very intense red. Another one has colored up to almost as bright a red as the fitrst one. The other 3 have variable shades of red.

The first 2 still seem to hang out together, and they tolerate the other 4. No overt evidence of breeding yet. When I get a chance, I'll try to send some pics.


----------



## mbargas (Apr 19, 2009)

BREAKING NEWS:

Since my last post the first 2 staked out a corner of the aquarium and quickly began to spawn. This activity occurred shortly after their first feeding of Cyclop-eeze, which just arrived today in the mail.

Now I will need to start separating some of the adults.


----------



## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

yes remove only the pair to a new tank or the unpaired to a new tank


----------



## mbargas (Apr 19, 2009)

/Users/matthewbargas/Pictures/DSC00223.JPG


----------



## mbargas (Apr 19, 2009)

mbargas said:


> /Users/matthewbargas/Pictures/DSC00223.JPG







OK so I put one of my pics on youtube. How about that bright red color?


----------



## steve_58 (Jan 20, 2009)

looks like a nice male to me.


----------



## kfenk (Jun 13, 2009)

where did you buy online from? most lfs where i live have mainly dull lifalili. wouldnt mind a good quality pair


----------



## mbargas (Apr 19, 2009)

kfenk said:


> where did you buy online from? most lfs where i live have mainly dull lifalili. wouldnt mind a good quality pair


Probably not lifalilis--some other species of Hemichromis.

I got them from aquabid. The seller was "fishfarmusa" 
He doesn't have any up for bid now, but there are other sellers on aquabid, e.g "prettypaula" who have them.


----------



## ronv (May 11, 2004)

If you got them from "fishfarm" and he said they are lifalili then that's what they are. You can count on it!


----------



## Chromedome52 (Jul 25, 2009)

While Ken is very knowledgeable about CA and SA fish, these are West African fish and the information about the so-called _lifalili _in the hobby has changed quite recently. Anton Lamboj says the fish we have been calling _lifalili _for many years is a population of _H. guttatus_. The true _lifalili _is actually a more recent import, and was known as sp. 'Moanda'.

It should be noted that the identification of the Red and Forest Jewels in the hobby is quite a mess. Several "species" in the hobby have turned out to be populations of the extremely variable _Hemichromis guttatus_. _H. paynei_, for example, has never actually been in the hobby, even though there were some rather ugly fish running around with that name some years back. I highly recommend reading Lamboj's book, though several of the photos there even he has since admitted are misidentified. It is still more accurate information than anything else in print.


----------

