# Please Help - Are These Hybrids or Particular Species?



## eaglesgift (Apr 25, 2015)

This is my first post and I'm asking for help so I apologise for that in advance. I have kept marine fish in the past and accidentally getting lumbered with some guppies recently has reignited my interest in fish - but I want to try freshwater fish this time. I've spent hours researching and was drawn to cichlids but when I went to see what was available locally, I was a bit confused as I have no idea what species they are. Many are in mixed tanks so I guess they could be hybrids and some of the juveniles are very colourful so maybe they have been given hormones (?). I don't know much about them really so any help would be much appreciated.

The red one in the first pic looks like Aulonocara jacobfreibergi to me, some of the blue and yellow ones look like Aulonocara saulosi in the second pic and the pinkish ones In the third pic look like Aulonocara nyassae to me but really I'm just guessing from pictures I've found online. The label on the second mixed tank just said Aulonocara baenschi but doesn't look like one species to me...The fourth pic I have no idea but I like the look of the guy in the middle.

If these are all hopeless hybrids then sorry for wasting your time!


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

PIc 1 is a hormoned "red peacock" - these are usually of hybrid origin.
Pic 2 - there a lots of "assorted" male peacocks in here. - none of which are baenschi
Pic 3 is a "strawberry" or "firefish" or "dragonsblood" peacock, they're a man-made hybrid.
pic 4 looks like Otopharynx lithobates


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## eaglesgift (Apr 25, 2015)

lilscoots said:


> PIc 1 is a hormoned "red peacock" - these are usually of hybrid origin.
> Pic 2 - there a lots of "assorted" male peacocks in here. - none of which are baenschi
> Pic 3 is a "strawberry" or "firefish" or "dragonsblood" peacock, they're a man-made hybrid.
> pic 4 looks like Otopharynx lithobates


Thanks very much for your help. I was afraid that hormones and hybrids were going to be the order of the day.

The only other types I have found locally are these juveniles. There seem to be three distinct types, these pictures are from two shops. The first look unnaturally colourful (?) the second not quite so bad (?). Are these hybrids too do you think? Sorry the pictures are not very good - the fish kept moving!


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## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

Not horomoned, probably just good lighting - and they're brightly coloured species from a young age anyway. Seem to be kenyi, yellow lab, an auratus juveniles in the two photos of the mbuna.


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## eaglesgift (Apr 25, 2015)

Sinister-Kisses said:


> Not horomoned, probably just good lighting - and they're brightly coloured species from a young age anyway. Seem to be kenyi, yellow lab, an auratus juveniles in the two photos of the mbuna.


Great, that's better news then. Thank you.


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

Sinister-Kisses said:


> Not horomoned, probably just good lighting - and they're brightly coloured species from a young age anyway. Seem to be kenyi, yellow lab, an auratus juveniles in the two photos of the mbuna.


Agree
That being said, kenyi and auratus are some of the most aggressive commonly found mbuna....meaning they'll need a large tank, plenty of hiding places and a male to female ratio of 1m:7f. Labs are much more friendly, but harder to sex visually as they are monomorphic venting or waiting til they hold is the only sure way to sex them.


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## eaglesgift (Apr 25, 2015)

I was hoping to have a couple of species in a 100-gallon tank (60" x 20" x 20") but I just searched those species and found the same info - two of the most aggressive mbuna species available. Oh well, back to the drawing board I guess, unless I have a single species tank.


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## james1983 (Dec 23, 2007)

Have you considered mail ordering your fish?


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## eaglesgift (Apr 25, 2015)

james1983 said:


> Have you considered mail ordering your fish?


I've just been thinking about that. There's a company in Bangkok (I'm about 450 miles north of Bangkok in Chiang Mai) that seems to have different types of Haps and Peacocks in at various times. I don't know how easy they would be to deal with though as they seem to get odd lots here and there. They post on Facebook when they have something new - like the latest post is a group of 2-inch Lwanda that they are just starting to be able to sex. I'd probably have to stock in bits and pieces with them.

There's two wholesalers in Bangkok too that do a variety of species but I've no idea if they will sell in retail amounts. I guess I need to do some more investigating. Thanks for the idea.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Hi eaglesgift and Welcome to C-F!!

Since you are mostly asking about which species to choose, I highly recommend posting a new topic in the Malawi forum since those are the fish you seem to be interested in. Please also post your tank dimensions since you either already have it or are planning on that size 100G tank. I think you will get the most suggestions in that forum since it is dedicated to Malawi fish.

It would also be helpful to state what you are interested in doing with the tank, that is, a colorful male only tank, mixed species with male and females, etc.


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## eaglesgift (Apr 25, 2015)

Hi, thanks for your welcome. I will do as you suggest and post a new topic - I thought I was going a bit off topic in this one and I certainly could do with the help!


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## eaglesgift (Apr 25, 2015)

Sorry, one more question if nobody minds?

I'm still trying to find a reliable supplier and I was wondering if the fish below is a standard Aulonocara baenschi?


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Well, that Yellow Peacock is close, and he is a beautiful male. Unfortunately they mix the Maleri with the Benga true Baenschi, so it is hard to know for sure. The wild Baenschi have a rounded forehead and what seems like a big eye. Wild baenschi have been over collected, so so there may not be much more wild fish to use for breeding.


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## eaglesgift (Apr 25, 2015)

OK, thanks very much for taking the time to help me. I think finding a reliable Malawi cichlid supplier here is just going to be too difficult. So many hybrids floating around, especially peacocks. I don't have the knowledge to know what I'm buying and I'd have to order online too, so I could end up with anything.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

eaglesgift said:


> Sorry, one more question if nobody minds?
> 
> I'm still trying to find a reliable supplier and I was wondering if the fish below is a standard Aulonocara baenschi?


If you can get ones like this, that would be nice. I just warn you the Baenschi is unfortunately a very troublesome fish to find pure.

Look for specific descriptions, like a place like Benga/ Nkomo Reef or a unique name. Avoid vague descriptions, or confused names that may be applied to more than one species/location.


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## eaglesgift (Apr 25, 2015)

I have found two suppliers of cichlids that will deliver to me and they both have Facebook pages. What I'd really like is for someone to take a look at them for me and give me their opinion on their stock in general. However, I realise it's a big ask as I'm so new to the forum and I have no right to ask for that level of assistance and secondly, I'm assuming that posting links to commercial suppliers would be against the rules. With that in mind, I think I'm going to have to wait until my identification skills are a little better.

Thanks again for your assistance. I appreciate the time you guys have taken to help me.


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