# I messed up i think



## spicoli (Jan 14, 2013)

So i bought a trio of yellow belly alberts on the weekend and i also picked up some kyoga flamebacks(unsexed). Here's the problem. When they were in bags they were easy to tell apart, but i threw them all in my 25 gallon till i could clear up other tank space and now i'm having trouble telling them all apart..... Any chance with a bit of time it will become apparent which are which? Or do the females of both look so similar i just screwed myself? I can easily tell my p. bluebars females apart from any of my other vic females but these fish i am confused on are so small it could be that i just need bigger sized fish to ID them properly.

Any particular features i can look for to ID the 2 yellowbelly albert females i got?


----------



## Chester B (Dec 28, 2012)

I'm pretty sure I know where you were on Sunday. :wink: The females do seem have to have similar markings and appearence. I think that when they get larger the differences will become more apparent. Since the males are easily identifable look more at their shape, and pay particular attention to their jaw structure and compare to the females. I think the alberts have a slightly larger mouth. Hopefully this will work. I would suggest not keeping them together as I think they are too similar (as you have found out) and have a high chance of interbreeding.


----------



## spicoli (Jan 14, 2013)

I have 4 groups of vics, currently all in seperate tanks, And you do know where i was yesterday.... I was just holding them together while i moved fish around other tanks......... Pretty sure i grabbed the right pair of females, but time will tell.


----------



## samaki (Oct 25, 2002)

Hi Yellow belly are lake George and Edward fishes not lake Albert, this is an advice given to beginners don't keep close colored fishes together, yu'll have to let thme grow to their full adult size and compare external morphology, jaws and body marking.
xris


----------



## spicoli (Jan 14, 2013)

I realize the fish aren't from lake victoria per se, but they are usually thrown in the mix as victoria basin cichlids, I mean the kyoga flamebacks i keep are technically from lake nawampassa, but everyone still refers to them as vics too.

I run 8 tanks, and am usually on top of things, but i had a momentary lapse in judgement i guess. Bottom line i won't be breeding these until i can confirm what females are what. The males are easy as i'm sure you know it's just the females i wasn't sure if the kyogas would have a different "Sheen" to them.


----------



## samaki (Oct 25, 2002)

Normally if yu have the good reference, it's quite possible. It's much more difficult when they are young.
xris


----------

