# Red Empress - Need advice



## testeve (Sep 17, 2012)

So I have 2 Red Empress males in my tank. They are both close to 6". I have had them since they were little, over a year now. They get along OK, no major fighting, but I don't think that will last forever, besides I need to start cutting down on the number of fish in my tank, so I figured I would start by trading in one of my Red Empresses. My Dilemma is that they look so different to me. The head shape and body shape are different and I was hoping to get some information as to why, from some experts here on the forum. In the first pic you can see the larger of the two on top. He seems to be the "tank boss" and is colored up really nicely and is not overly aggressive with any of the other fish. Also in the second pic is a picture of him when he was uncolored so you can see his barring. I am wondering if he is a true Red Empress or a hybrid as his barring is a little different? The bottom fish is starting to color up nicely but you can still see his markings and they appear to look more pure?, based on pictures I see of them on this site anyway. Any thoughts or advice on which one I should keep? I would prefer to keep the better or more true fish. Thanks in advance.









Here is the large one (top fish from first picture) before he colored up.


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## gverde (Mar 3, 2010)

Looks like a red empress to me.


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## Hapguy63 (Feb 8, 2014)

They both look pure to me. I have seen in some of my all male tanks if you have 2 of the same species one of the males usually takes the dominate role and will grow larger and color up more than the other. I have also seen some of my larger older haps also develop the slightly bumped forehead similar to the one on the top. If I were you I would hold onto the dominate fish as has the best coloring.


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## PiccoloJr (Oct 14, 2013)

Could just be a red and a super red?


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## scooter31707 (Aug 24, 2012)

To me the top one looks like a Red Empress and the bottom one look more like the Ndiwe Fire Hap.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

I'm not sure but I had a choice, I would choose the second male if he looks like he will color up red also. Of course, as random chance would have it, he might be a jerk, you never know. :? You always take a chance, every fish is different.

I don't like the shape of the dominant one's head and mouth much at all.

Ndwie looks almost the same but should be more orange with just a reddish anal fin.


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## Mudkicker (Apr 2, 2003)

noki said:


> I'm not sure but I had a choice, I would choose the second male if he looks like he will color up red also. Of course, as random chance would have it, he might be a jerk, you never know. :? You always take a chance, every fish is different.
> 
> I don't like the shape of the dominant one's head and mouth much at all.


I agree with Noki. However, You risk the chance of the sub dom becoming a tank bully once you pull out the other one.


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## testeve (Sep 17, 2012)

Thanks everyone for the feedback.

I think they are both beautiful fish, and so I guess it's a good problem to have...

I am still a little undecided. I think the sub dom will color up just as nice as the current dominant fish. I might try taking out the dominate one for a few days and see what happens with teh subdom.. IF he colors up? or if he becomes a bully??? If he colors up and isn't a bully I will probably keep him.

Thanks again everyone!


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## Habanero (Nov 20, 2013)

In regards to your question about the barring, I have seen a tank with 6 to 7 super red empress fish at my LFS with one male fully colored and no barring and the rest showing barring. When the one without barring sold and was pulled from the tank, another fish magically lost it's barring within 5 minutes.

Same thing happened when my buccochromis spectibilius was pulled from the tank when I bought him. The runner up looked just like the one I bought by the time my fish was bagged up. I didn't know fish could change that fast. Wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it myself.

Personally, I like the look of barring on the male super red empress. Looks like racing stripes!


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