# Benthochromis Tricoti WC !



## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

hey guy, just bought these two beautiful wild caught specimens.

They have only been in Canada for 2 months prior me buying them, but they have adapted really well and eat really well.

Will post some more pics n vids when they begin to show some colors


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Very nice. Looks like two females.


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## Qaddiction (Oct 16, 2007)

I agree. Looks like you have 2 healthy looking females. I was reading a few of your youtube remarks. Don't be surprised if they never color up. Females will stay silver just like they are now.


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

Are you sure ? Because when lights are different one becomes like with brown patches and i got them from a specialized store of imported cichlids and the guy didnt wanna sell me only two out of the 4 but then realized there was 2 males rather than one and i got my couple. :S lol now i got 2 girls? i will feed and wait hehe...
Thanks for ur input


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I would think that a 5" male Tricoti would have some signs of elongated ventral fins, anal fins and lyretail.


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

noddy said:


> I would think that a 5" male Tricoti would have some signs of elongated ventral fins, anal fins and lyretail.


Yes i agree, this is best pic i could take with my iphone, the supposed male is bigger and darker. But it an also b a pretty female


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## Tex Chappy (Dec 25, 2013)

Are these shoal fish like the small Cyprochromis species?


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

yes these fish like to be in a group of minimum 5-6 individuals. 
Today i got a gift, the remaining two from the store  I will take pictures tomorrow as they are acclimating right now


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

Benthochromis horii ;-) Agreed, two females.


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

Thanks all, u seem to have been right, but heres a pic of the real male we went ahead n got him n the other female .. so now i got a colony of 4 
He doesnt have any color but i think its pretty clear by the elongated tail


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

rennsport2011 said:


> Benthochromis horii ;-) Agreed, two females.


Thanks for ur input.. are u sure its hoorii because i got them from a reputable cichlid specialized store n it says tricoti. well thats what they wanted to import i think. heres the link, its in the list.. n theres no more.. i got those 4 only ones  http://www.quebec-cichlides.com/pages_eng/stock_eng.php#tanganyika


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

I don't think tricoti have actually been exported. Everybody calls them tricoti, but they are horii.


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

rennsport2011 said:


> I don't think tricoti have actually been exported. Everybody calls them tricoti, but they are horii.


Perhaps you are right, im far from being an expert, its my first time keeping some. Can u just confirm thats a male ?


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

These guys look like they are fairly big... What size are they? Males normally would have more finnage at 6"+...

You'll have to remove all the Malawians from that tank for certain, the Benthochromis will never look like much with them in the tank.


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## 02redz28 (Dec 21, 2012)

Gosh. I dunno. They look nearly mature size. Males should have more impressive fins and some banding color. I hope you didn't get taken.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Try and get a pic without the other fish blocking the view of the Benthos fins, especially the anal fin.


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

rennsport2011 said:


> These guys look like they are fairly big... What size are they? Males normally would have more finnage at 6"+...
> 
> You'll have to remove all the Malawians from that tank for certain, the Benthochromis will never look like much with them in the tank.


they are 4' i think.. i wish i could remove these malawi fish but the ob peacock keeps getting beaten in the real malawi tank so for his sake i cant put him back there n i love this fish...yeah... :S


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

4 feet or 4 inches? :-? 

4 is much better than 2, a male may not show much color at all unless in a more ideal situation. I guess just try to find out from the few others who actually have successfully kept this fish. These fish are cool, and you may want to change the tank inhabitants to hopefully get a male to color up, otherwise they may just slowly waste away colorless.

Did the store say that the possible male showed more male characteristics before?


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

4" isn't too big.. your picture makes them look bigger, so you could easily have a male in that group. Seriously, Benthichromis are fish that don't like much activity typically, and want non-aggressive fish. The rostratus and peacock have to go, or you are better off returning these guys. It absolutely will not work out.


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

noki said:


> 4 feet or 4 inches? :-?
> 
> 4 is much better than 2, a male may not show much color at all unless in a more ideal situation. I guess just try to find out from the few others who actually have successfully kept this fish. These fish are cool, and you may want to change the tank inhabitants to hopefully get a male to color up, otherwise they may just slowly waste away colorless.
> 
> Did the store say that the possible male showed more male characteristics before?


4 inch hehehe... 
The look very happy, i mean they really arent bothered by my motionless frontosas. The rostratus are always sand-sifting so not anywhere near them, they crowd mostly the top. Its a 300gallon tank 8 feet long. I think big enough? if not I got get this week the 800 gallons i saw in the local adds.  The store i got them from just received them 2 months ago from Tanganyika, dive catching. They caught them quite young, but one of them has elongated tail tips. Ill go snap a picture. Im currently rescaping the tank to make it more dark because i read they live in 100 meter depths. 
Ok I go take that pic.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

They do like dimly lit, large tanks and very calm tankmates. I had a young group of 12 in my 6' 210g tank a few years ago. I ended up selling them because I felt that the tank was too small, I didn't want the lights off all the time and I felt the only appropriate tankmates were Paracyps and one of the more calm Xenos (which I didn't have at the time).


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

Here's the video n new dim lights.


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

noddy said:


> They do like dimly lit, large tanks and very calm tankmates. I had a young group of 12 in my 6' 210g tank a few years ago. I ended up selling them because I felt that the tank was too small, I didn't want the lights off all the time and I felt the only appropriate tankmates were Paracyps and one of the more calm Xenos (which I didn't have at the time).


Sometimes we just worry more than our fish about their own well being. 
Some ppl obsessively water change their discus (for example) and yet they die more often than my friend that barely had time for them and they lived for years. And i notice also the tanks i give the less attention to always thrive the most. 
Apparentely the first few batches of benthochromis that store received, they werent used to aquariums n broke their necks rushing into the glass. when I told the owner they were going from a 180 to my 300 he even gave discount cuz he knows i take good care of his fish . 
Full spectrum tank.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

The question is will a male color up with those fish? I don't know. They won't color up as easy as a Hap.

The Frontosa are also deep water fish, and move slow. But big. Need to find out from others who have kept them together.

Sounds like a really good store... maybe you can get another batch of Benthochromis to add to the tank?


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

What can you say to someone who knows more about fish they haven't kept, than people with decades of knowledge of the fish? Good Luck, I feel bad for the fish. Far to uncommon and special to be treated this way.


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

noki said:


> The question is will a male color up with those fish? I don't know. They won't color up as easy as a Hap.
> 
> The Frontosa are also deep water fish, and move slow. But big. Need to find out from others who have kept them together.
> 
> Sounds like a really good store... maybe you can get another batch of Benthochromis to add to the tank?


You read my mind... we asked him to order 4 more


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

rennsport2011 said:


> What can you say to someone who knows more about fish they haven't kept, than people with decades of knowledge of the fish? Good Luck, I feel bad for the fish. Far to uncommon and special to be treated this way.


I dont feel im mistreating them in any way.


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

enshacra said:


> I dont feel im mistreating them in any way.


Which is the really sad part, an unwillingness to learn from others.


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

rennsport2011 said:


> enshacra said:
> 
> 
> > I dont feel im mistreating them in any way.
> ...


I dont want to make u sad. Im taking good care of them. I asked a ton of questions before i purchased them and the person who owns the store has 20+ years of cichlid keeping, he also saw all my videos n went we went to see the last 2, he said hes happy of how they are doing. Im very willing to learn and I constantly do research. Out of anyone in montreal that keeps cichlids I doubt they will have these living conditions. Best foods, huge tank, fresh water, great filtration. Why wouldnt they be happy? No fish ever ever picked at them. I would fix the situation if i see them unhappy, take my word for it.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

You want the fish to thrive not just survive, especially since they are such a rarer WC fish that is not that easy to keep. Do you want these fish to be a secondary fish in the tank that look like silver minnows in a group and just survives for a few years? Or do you want a male to color up and grow big and have them breed, at least for fun? They may need the tank set up for their needs primarily, and even then it may not be easy. Even if not picked on they may feel uncomfortable with larger fish or more boisterous fish.


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## enshacra (Nov 13, 2013)

Hi everyone !
Heres a video update on the colony. They are doing very well.


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