# Help With 4 Larger Mature Cichlids!!! PICS!



## duke_B_D (May 17, 2010)

Here's my 4 great fish in my 29!!! Could you out there help me confirm the species of these guys????

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my setup is 40lbs cichlid sand, lace rock, artifical plants, marineland biowheel for up to 50 gal tank, marine land stealth heater for up to 50 gal tank.

Help me identify these guys!

Thanks!


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## etcbrown (Nov 10, 2007)

1. Metriaclima estherae (possible male)
2. Melanochromis johanni type, meaning immpossible to tell but most commonly a hybrid of some combination of johanni, interruptus, cyaenerhabdos. (unknown sex)
3. Most likely Metriaclima callainos (possible male)
4. Metriaclima lombardoi (juvenile or female)


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

I agree with ALL etcbrown's answers. Also Your Red Zebra Male (#1) is looking pretty thin and has some nipped fins. You might have a lot of aggression in a 29gal tank with 3Males and 1Female just a though for the future.


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## iplaywithemotions (Dec 18, 2008)

Etcbrown, why do you say #3 is met. callainos and not an estherae? I'm no expert, but from what I know callainos shouldn't have any barring at all, whereas blue male estherae will show faint barring.


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## GotCichlids? (May 21, 2010)

*iplaywithemotions*


> whereas blue male estherae will show faint barring.


+1 on the Blue Male Estherae only b/c it is showing the bars and would make sense someone had a breeding pair and gave them to this guy as a breeding pair could also explain the stress, malnourishment, and nipped fins on his female esp being in a 29g tank... Should consider upgrading to a bigger tank and fixing male to female ratio if this is the case!


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

#3 could just be a poor quality or hybrid Callainos. I doubt it is a pure Estherae.

#4 could this be a washed out looking shot of a Demasoni?


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## iplaywithemotions (Dec 18, 2008)

i thought #4 looks more like a Dem, too


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

#3 is def Cobalt Blue (Callainos) I have Adults, Juvies, and Fry... At sometimes some of my adults and juvies when stressed or chased can show very slight barring in certain lighting. Also, doubt it is a pure Estherae as they are hard to come by.

#4 My first thought was Poor quality kenyi, because the barring doesn't come to a point... buttt I don't see the Demasoni in it. I also Have many Sub-Adult Demasoni, and even my least dominant one never looks that colorless. Also My Demasoni's body are shaped a lot different, longer, with much darker fins etc.. def not Demasoni.


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## MalawiTopTeam (Feb 11, 2010)

iplaywithemotions said:


> Etcbrown, why do you say #3 is met. callainos and not an estherae? I'm no expert, but from what I know callainos shouldn't have any barring at all, whereas blue male estherae will show faint barring.


Typically they dont show any barring , but its not unheard of. *** had the occasional callainos show faint barring , in every case it was very light colored males. In fact in Konings 4th edition on page 58 , a Callainos male (Chitande island) showing faint barring is pictured.


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## MattyP (Feb 25, 2010)

After going through some of my Older photos of my demasoni when they were younger... around 1-2 inches i guesss #4 does some what look like a poor quality/stressed demasoni as well as kenyi


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## firenzena (Nov 29, 2009)

Put me down for Demansoni #4 also.
The pectoral fin and where it is in photo accentuates the washed out feel also.

With the johanni looking fish as tankmate may well be a reason for its colouration.


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## firenzena (Nov 29, 2009)

Put me down for Demansoni #4 also.
The pectoral fin and where it is in photo accentuates the washed out feel also.

With the johanni looking fish as tankmate may well be a reason for its colouration.


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## firenzena (Nov 29, 2009)

Put me down for Demansoni #4 also.
The pectoral fin and where it is in photo accentuates the washed out feel also.

With the johanni looking fish as tankmate may well be a reason for its colouration.


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## etcbrown (Nov 10, 2007)

As was mentioned pure M. estherae (the originals with blue males) are fairly rare fish these days. And contrary to popular beleif there are many different colorations of M. callainos everything from very nearly pure white to quite noticably a barred blue.

The M. callainos that became popular in the US in the 1970's was an almost entirely powder (cobalt) blue strain that ideally did nor show much barring but finding a line like those back then is fairly difficult nowadays and most do in fact show some light barring.

I do see the Ps. demasoni in the last pic now that I look again. It is very light and with all the poor quality M. lombardoi around I jumped to a conclusion. Dems are strating to show alot of generally undesireable traits in quality now too.


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