# How can i identify what Cichlids i have?



## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

Good afternoon.

I have a 25 gl. tank (yeap I know, small, I intend to change it in the future, but that is what I'm able to have right now) and I'm trying to identify the species of cichlids that I have inside, I used to have this same tank over 5 years ago, I always kept it with goldfish, but my mom (when I got married) decided that she was going to stay with it, now I have it back, and don't want goldfish anymore, I live in the Dominican republic and we can get several variety of cichlids here, but I want to learn as much as possible about them and I want to be able to breed the correctly, and have them as happily as possible.

So far I think I have 4 mbuna Labidochromic Caeruleus (yellow lab) the others I have not been able to identify them. So what info can you guys give me, and what are the right things that I need to take care of...

Thanks.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Welcome to Cichlid-forum!

I know you are planning to upgrade, but so that you can plan on WHEN please know that if your fish are 1.5" counting tail the time to upgrade is now. I'd plan on a tank that is at least 48" and fine-tune your decision after you have ID.

Post pictures in the Unidentified forum. At the top of the forum is a sticky that tells you how to post pictures.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

48'' how many gls. is?


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

I have 2 of the mbunas that are above 1.5' long, for sure, I might be able to get a 100gl tank but it wont have the cap, and the light, will that be a problem?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Length is important, not gallons. A standard tank in the US is 55 gallons and 48" long. You need a cover but not a light. First get the identifications, and then decide.

PS there are also tanks in the US that are 48" long but hold only 33 gallons (see my signature). That's why it is important to consider dimensions and not gallons. Also shape matters because a cube or corner or even a bowfront tank can have lots of gallons, but not as much length.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

Ok I will take pics of all of them and post them here, and at the same time I will measure my tank so I can make sure, I think it might be around 30'' something, and let you know, so we can discus my possibilities, just in case I'm not able to get the 100gl, if I'm able to I will measure It to let you know also. thanks non the less...


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

I have the measures of my tank already, its a 30" x 15" x 12.5", I will post pics in a minute.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

I already posted the pics.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Most of them are under 1.5"...what is the size of the 2 that are bigger than 1.5"?


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

considerably bigger, maybe around 2'' or 2.5, to be honest I haven't measured them yet


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I took a look in Unidentified...people who read those posts are better at ID than me so we will wait.

I don't see any yellow labs. The fish look bigger than 1.5" (include tail). And I see some possible Metriaclima estherae (the orange ones) and one cichlid in picture #2 that is not an African I don't think.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

I think you might be right, about the Metriaclima estherae


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## ZeroSystem44 (Sep 20, 2015)

Pic #2 has what looks like a young Jack Dempsey Cichlid in it.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

I'm I stoking to many fishes on my tank? did I choose poorly my fishes? do I need to change them? I Definitely don't have the means to change them to a bigger tank right now.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

???


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Yes you have too many fish for a 25G. You need to rehome the Jack Dempsey. Did you ever get an ID from the other post on the blue barred mbuna?


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

Nop I didn't...


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

No one even tryied to ID the orange ones (except you, and I think you are right) and the blue mbuna


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Yes they were identified by Noki http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=375354
The "red ones" were identified by Noki as hybrid red zebras and the "blue ones" were identified by Noki as hybrid cobalt zebras.

I


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

Ohhhh I didn't read those, thanks, one more question, do you think I should rehome the JD and leave the hybrids zebras all 6 of them, or do it the other way around and leave just the 2 JD? taking into consideration the dimensions of my tank, I have seen them, mostly the hybrid red zebras, harassing the other fishes in the tank and the only one that has claim more or less a territory is the biggest hybrid red.

I'm thinking on sizes when they are older and all of that, that is way I would like you opinion on this...

Thanks


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

The JD are 2.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

Or because of the dimensions of my tank, I need to just forget about cichlids until I can economically have a bigger tank , and just settle with goldfish for now (wish I would hate) and I hardly think I would be able to get dwarf cichlids here in my country?


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Ivan Molina said:


> do you think I should rehome the JD and leave the hybrids zebras all 6 of them, or do it the other way around and leave just the 2 JD?


I think most would advice to rehome all, and consider cichlids more appropriate for a 25 gal. Some choices could be _Pelvicachromis pulcher_ (common krib) OR Tanganyican shell dwellers OR rams (_Mikrogeophagus ramirezi_ as well as other SA dwarves. Probably a few other cichlids, I can't think of at the moment, that would make better choices for a 25 gal.
But if those are the only 2 choices...it's sort of a tough choice. You might be lucky and get a male and female JD. You'd be luckier yet, if the 2 coexist peacefully in that size of tank ( even if they are opposite sex.) I think your chances are somewhat better housing the mbuna, even though eventually they are likely to prove too aggressive to coexist in a 25 gal. tank.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Ivan Molina said:


> just settle with goldfish for now (wish I would hate)


That is very unfortunate if that is the only other available fish  . No other tropical fish available?


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

They are, but I don't know anything about them and they are really expensive, we are talking about 200 to 300 us dl just one, and they are not as colorful or as interesting as the cichlids, I will try to see if I can get some of the one that you are telling me to try to get... let me see what info I can find on thouse.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

How big can a JD can get, I was reading that they can get really big, I was thinking to maybe leave 1 JD in there so it can get to its full size, or maybe leave the 2 to see if they can co exist, I like the JD more than the Red Hybrids zebras ( that are the biggest right now, especially 1 of them) I also like a lot the cobalt hybrids, so any thought?


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

Sorry to write this much, but I would like to take a informed decision, and see with which will I stay.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The zebras could live in a 48x12 tank, but don't save fry. Even goldfish need a 48x12 tank for even one fish. I thought you said a 100G tank was an option? What would the dimensions of a 100G tank be where you are? Here a 90G is 48x18.

BC in SK can advise you on tank size needed for a JD.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

It was an option but the person that has it does not want to sell it now, the only option he is giving now to sell it its if I pay him over 700 dollars that its a huge amount here, and that is for a used tank, that even have a dent on one of the glass, so that is no longer an option... That tank was perfect cause it was a 100gl long, almost 60''...


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Well maybe another opportunity will come along soon.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

hopping for that...


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

One more question just out of curiosity, if I get beach sand and put it in my tank will it harm the fish? I'm asking because I was thinking on doing that when I first bought it, and found some sites that said it was ok, others that didn't, and I was discourage about it, on the pet store here, so I just wanted to be sure, I would be beach sand that has a long time without contact with salt water...


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Depends on which fish you stock. Africans would like it as long as you wash out all the salt and any pollutants (it evaporates and stays in sand even when dry).

Then the biggest problem is how fine the sand is. Very fine sand can harm filters (getting sucked up when the fish spew it about the tank) and be hard to clean...make your water cloudy. 20 grain sand is ideal...it's fairly coarse, but not quite gravel sized.


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## BC in SK (Aug 11, 2012)

Ivan Molina said:


> How big can a JD can get, I was reading that they can get really big


Yes, they can get rather large. 7"-9" is fairly typical, with closer to 10" being an exceptional specimen. I think typically, a JD gets to 200 grams or more. As a comparison, the zebras get 5"-6" and I think would usually be a 40- 60 gram fish as a large adult.
As far as minimum tank size, there are a variety of opinions. There is no consensus. We all draw a line somewhere. IMO, a 40 breeder (36"x18") would be about the smallest tank you would ever want to keep an adult JD in. Others on this forum, would probably put the minimum at a 55 gal. (48" x 12") or even a 75 gal. (48" x 18"). 
If your plan is to eventually upgrade, then maybe the 25 would suffice for some time. The bigger issue is whether or not the 2 JD would get along and whether or not they stay comfortable in the tank rather then scared or skittish. One of the reasons, a JD is not kept as a single specimen "wet pet" as much as some of the other CA, is they are prone to be scared with out tank mates. Of course there are always exceptions. As well pairs of CA cichlids kept by themselves often have to be divided regularly. A close eye and a divider handy! A few will get along well enough for their entire lives, but there really are not meant to spend there whole lives couped up with one mate in a confined space. Of course the smaller the tank, the greater chance of male killing female.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

The JD are not skittish at all, on the contrary they are really open, they come right away to the top as soon as they see someone near the tank, one of them has some damage on the back fin, but not mayor, I assume its because of the "big" red hybrid terrorizing them, he actually terrorize everyone on the tank right now, I was thinking on fishing him out, but I don't know if I should or not, what do you guys think.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

You need to decide whether you want to keep the JD or the mbuna. I'd remove one or the other.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

Ok guys I'm back, after lot of research in my country I'm definitely not able to get here anything that is not a JD and hybrids, even peacocks here are hybrids, So what I have decided to do and already put in motion is, the following: I will leave the red zebra and cobalt zebra hybrids that I have (6 in total) on the 25g, 30"x15"12.5" and will allow nature to do her course, its a small like that I'm hopping they don't breed, of by any chance they do, I will give the fry as feeder to my second tank (yup fish fever has done its toll on my family), which brings me to the other portion of my post.

Second tank I manage to get a 175g tank almost 6fts long (Found a person here that did the tank for me in glass not acrylic, no one works with it here, we did a leak test and its fine), I pretend to rehome the JD there, I think they will have enough room for them there, question will be:

1- Where can I buy a green terror or something similar that is SA. for the second tank and what stocking options could I have? Know that I will need to have it sent to the Caribbean.
2- I love the demansioni and the frontosa, I know I should not mix Africans and SA. if I decide to go this route: what should I do with the JD? (I don't want to kill them and I don't have a friend or someone with a big enough tank to hold them) What are other options for stocking with this type of fish?
3- What will be a good filtration system to this size of tank and lightning, (I don't have that yet, still a work in process)...


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I would decide if you want SA or the demasoni or the frontosa in the six foot tank, but I would not mix them.

Lighting is optional for the fish, so whatever you like. I'm liking my LED fixtures but they are not inexpensive. Filtration shoot for GPH of between 8X and 10X.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

I'm more incline to go with the demansoni and the frontosa, can they be on the same tank being that tank this size, its rectangular...


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I would not mix them, demasoni are boisterous and frontosa like a peaceful tank. Maybe someone will chime in who has done it.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

The how many demansony and what other stocking suggestions do you have?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

In my 72" tank I had 20 demasoni (try for 3m:17f), 5 yellow labs, 5 acei, 5 socolofi and 5 Metriaclima estherae (red zebras). I did not save fry. It was a nice tank...I would do it again.


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## Ivan Molina (Jan 8, 2016)

One more question, about where to buy online that can be shipped to the Caribbean safely, I know the laws of my country requires for the fish to stay in quarantine for actually 40 days, (I'm really scare with this)


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I'd think you would be best to find an importer in the Caribbean. In the US most of us do not buy direct from other countries, we have importers in the US who do the international buying for us. Sometimes you can buy direct from an importer, sometimes importers only sell wholesale so you have to find a retailer.


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