# Identifying my fish (New to Aquariums & Forum)



## ARH17 (Mar 27, 2014)

Hello everyone I am new to this forum and I have a couple of questions and a few fish I want to identify if possible.

I am also new to Aquariums as a whole as this is the first tank I've owned after buying it from a friend and my interest in tropical fish has grew from there, so if I sound like too much of a novice, that's because I am one :lol:

I have a Juwel Trigon 190 Aquarium which consists of Malawi's and two other fish that I would like identifying, it has been set up for around 8 weeks now and I have had the water checked at my local Aquarium store and all is good according to them.

When I bought the tank from a friend he also included around 6 Malawis with it but I was told the size of the tank required a lot of more fish so I went out and bought another 6, sadly I have had a few fish die on me since starting the tank which is now starting to worry me as I actually went out yesterday and bought 5 more Malawi's and 2 have them have died already? The one's that have died have been a orange and a white colour (I will post pictures below) which I bought to add more colour to the tank, and now they have died within 1 day, could there be a reason for this?

I have taken a few pictures which will give you an idea of the set up, I would also like some advice on how to smarten the tank up because I am not a fan of the cheap ornaments and fake plants and rocks etc, even pictures of peoples own set ups would give me a lot of ideas.

Also since I have this tank I have not done a water change or filter change so if I could get some advice on how to maintain my tank that would be great.

Here are the fish:

*1*


*2*


*3*


*4*


*5*


*6*


*7*


*8*


*9*



*10* (these are the two fish that have died since yesterday?!?)


*11*


There are a few more fish which look exactly like number 3 & 7 so I thought there was no point in taking even more pictures, plus it's hard to take good pictures when they're constantly moving :fish:

I have also noticed the white spots on the fish number 9 (need to know the name of this fish and number 5 please) is there anything I should be worried about? If so, what can I do to cure it?

Help and advice would be great as I'm a beginner and I need to start learning from somewhere! 

Aaron


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Welcome to C-F!!!

I can't help you with identifying your fish but I'm sure someone else will take a stab at it.

Did the local fish store give you any numerical results for your water test or did they just say they were okay? It is preferred to buy a quality test kit so that you can do the testing yourself as this gives you an idea of the quality of your aquarium water. I like the API test kit that includes pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate though I also buy the GH (hardness) and KH (alkalinity) reagants separately.

Since your tank is only 8 weeks old, it is possible that it isn't fully cycled which could be causing the deaths that you have experienced due to high levels of ammonia or nitrite that are common in newer tank setups. There is an article in my signature that details Fishless Cycling but there are also some questions and answers at the end of the article that may be helpful to you.

Is there any chance you could return the fish you have and start over from scratch? If that's not an option, performing daily water changes of 25%-30% and using a dechlorinating product may help reduce any more fish deaths IF it is due to the tank not being fully cycled. Do not clean or remove the filter cartridges at this time as that will just increase your problems. If you need to remove any gunk from the filters, just use some of the aquarium water in a separate container to rinse off any crud from the media or filter inserts.

What are the dimensions of your tank? What type, brand and model filter(s) are you running?

On a side note, if you are set on keeping cichlids and you don't particularly care for the tank decor, it would really be easier to return the fish and start from scratch. That way you won't be disrupting the fish while you remove and add to substrate, decorations or rocks.

Hope this helps a little.


----------



## wolfemitch (Jan 5, 2014)

I can help a bit....#4 looks like a Pseudotropheus elegans, formerly referred to as Pseudotropheus acei. It is the black and white variant from Ngara. #5 is a Blood Parrot.


----------



## wolfemitch (Jan 5, 2014)

Looking at the pictures a bit more in regards to 9...this doesn't look like the white spots we usually see that needs to be cured....since this fish is hanging out in the rocks does anyone else think new tank, flashing because of it and just beating himself up and getting scratched on the rocks?


----------



## WynterRose (Mar 9, 2014)

#5 appears to be a parrot cichlid. The spots on it is a normal marking. 
#7 is an albino zebra red top. Very beautiful, I wish I had that fish, hahaha.
#3 could be a yellow zebra cichlid
With the rest, I'm not sure. On #9 the spots don't look like ick so I'm not sure what it would be if something was wrong. If the spots spread on the fish or to other fish then there's something wrong.

With regards to the deaths, stop by petsmart or another franchised pet store and see if they do water tests. They will tell you if something is wrong with the water conditions. Research your filter you're using and look for signs that your filter is fully cycled. Also, with all new fish, make sure you know the conditions of the tank they came from. If it is different from yours, then float the container they were delivered in in the tank water, then slowly over the course of up to 2 hours add tank water to adjust the fish to your tank. Then when you release them net them instead of dumping them in the tank. That will keep tank water from the last tank from your tank and therefore deplete chances of adding diseases. When you add fish, move the decorations around to reset territory boundaries already established. Also, make sure that each fish has at least 1 cave or hiding spot to call their own. Lastly, vent the cichlids to check for multiple male cichlids. Males can and will fight each other to the death, so your losses could be from territory disputes. Plus, if you have males and females fish will become extremely aggressive when a pair want to breed. Lastly, when feeding cichlids, feed them small meals several times a day. That will decrease competition for food. Also once you know what all of your fish are research their nutrition requirements. For example, I have Lake Malawi cichlids and these cichlids I own are herbivores and should have a low protein diet or they could get bloat and die. Feed varied foods and whenever you have fresh fruits and vegetables at your house plop some in the tank for a few hours for the cichlids to snack on. My cichlids hate tomatoes but will eat almost anything. It is good to give them extra nutrients and if they eat plants provide fast growing cheap plants to scatter around the tank so they can snack on the plants and reduce hunger. If you notice a fish not eating, quarantine the fish. If they don't eat there's only 3 reasons: they're sick, overfed, or they're mouth brooders and are holding eggs or fry. In any case quarantine them and if they're overfed don't feed them for a day, sick give medicine or ask vet, and holding sprinkle a little food occasionally, let her feel secure, and when the babies start coming out crush the food you give the mother so the fry can get some too. Keep the mother with the fry until the mother doesn't let the fry back into her mouth anymore and feed them and regain the mother's strength until returning her to the main tank. That is very important because if she immediately returns she'll risk having more eggs and not being strong enough to live through the raising or she'll eat the babies. If you have babies you can either cull them (research culling with olive oil and vinegar) or keep them or sell them. If you sell them make sure they're not hybrids and if they are make sure they're sold only as hybrids.


----------



## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

#1 Aulonocara stuartgranti type peacock- probably a "red shoulder"
#2 & 8 - "OB peacock"
#4 - Ps. elegans (ngara)
#6 - Met. estherae aka. "Red Zebra"
#9 & 10 - Synodontis sp., but I'm not sure which species based on these pictures.


----------



## ARH17 (Mar 27, 2014)

Deeda said:


> Welcome to C-F!!!
> 
> I can't help you with identifying your fish but I'm sure someone else will take a stab at it.
> 
> ...


Hello thanks for your reply and I will try and answer as best as possible!

I also went to another local store today for another test, I watched them do it and they explained everything, although I wouldn't be able to tell you the readings (memory loss) I can tell you the tank is perfectly fine and the water is definitely cycled. I was told the Albino Malawi was supposed to be bought in groups hence why he got killed and as for the orange one I guess it was just a territorial thing.

I Definitely won't be starting from scratch as I like the fish I have and the tank is fully cycled, but as you said I have been told to do 25-30% water changes every 14 days and there is no need at all to do a full water change.

The tank is a Juwel Trigon 190L - There is some information here http://www.corner-aquariums.co.uk/juwel ... -page.html

The filter is a Fluval 206 - Which can be found here http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fluval-External ... B005QRDDM4

As for the décor, we are moving house soon and I will have to disrupt the fish when that time comes unfortunately and then I will be adding the sand, as for the rock I have bought some rock today, (Tufa Rock I believe?) I have bought around 6KG and I will going to put it in on the weekend when I do a 30% water change?

Then I will be adding more and more rock every so often so I try not too disrupt them too much


----------



## ARH17 (Mar 27, 2014)

wolfemitch said:


> Looking at the pictures a bit more in regards to 9...this doesn't look like the white spots we usually see that needs to be cured....since this fish is hanging out in the rocks does anyone else think new tank, flashing because of it and just beating himself up and getting scratched on the rocks?


Hi thanks for your reply

I also read up on the Featherfin Squeaker and it seems like you are right, he seems to be catching himself on the rocks/ornaments etc, it will be much better once I get sand in the tank.


----------



## ARH17 (Mar 27, 2014)

WynterRose said:


> #5 appears to be a parrot cichlid. The spots on it is a normal marking.
> #7 is an albino zebra red top. Very beautiful, I wish I had that fish, hahaha.
> #3 could be a yellow zebra cichlid
> With the rest, I'm not sure. On #9 the spots don't look like ick so I'm not sure what it would be if something was wrong. If the spots spread on the fish or to other fish then there's something wrong.
> ...


Thanks for identifying some of the fish, as for #7 I have to admit, it is a very nice fish, but it's also the tank bully! :lol:

I took my water to another store today and watched the guy do all the tests, he seemed to know his stuff and he keeps Malawi's himself, he said my water is fine, nothing at all to worry about so the tank is fully cycled. He told me the death of the fish is due to territory issues, especially the Albino Malawi, they are supposed to be placed in groups not just as a single.

As for the Fry, I was told my Featherfin would eat any eggs so I probably will never have the chance to see the babies!


----------



## ARH17 (Mar 27, 2014)

Kanorin said:


> #1 Aulonocara stuartgranti type peacock- probably a "red shoulder"
> #2 & 8 - "OB peacock"
> #4 - Ps. elegans (ngara)
> #6 - Met. estherae aka. "Red Zebra"
> #9 & 10 - Synodontis sp., but I'm not sure which species based on these pictures.


Thanks, nice to know the different types 

What would you recommend I add to the tank to avoid more deaths if possible? Also just in general I want a happy tank and don't want to mix the wrong sort of Malawi's!


----------



## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

I think that you are going to have problems mixing cichlids in this tank due to its corner shape and small size.

The Jewel Trigon 190L tank is 99cm wide x 70cm front to back x 60cm high, this converts to a 42G tank that is approx. 39"L x 27" front to back x 23.5" high for an old timer like me that is not metric savvy.

I would only consider using this tank for a single species of smaller Mbuna cichlids or possibly a Tanganyika shell dweller tank due to the dimensions. Maybe others will have some advice for stocking with the existing fish you like.


----------



## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

Deeda said:


> I think that you are going to have problems mixing cichlids in this tank due to its corner shape and small size.
> 
> The Jewel Trigon 190L tank is 99cm wide x 70cm front to back x 60cm high, this converts to a 42G tank that is approx. 39"L x 27" front to back x 23.5" high for an old timer like me that is not metric savvy.
> 
> I would only consider using this tank for a single species of smaller Mbuna cichlids or possibly a Tanganyika shell dweller tank due to the dimensions. Maybe others will have some advice for stocking with the existing fish you like.


I gotta agree with this - most of the existing fish in your tank are mbuna from Lake Malawi, some of the most aggressive cichlids out there. I would suggest that the fish that got killed weren't killed because they were albino, but because they were less agressive species than the others (look like they were peacocks of some sort). Mbuna typically need lots of floor space to claim territory (the footprint of the tank is much more critical than the volume, or height), and your tank dimensions provide very little space for this purpose.

Maintenance, water quality and diet can all be perfect, but if the size of the tank just isn't right for the fish you're keeping you will continue to have difficulties and losses. You could have a nice, colorful, active tank, but unfortunately it's not going to be with many (if any) of the fish you have now. Consider trading them in towards a group of Pseudotropheus saulosi (maybe 6-8?), or a group of yellow labs (Labidochromis caeruleus - 1 male, 3 females) and a group of Rusties (Iodotropheus sprengerae - 1 male, 3 females). Other dwarf species may work - if you want to stick with Malawi mbuna, look for species that mature at no more than 4". If you just want color (no breeding) you could possibly get away with 4 or 5 smaller male Aulonocara (peacocks) species, again no larger than 4" when mature. Choose all different species that don't look alike.

Others may have more suggestions, but these are a few ideas to consider. Good luck!


----------



## ARH17 (Mar 27, 2014)

Thanks for both of your reply's some useful information for me to consider!

I have to say though, I have seen the exact same tank as mine which carry's the same type of fish which I have but in more quantities? And I haven't been told once by any aquarium stores that my tank is not big enough for these type of fish, if anything, I've been told the complete opposite that I need to add more.

There is a total of x11 Malawi's, 1 Featherfin, and 1 Parrot (which I'm trying to rehome)

What tank size would anyone recommend to carry these sort of fish & more?


----------



## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

ARH17 said:


> Thanks for both of your reply's some useful information for me to consider!
> 
> I have to say though, I have seen the exact same tank as mine which carry's the same type of fish which I have but in more quantities? And I haven't been told once by any aquarium stores that my tank is not big enough for these type of fish, if anything, I've been told the complete opposite that I need to add more.
> 
> ...


First Of All, Put Yourself In The Shoes Of A Fish store Employee - It's Your Job To Sell Fish, So Are You Really Going To Tell Somebody That They Have Too Many Fish In Their Tank And Not To Buy Any More? The People Offering Advice On This Forum Are Generally Much More Knowledgeable And Impartial Than Your Average Local Aquarium Shop Employee, And Have Years Of Experience To Go On.

Second, As I Mentioned Above, Corner Tanks Aren't Ideal For Mbuna (Or Most Cichlid Species In General). If You're Going To Upgrade, I Would Look For A Rectangular Tank That Is At Least 4' Long And 12" Or More Inches Wide, A Standard 55 gallon Or Larger (Sorry - Don't Know The Metric Conversions).


----------

