# Acei vs Kenyi vs Zebra-which is better for beginners?



## Bluesteel23 (Feb 12, 2011)

*Which is better for a beginner?*​
Acei Cichlid2964.44%Kenyi Cichlid48.89%Red/Cobalt Blue Zebra Cichlid1226.67%


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## Bluesteel23 (Feb 12, 2011)

I am starting a new tank and already have a few electric yellows in it. So the question is: What do you think is best? The acei, the kenyi, or the zebra.


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## 702Cichlid (Feb 28, 2010)

depends on the size of the tank and if you plan on keeping fry or not.


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## slimjim (Feb 12, 2011)

acei.....nice peaceful fish ...good looking and give a good look in the tank..


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## BoilerFan (Jun 20, 2010)

Voted Acei, but you do need a larger sized tank for them (75 Gal minimum).


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## Bluesteel23 (Feb 12, 2011)

It is in a 55 gallon aquarium. And I would like to breed them so I can keep fry (I would put the fry in a 20 gallon that I have).


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## Bluesteel23 (Feb 12, 2011)

Given the tank limitations, would there be something better I could get? It needs to be something common, as I have no good fish stores in my area. The options I listed were basically the fish I could get at Petsmart/Petco


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## Guest (Feb 12, 2011)

kenyi and the cobalt and red zebras are both real nasty.. my friend has them in a 55 with like 15 other kinds of fish ( i gave them all to him) and he hasnt had any problems yet.. acei get much bigger than the zebras.. idk why not put a few of each in there... thats what i would do..


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## Chunkanese (Feb 4, 2011)

You can try one of each IMO depends if your going all male or breeding tank. Both male and female kenyi are attractive but even if you get a female it would be fine with zebras or acei. I have them in my 90 along with gaps and peacocks


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## beccam (Nov 16, 2010)

I have Kenyi in my tank, and they have not showed any aggression at all. they breed for me like crazy and are a nice color combo, females showing blue and my male a bright yellow. Just be prepared for them to dig in your substrate!


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## GTZ (Apr 21, 2010)

Rusty's (Iodotropheus Sprengerae) are a nice contrast to labs.
Most Cynotilapia Afra would work as well.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I voted Metriaclima (red or cobalt zebra) but only because it is a 55G.

If you already have yellow labs, I'd choose the cobalt (Metriaclima callainos).


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## Bluesteel23 (Feb 12, 2011)

These are all really good suggestions. I don't have access to very many different types of cichlids, so I will probably have to stick with one of the three listed in the poll. Can you guys elaborate on why you voted the way you did?

Basically the main criteria for me are:

Easy to care for.
Breed Easily.
Not too aggressive.
Will look good with Electric Yellows.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Both the acei and the kenyi are not a good fit for a 55G.

Between the estherae (red) and the callainos (blue)...only the blue is unlikely to crossbreed with the yellow labs.

Process of elimination. :thumb:


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## Bluesteel23 (Feb 12, 2011)

I was under the impression all three of the options grew to the same size. Do zebras grow smaller? Will orange and blue zebras crossbreed?


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## fatcat660 (Nov 29, 2005)

I also voted for Zebras because of the size issue. Zebras about 4 inches Acei about 6 inches. Yes the Zebras will crossbreed if you dont plan on selling the fry it not an issue. I have Zebras and Labs in my 55. The Zebras can be aggressive but in my tank it is mostly conspecific. BTW I also have one Acei it is only a Juvie if it gets to full size of 6 inches I will take it to the LFS but we shall see how big it gets. I do have a question for the mods how come the cookie cutter recomendations for a 55 list the Acei? :fish:


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## JcarrVT (May 9, 2010)

Those cookie cutter recommendations seem to be really hit or miss, everyone says 4 species for a 75g but there is a cookie cutter with like 6 or 7. I think it was a collaborative effort which probably meant some advice was only included to show that there aren't any truly hard and fast rules i.e. a certain tank setup worked for a certain person with lucky individual fish, so it deserves noting. If I kept mollies with a wolf cichlid and it works out I'm definitely gonna post it but that doesn't mean anyone else will luck out like me.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Acei without a dought. But make sure you get a genuine wild type or better still variant Ided WC fish. Acei do well in small groups and small tanks and produce over 24 fry a mouthful.
Kenyi are mean big guys that produce good numbers of young that sell very well but you are kind of not helping the hobby breeding em. They are about as mean a killer of other Mubuna as you can get outside Melanochromis. And kind of need big tanks to breed well.
Red/Cobalt Blue Zebra Cichlid have a real soft spot for this cichlid as it was the first I had major success with but hard to get hold of good breeding stock and folk want Id able cichlids these days. Hard to say what most of these on the market are. Double reds where the male and female are both orange and a variant cross seem to sell best. Kind of not my thing.

On balance I would say sp "Acei" are sort after and make good additions to most of the smaller Mbuna tanks most folk have but get a well coloured and WC for good stock and sell as the regional variant they realy are. Good for you and good for the hobby.

Acei come in a few flavours that are man made. For top dollar you need to go back to an ided WC variant and sell as F1.

I breed Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" (Ngara) but more because I am a little wierd and happend upon some good ones. Pseudotropheus sp. "Acei" (Msuli) or others of the blue yellow tails generaly sell better.

I have to say keep your yellow labs pure by breeding em in a tank separate from these other guys. And start a new tank for the new guys. It is the only way with Malawi Mbuna that cross at the drop of a hat to be sure the young are what you think they are.

Malawi communtty tanks are for mixing Malawi cichlids serious breeders keep one type of one species per tank.

Simple as that.

All the best James


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## Bluesteel23 (Feb 12, 2011)

How do you tell Acei males from females? Part of the allure of Kenyi, for me, is how easily you can distinguish male and female.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Bluesteel23 said:


> How do you tell Acei males from females? Part of the allure of Kenyi, for me, is how easily you can distinguish male and female.


Then you do not know Kenyi. I had 6 females all yellow and over 4" in a 75g tank no breeding untill I added a real male.
It is kind of all the happy guys take on male colouration. You have to vent em to be sure..
Yep Acei are a bit harder to be sure but at least the males can live together without serious mayhem.
Saying that the best breeding group I had was one male and 8 females. I know they were females because they held and produced young.

All the best James


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## Bluesteel23 (Feb 12, 2011)

I was under the impression, according to the websites I've read, that the males were yellow and the females were blue. Is this wrong?


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## Brooks74 (Oct 22, 2010)

Kenyi cichlids are all born blue , As they mature the males change to yellow but sub dominate males can stay blue


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## Bluesteel23 (Feb 12, 2011)

But females will never be yellow, correct?


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

A holding female of many species may try to take on male coloration while holding. I don't know how successful the kenyi females are in getting all the way to the yellow of the males, but they can change enough to confuse.

Males can stay blue for a long time if sub-dominant as well.

Usually when you need to ID gender the fish are not fully mature and they all look like females anyway.


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## ridley25 (Jan 5, 2008)

I think it's a safe bet that, coming from a big box LFS, there are no Wild Caught fish available...

I would vote for the *cobalts* for the colour contrast & lower chance of hybridization.

kevin


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## hongi7480 (Jan 20, 2011)

Did you ever think of ordering fish online? I've always been happy with the fish I've ordered. You can get a much better selection from one of the reputable sponsors of this site. Just a thought. Good luck.


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## Guest (Feb 16, 2011)

+1


> Did you ever think of ordering fish online? I've always been happy with the fish I've ordered. You can get a much better selection from one of the reputable sponsors of this site. Just a thought.


plus you can get yourself some really nice rare species


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## fish_addiction (Sep 29, 2009)

I voted Acei. If they will work in a 75G tank, I can't see why they won't work in a 55G which is the same length as a 75 or 90G. They do get huge, so you could rehome them in 2-3 years. I would start with 5 or 6 and hope to get a 1:2 M:F trio out of them. Then sell or donate the extras as they grow. As far as ordering fish online, there is a benefit if you are ordering a bunch or if you live close enough for ground shipping. Otherwise, get them at the LFS.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

DJRansome said:


> A holding female of many species may try to take on male coloration while holding. I don't know how successful the kenyi females are in getting all the way to the yellow of the males, but they can change enough to confuse.
> 
> Males can stay blue for a long time if sub-dominant as well.
> 
> Usually when you need to ID gender the fish are not fully mature and they all look like females anyway.


Thanks for the support. Dunno anyone who has bred this fish (M.lombardoi) for a while who has not seen some yellow in the females. It is kind of a tank thing. Like the getting of the extra bar (wild guys have five, TB for some reason get six and even seven bars over the generations) Wild females and young ones rairly show yellow colours but keep females for long enough in tanks esp without males and you will see they can turn yellow too. Often not a good bright yellow to be sure but sometimes.

All the best James


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## Chunkanese (Feb 4, 2011)

I have zebras that are at least 6 inches which were in a 55 so it all depends. And I expect them to grow more in my 90. I think acei are very attractive and their not all that common compared to kenyi and zebras.


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## Guest (Feb 17, 2011)

they sell acei, red zebras and kenyi at petsmarts across the country... id say cobalt blue zebras are more rare at chain LfS


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## fish_addiction (Sep 29, 2009)

m1ke715m said:


> they sell acei, red zebras and kenyi at petsmarts across the country... id say cobalt blue zebras are more rare at chain LfS


True, but Acei are more beautiful IMO


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## Guest (Feb 17, 2011)

yea acei are nice.. thats why when i had Mbuna i got 1 of everything lol variety is the spice of life


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

I'm surprised to hear there was much of a debate for this aceis hands down out of the choices given. There's no difference between a 55 or a 75 for acei both provide enough room for them to turn around and they're not going to swim front to back, they're going to swim left to right and they're both 4' tanks. They also seem to take a long time to reach the large sizes. Mine have been in my tanks for 15 months and the largest is still between 4-5" the smallest has not hit 4" maybe only 3.5". I'll get back to you in another 6 months or so regarding how I feel after they get closer to full size, but starting out with juvie aceis in a 55 it should be about 2 years before the largest reaches monster size and the smaller ones and females may still be only 4". A lot can happen in 2 years you may be ready for a larger tank by then or you may decide you don't like the hobby and drop it, or you may just want to try something new by then.

Short answer: go for aceis in a 55g out of the 3 options especially if its a single species tank or even 2 species 1m:2-3f Acei + 1m:4f Red zebra should be just fine, for at least 2 years if not indefinitely.


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## Glaneon (Sep 27, 2010)

m1ke715m said:


> kenyi and the cobalt and red zebras are both real nasty..


I would definitely not put RZ's & Kenyi in the same aggression class.

RZ: (Met. Estherae) Temperament: Mildly Aggressive

Kenyi (Met. Lombardoi) Temperament: Highly Aggressive

That being said, I have both in my tank.

I would say the Kenyi (male) is slightly more aggressive than the RZ at this point.

Females of both have not shown any overt aggression.


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2011)

i have a red zebra who is more aggressive than my male kenyi... well just as aggressive id say.. those 2 the cobalt zebra pearl zebra and bumblebee are all very nasty and push everyone else around in the tank i gave my friend with all my Mbuna


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## Glaneon (Sep 27, 2010)

Is your RZ the dominant male in the tank? That could do it.

I have a Met.Greshakei (Ice Blue Zebra) that is VERY pushy - will stand up to the Kenyi, RZ's, etc. But that doesn't make Met Greshakei more aggressive than RZ's or Kenyi.

Dominant males of any species are going to push everyone around - just depends on how violently they do it.


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## tmoore (Jan 12, 2006)

I had a group of Acei that I kept for a few years in a 55 and never had any kind of aggression problems. I had lots of fry, and if it wasn't for a freak accident during a move I would still have them. In fact if I found a good deal on them I would get more and put them in a 55 again.


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## Nina_b (Jan 3, 2011)

I voted metriaclima callainos - have them myself with yellow labs. Pretty and fun  They interact nicely. That, and I'm a bit besotted with my male cobalt blue. He's not exactly fiesty (the yellow lab male rules my tank with an iron fin), but he's able to modulate how blue he is, and he often goes bright, bright blue. So pretty  I have heard that the Cobalt Blues can be tricky to breed, but the Labs should keep you nice and busy in terms of breeding.


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## friedmbuna1 (Feb 21, 2011)

I recently bought some Acei and theire temperament is perfect. I've had them for a bout a week and I can already see some growth at 2". You wont regret choosing them!


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