# Protomelas?



## Hapguy63 (Feb 8, 2014)

So I get a call from the owner of one of my LFS. He knows I have a large hap and peacock tank and calls me when he gets interesting stuff in. Well today he calls me and say he has a large hap over 7" does not know what it is but the guy is moving and wants to get rid of it. The LFS has no room in his tanks for something this large so he said he would give it to me if I wanted it. So I am sucker for a free fish especially something this large and this good looking. Obviously the fish is overweight a bit but I am thinking it is some kind Protemelas? what do you guys think?


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Might be a Fryeri hybrid?


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## ILCichlid (Feb 27, 2012)

Yep looks to be a hybrid fryeri with maybe a protomelas species being the other part.


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## Hapguy63 (Feb 8, 2014)

He has to have some of the larger hap blood in him. This guy is huge he is almost 8". I need to stop with the shiny fish syndrome. I normally don't do hybrids but this tank already has 3 thanks to the fact that I wanted the shiny pretty fish...


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## lilscoots (Mar 13, 2012)

I agree, looks like a Protomelas X fryeri hybrid


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

Hapguy63 said:


> He has to have some of the larger hap blood in him. This guy is huge he is almost 8". I need to stop with the shiny fish syndrome. I normally don't do hybrids but this tank already has 3 thanks to the fact that I wanted the shiny pretty fish...


I've had fryeri over 8"... but not that tall in the body.


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## Hapguy63 (Feb 8, 2014)

rennsport2011 said:


> I've had fryeri over 8"... but not that tall in the body.


If you look at that last picture my 4" fryeri is underneath him just to get the scale of this guy. His body type is Protomelas. I have a red empress and tangerine tiger in the same tank with him and they all have similar shape except this guy is much fatter.


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

How's he Behaving So Far? He Looks Like He's Been In A Battle Or Two...


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## Hapguy63 (Feb 8, 2014)

nmcichlid-aholic said:


> How's he Behaving So Far? He Looks Like He's Been In A Battle Or Two...


unfortunately he got beat up pretty bad. I normally don't introduce just one fish at time but I thought he would be since he was the largest fish in the tank. Even the 3" fish were chasing him. I had go away for the weekend so he may be dead when I get home


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

This is actually very normal, be careful... if you add a large adult fish, the current fish find the newcomer to be a threat to the pecking order. This means war, and the newcomer may be too stressed out to compete and might get beat up or killed. Happens pretty often, a common beginner mistake. I know clerks tell people all the time that you need big fish to fight off the other fish, but in reality this is often disaster.
It is easier to add juvenile fish, or make a major change up in the tank.

Just because a fish is big doesn't mean it is valuable. You can grow your own 7" Haps and you might get nicer fish, and more feeling of accomplishment.


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## Hapguy63 (Feb 8, 2014)

noki said:


> This is actually very normal, be careful... if you add a large adult fish, the current fish find the newcomer to be a threat to the pecking order. This means war, and the newcomer may be too stressed out to compete and might get beat up or killed. Happens pretty often, a common beginner mistake. I know clerks tell people all the time that you need big fish to fight off the other fish, but in reality this is often disaster.
> It is easier to add juvenile fish, or make a major change up in the tank.
> 
> Just because a fish is big doesn't mean it is valuable. You can grow your own 7" Haps and you might get nicer fish, and more feeling of accomplishment.


Yes l should know better. Been keeping fish for over 20 years. I normally would not buy a fish this large as I know they are probably a few years old and their better years have past. I normally buy sub adult fish so I can enjoy watching them grow. I only took this fish as it was free and l was trying to help out the owner of LFS as he had no room in his tanks. I didn't want him euthanized and I have a bit of shiny fish syndrome lately.

This fish is severely obese so even if he makes it I am thinking he may have other health issues.


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## hose91 (Mar 5, 2014)

At any rate, I say good on you for providing him a solid home! Hope he survived the weekend and that he ends up settling down (and slimming down!) As one who could arguably say my "better years have passed" I, too, could use some slimming down


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## chopsteeks (Jul 23, 2013)

Has the body of an Azureus Hap, but not the color. Also the white blaze might be from Fryeri.


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## Hapguy63 (Feb 8, 2014)

As I feared he did not make it. I had isolated him in a hospital tank with aquarium salt but it was too late. Thus ends my practice of taking in a free fish just because it is shiny...


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