# Powder blue hap?



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

Bought 2 of these as powder blue haps, but they have not grown much at all. Male or female?


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

no ideas?


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

The pic looks really white and washed out. Can you get a better pic maybe?


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

Thats what the fish looks like, really white, very little blue at all.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

MandyBlue said:


> Thats what the fish looks like, really white, very little blue at all.


I can't find anything on powder blue hap except what some call electric blue ahli(fryeri). It doesn't look anything like a fryeri. How big is it?


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

Thats the trouble I've been runing into. They are only about 2 inches, have not really grown at all in the last 5 months. The body shape is what threw me off.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

MandyBlue said:


> Thats the trouble I've been runing into. They are only about 2 inches, have not really grown at all in the last 5 months. The body shape is what threw me off.


Hmmm...how many do you have? What size tank are they in and have you been doing plenty of water changes? Are they being chased at all? They may be females or at least the one in the pick.


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

There are 2 of them. Both look the same. Other fish pay them no attention. They stay at the bottom sifting sand. Tank is a 125, weekly water changes.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

And they haven't grown in 5 months?


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

One is MIA, tried to locate him/her but cant find it. Has grown a little, growing as slow as my mori are.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

MandyBlue said:


> One is MIA, tried to locate him/her but cant find it. Has grown a little, growing as slow as my mori are.


Yeah...moori are known to grow slow so maybe this is a species that grows slow? It very well maybe a female which makes it a bit harder for me to try and figure out. Could be a hybrid. Maybe someone with some experience with this particular fish can chime in. I am curious as well.


----------



## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

I really can't tell from that photo - the flash seems to have washed out the color (I understand that the fish is very pale in real life, though). But, just judging from the head shape and the diagonal line through the eye, it reminds me of some type of Placidochromis sp.. Which one I couldn't say, maybe electra? Anyway, that was my first impression when I saw the photo - not fryeri (hap ahli).


----------



## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

There is a (Turquoise Hap) Protomelas marginatus... this isn't that fish.

I highly suspect this is a hybrid.


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

Just wanted to note, that no flash was used to take the picture, this is exactly how the fish looks in person.


----------



## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

If you can, you might try putting them in another tank with darker substrate for a while to see if they start to show a little more color. If they do, post a pic of them then and see if anybody can come up with a better ID.


----------



## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

nmcichlid-aholic said:


> If you can, you might try putting them in another tank with darker substrate for a while to see if they start to show a little more color. If they do, post a pic of them then and see if anybody can come up with a better ID.


Didn't think of that. Good idea.


----------



## Mal&amp;Vic1998 (Nov 9, 2010)

Possibly a Cyrtocara Moorii (Blue Dolphin) from Lake Malawi. Can't be certian.


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

Got a better picture! Hope this helps.


----------



## newforestrob (Feb 1, 2010)

looks a little like a sub adult male lithobates plus something else maybe
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=2293


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

I did some more digging and found a picture of another fish that looks almost the same, had it listed under Otopharynx lithobates (Zimbawe Rock). What do ya'll think?

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/phpBB/view ... 3582014429


----------



## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

The body and head are totally different from Lithobates.

There are literally like a 100 species of Malawis that have some variation on the 3 spot/3 blotch female color markings. Unless it is a rarely seen fish this is probably a hybrid, especially with the funny trade name. Somebody probably just made a hybrid mix and made up a name so it could be a "new" fish.

If female, they are not going to color up anyway. It would be normal to be light grey-silver.

It is not C. moorii, nor O. lithobates, nor Placidochromis, nor Copadichromis, nor S. fryeri.


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Looks a bit like a Copadichromis azureus female but with the eye stripe and heavyness of a Placidochromis for sure just prob a bad guess.

All the best James


----------



## MandyBlue (Mar 19, 2011)

Yeah it does look like that one. It is all blue like the store said, and it's a hap. I'm in contact with the store I bought it from, hoping to hear something back soon. They had a whole tank of these, and are really good about not selling mutt fish, unless its labled as one. lol


----------



## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Sorry about that edit. Hope you do not mind. Erm yep asking what the shop think they are or what they got em as always a good idea. Think I remember some none pure Copadichromis azureus from a Czech breeder doing the rounds here in the UK. Caursed quite a bit of controversy. Hope it is not the same fish.

All the best James


----------



## stayfrosty (Mar 31, 2011)

Placidochromis jalo reef


----------

