# What kind of cichlids are these?



## ChristianMN (Sep 26, 2016)

I've been searching and searching but can't find anything similar. They're mostly white with yellow fins and a pale bluish hue to them. They're absolutely beautiful and I was fortunate enough to snag a breeding pair, but what are they?


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

The person you got them from didn't know? Unless they are a rare fish in the hobby they might be a Labidochromis caerulus mix.


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## ChristianMN (Sep 26, 2016)

No they didn't, but that was my best guess too. They're beautiful and are clearly showing mating behaviour so I've isolated them in a 40 gallon and I'm hoping to breed them. Regardless of what they are the colouring is rare and beautiful.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Noting that these aren't pairing fish at all, and isolating mbuna, or mouth brooding fcichlids in general has often resulted in the male killing the female.


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## ChristianMN (Sep 26, 2016)

Fogelhund said:


> Noting that these aren't pairing fish at all, and isolating mbuna, or mouth brooding fcichlids in general has often resulted in the male killing the female.


Funny that, because they already bred in my 70 gallon


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## ChristianMN (Sep 26, 2016)

Also, note the other three in with them, I've been keeping cichlids for over two years now and bred multiple species successfully do you have anything to add to the original question?


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

ChristianMN said:


> Also, note the other three in with them, I've been keeping cichlids for over two years now and bred multiple species successfully do you have anything to add to the original question?


Congratulations on your successes, but there is little need for the attitude. Yes, you've bred them in your 70 gallon, and I noted the Ps. acei in with them, which greatly reduces the risk of a male killing the female. As you had suggested that you had isolated them on their own, in a 40 gallon, I thought it prudent to mention that doing so is a risky proposition. Having bred them once, does not make them a pair, it simply means they've bred. Mouth brooding cichlids don't pair, or at least very few do, and certainly not mbuna. The males natural instinct is to breed all the time. If the female is not ready, she will often get attacked, especially in a 40 gallon.

For the record, I've been keeping cichlids for over forty years now, and probably have bred three to four hundred species successfully, as well as authoring quite a few of the articles on this site.

As far as what they are... look like some sort of Labidochromis hybrid to me as well.


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## ChristianMN (Sep 26, 2016)

Sorry, I get defensive about my fish, I like to think I take good care of them they're my pets.


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## Sinister-Kisses (Jul 19, 2013)

Then you should consider taking advice given to you from one of the most experienced and leading members of this community to heart and skip the attitude when someone is trying to help you. Mbuna are not pairing fish. They are harem fish and keeping a breeding pair usually ends up in a dead female. They may breed a few times before it happens, but that's more about luck than real success.


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## ChristianMN (Sep 26, 2016)

Sister kisses, the advice given wasn't really applicable considering it was already a community tank. Further I already knew what he had to say, I only have two of these fish as I haven't been able to find any others like them, therefore they are a "pair", it seems more like the people on this forum are the ones with the attitude and honestly any advice any of you could give can easily be googled. Considering this is my first thread on this forum and I've gotten nothing but what appears to be attitude and derision I believe it will be my last. Thanks for trying to identify these fish for me, I will continue doing what I have been doing which has been exceedingly successful and satisfying.

Wishing you all the best.

Christian


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## BlueSunshine (Jul 13, 2014)

Congratulations on your successes, but there is little need for the attitude. Yes, you've bred them in your 70 gallon, and I noted the Ps. acei in with them, which greatly reduces the risk of a male killing the female. As you had suggested that you had isolated them on their own, in a 40 gallon, I thought it prudent to mention that doing so is a risky proposition. Having bred them once, does not make them a pair, it simply means they've bred. Mouth brooding cichlids don't pair, or at least very few do, and certainly not mbuna. The males natural instinct is to breed all the time. If the female is not ready, she will often get attacked, especially in a 40 gallon.

For the record, I've been keeping cichlids for over forty years now, and probably have bred three to four hundred species successfully, as well as authoring quite a few of the articles on this site.

As far as what they are... look like some sort of Labidochromis hybrid to me as well.[/quote]

Forty years!!!!   ...... awwwwwwe maaaaannn..... get out of here with your silly self!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## Aaron S (Apr 4, 2015)

Christian, I think those fish look really neat too. It stinks when you get some cool looking hybrids but only get one or two. A few years back, I bought a lab hybrid from my LFS (he was selling it openly as a lab hybrid) who was all yellow on the body except you saw light gray blotches in an OB pattern. The fish looked great but unfortunately he died to tank aggression because I had a silly tank species set-up. Its great that you like the hybrids you found and that they are male/female. I think this thread has some misunderstandings amongst the individuals. Did you manage to isolate the fry from the first batch they had? If you like how they look then you could keep some of those fry and use them to augment the current stock you have (the mother and father) so that you can manage any aggression more easily. One thing that is common with hybrid fry is that each individual fry gets different amounts of character from the mother/father, so you may need to grow them out to an inch or so before you can tell what they will look like as adults (and may be totally different).

I think you are being a bit hard on fogel as he has no idea what information you do or do not know already especially with the use of the venacular of "breeding pair". He was just trying to save you from the fate of my cool hybrid lab. I would just watch them (in whatever tank you end up having them in) to make sure the female is not swimming vertically nor hiding behind filter intakes; separate them immediately if she does.


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## misterted (Sep 12, 2003)

It's very sad when people come to this forum to ask questions and when they don't like the answers they become disrespectful.


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## misterted (Sep 12, 2003)

Oh and you wanted an identification. The identification is HYBRID. So no, they don't exist anywhere else but in your tank.


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## Granamyr (Dec 16, 2015)

BlueSunshine said:


> Me, I'm here just to get a rise out of you.
> 
> Why you so mad??? :-? :-? :-?


I think he didn't realize you were just trying to poke fun at Fogelhund for being in the aquarium trade so long. Because if you look at your post your quote didn't come through properly.


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

This topic has been cleaned up and locked since the OP hasn't responded lately.


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