# Bought this fish as a venustus but not sure about the color.



## CichlidPadawan (May 4, 2013)

Here he is showing a few faded spots. A lot of the time he doesn't show these at all. Picture him with just the dull yellowish body.










Here he is showing a few more spots but they are always so faded.










This fish has a blue coloration for some reason when I wake up and turn on the tank lights. Here is a picture I took when I woke up and kept the lights off. Picture was taking with the flash and you can really see the blue.










So what do you experts think? Is this for sure a venustus? All the show tank venustus I have seen are darker, with a brighter blue face, and keep their spots. Still a cool fish I just wasn't sure if some venustus colors differ from one another and wanted to make sure I have a venustus to begin with.


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## Eugooglizer (Oct 30, 2012)

I have never seen a Venustus that blue before, mine looks much different, more like the ones pictured in the species profile of this site. Also in my experience Venustus has a more "chunky" body type than your fish. Makes me wonder if it is a Venustus crossed with a blue hap or peacock. Venustus will happily cross breed with pretty much any hap or peacock.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Me I think maybe pure _Nimbochromis venustus_. They do not hybridise much as far as I know. And its not a small guy I am guessing?
Yep I could be way off base but _venustus_ are by far the most comon _Nimbochromis_ about and have been bred so long in the hobby I would for sure not go hybrid just because its not exactly like wild type and showing a lot of blue early.


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## Eugooglizer (Oct 30, 2012)

24Tropheus said:


> Me I think maybe pure _Nimbochromis venustus_. They do not hybridise much as far as I know. And its not a small guy I am guessing?
> Yep I could be way off base but _venustus_ are by far the most comon _Nimbochromis_ about and have been bred so long in the hobby I would for sure not go hybrid just because its not exactly like wild type and showing a lot of blue early.


My local breeder has Venustus / Red Empress hybrids, Venustus / Mara Rocks hybrids, among others. He has a 180g that he uses to breed Syno cats and it is a free for all of all different kind of fish with lots of hybrids. He doesn't sell them obviously, just uses the females services to hold the Syno eggs.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Yep all Malawi Haps hybridise. Just not sure this guy is a result of that.


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## CichlidPadawan (May 4, 2013)

After googling images of Venustus for awhile, I'm pretty sure it is a Venustus. There are several pictures of fish like mine on there. I'm still not sure why some keep their spots and some don't. Here is one of the pics I found that looks like mine.


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## CichlidPadawan (May 4, 2013)

24Tropheus my fish is about 6 to 6.5" long atm.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Looks bigger may have been hormoned to get colour and big fins. Prob just have to waite a bit see how he goes.
_N.venustus_ are big guys. Maximum Size: 10.5" a big understatment in tanks, seen em (or hybrids of em) well over a foot long. Some are not peaceful iether. If it is hybrid its sure close to _N.venustus_. :thumb:
I had one well over 12" it came from someone who grew it in a 3 foot tank! Lovely guy, peaceful too. Unlike the ones I try and grow on myself.  

For such a big guy common in the hobby. And though hybrids almost cirtainly are about not seen em in the shops, here in the UK at least.


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## Chester B (Dec 28, 2012)

binnyskyle said:


> I have never seen a Venustus that blue before, mine looks much different, more like the ones pictured in the species profile of this site. Also in my experience Venustus has a more "chunky" body type than your fish.


I agree with these comments. I'm getting a weird vibe from this fish, but it looks so close to the way it should.

When Venustus are exerting dominance the spots will fade out as on your fish. They can turn them on and off, but yours seems to be far more blue in the body and not quite yellow enough. Your lighting does appear to be quite blue, so this should wash out the yellow a bit as in your first couple of pics. The last pic without light is the most unusual. Is it really that blue, or the scales reflecting from your flash?


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Sorry the more I look at the photos (the second mostly) the more I think I was wrong and the other two guys are right. Its just not right for _venustus_ not just for the reasons given. May be hormones may be hybrid or likely both. 

Keep photoing him. Maybe someone can give you a better clue. Even think there maybe some _Chilotilapia rhoadesii_ in there too. Outragous to guess at hybrids though. 

All the best James


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## CichlidPadawan (May 4, 2013)

There is a blue light on the tank..however that last one is when the lights are off. I think the flash is reflecting and making him appear more blue then he really is, but he indeed does turn a bluish color when the lights are off. When I turn on the tank lights in the morning he has a light bluish tint. This one is aggressive and is the tank boss. Took over the tank as soon as he was dropped in the tank. Most of the time he doesn't show his spots at all.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

The spots can fade depending on the mood of the male. I wouldn't worry about that much as long as he has them in the first place. I also would be worried why does he looks so blue? Doesn't seem right. Don't know if that is the camera or not.


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## CichlidPadawan (May 4, 2013)

Here's a pic of someone elses venustus I found with the blue.










I believe it is the flash of the camera that is making the blue so pronounced. I've seen a few pics like this so far on the net of peoples venustus but just a few. I'll try and borrow a camera tomorrow and get a pic without the flash of him displaying the blueish tint. The reason I'm trying to make sure about this fish is because I am wanting to sell it. I'll will try and take some better pics for you all. So far no ones seen any blueish ones in real life so lol it's not looking good. Just the few pics on google so far is giving me hope.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

If similar photos uncommon on the web, maybe hybrid or line bred. Maybe a bit of research of where these unusual coloured guys are being photoed, you may find the answer. 
Long shot, I guess.

Thing is going blue is not unknown but going all blue so young/small is unusual at the least.


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## CichlidPadawan (May 4, 2013)

Ok borrowed a camera, came home and took some more pics. I did not use a flash this time. I took about 50 pics trying to get some that where not blurry from him moving. I kept the good ones. It took me about 5 minutes, but in that time by the photos you can literally see him changing colors now that the lights are on. He goes from blueish, to spots, to how he is most of the time.

Here is when I first turned on the aquarium lights. You can see he has a blue tint to him. I have no idea why he does this in the dark. No flash.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he is a Venustus hybrid with one of the other Nimbochromis. The bluer color and the longer face/ head. Fusco cross? Livingstonii cross? Who knows.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

noki said:


> I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he is a Venustus hybrid with one of the other Nimbochromis. The bluer color and the longer face/ head. Fusco cross? Livingstonii cross? Who knows.


Thanks noki always good ideas. If selling it for an all male show tank (dunno anyone else would be interested) saying its a big blue hap with at least some _venustus_ in it should not be a prob. Hey folk/buyers may even admire your honesty. 8)


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