# Three unknown cichlids... Please Help.



## meaka17 (May 16, 2008)

My husband and I acquired four cichlids that had been given to a local pet store by a previous employee. We have an all male 180 gallon tank to which they were added. They have not bred, so we are hoping they are all males. One is a yellow lab, but we are not really positive on the other three, although I suspect one is a red zebra(hybrid). If anyone has any advice, please let me know. We have separated all males and females to prevent any cross-breeding and do not plan on breeding any of these, so I am not worried if any are hybrids. Thanks and I am sorry about the photo quality. I am still learning how to photograph our fish.


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## gage (Feb 7, 2007)

1 and 2 look like very poorly bred Kenyis, and the third looks like a Red Zebra.


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## cater20155 (Jun 16, 2008)

Number 1 looks to be a male M. lombardoi (kenyi) and Number 2 is a female M. lombardoi. Number 3 looks to be a red Zebra.


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## cevvin (May 2, 2008)

agree with above posters, 1 male kenyi, 2 femle kenyi, and 3 red zebra.


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## Sonny W (Sep 6, 2008)

gage said:


> 1 and 2 look like very poorly bred Kenyis, and the third looks like a Red Zebra.


Why would you say they are poorly bred?


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

I think they look fine.


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## Sonny W (Sep 6, 2008)

Thats what i was thinking.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Sonny W said:


> gage said:
> 
> 
> > 1 and 2 look like very poorly bred Kenyis, and the third looks like a Red Zebra.
> ...


They have incorrect barring, which is most often poor breeding, but can be due to hybridization.


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## Sonny W (Sep 6, 2008)

Well they look fine to me.


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## bac3492 (Jul 25, 2008)

kenyi females should have 5 bars.


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## chapman76 (Jun 30, 2004)

bac3492 said:


> kenyi females should have 5 bars.


Correct. Kenyi should have 5 triangular bars starting from the top. Anything more or less isn't ideal. Like with demasoni Pombo Rocks they should have 6 bars. No more, no less.


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

I agree #1 looks like a male kenyi & #2 looks like a poor quality or hybrid female kenyi but it could also be a male that just hasn't taken on male coloration yet. #3 looks like a red zebra.


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## bac3492 (Jul 25, 2008)

Dewdrop said:


> I agree #1 looks like a male kenyi & #2 looks like a poor quality or hybrid female kenyi but it could also be a male that just hasn't taken on male coloration yet. #3 looks like a red zebra.


nah its poorly bred. Even males have 5 stripes before puberty.


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