# please help verify/identify some folks for me, and advice?



## JustinChase (Sep 22, 2009)

I recently received a 75 gallon fish tank from a friend. I knew nothing about them a month ago, I know more now. My LFS was the source for a few "trade-in" from my friends setup of some of the bigger aggressive guys, and the source of purchase of all the juvenile replacements.

She had moved to an area with poor water quality, and lost interested in keeping it up due to the added needs of her water.

I learned about this thing found in aquariums called ick which kills 5 larger (5-6 inch) clown loaches, a 10-12 inch giraffe cat and a pleco in a day or so. I learned the "weird" behavior was a sign of this ick, and have since treated.

I had purchased a dozen new cichlids, mostly Malawi, which lived with the above examples, and a Haplochromis sp 44 (Red Tail) who also fell to the ick.

The second day I treated for the ick, I noticed some little fry moving about. I'm not sure who they are from, but they are not the reason for this post.

I did not think to write down all the names of the fish I purchased, not until the last time I bought 6 more cichlids. I have gone back and looked at what I purchased and think I have identified most everyone, but some were not exactly as I was told, so I'm not terribly sure about any of this. I suppose it doesn't matter, but I would like to know as best I can what I've got.

So, without further ado, here are the candidates (I have 7mb originals of most photos if that would help anyone)...

(3) Pseudotropheus demasoni - I have 3 of these guys, I think 2 are male (show nearly all the time) and one female (lighter and hiding most of the time); I think I only have photos of the males - pretty sure this is the correct name
























(2) Pseudotropheus elongatus (Orange Sunburst) - I wasn't too sure about this, but found a source stating that somone in Florida is breeding an orange variety, and the LFS identitied these as elongatus
























(1) Metriaclima heteropictus - This is one I forgot to get the name of, and there are only a couple left at the LFS, so I wasn't too sure I had this one correct. In the tank without the flash, this one looks either peach or tan/brown, or in the right light, like irridescent blue is starting to color thru an orange/brown/peach color. LFS said heteropictus, I think they are right.
















(2) Melanochromis joanjohnsonae (Pearl of Likoma) - I have 2, no idea of the sex, but both show quite a bit of blue wanting to come thru - LFS called them melanochromis exasperatus, which generally seems to an unused name for these guys
















(3) Labidochromis caeruleus (Yellow Labs) - sure these are yellow labs, there are 3, 2 look like the one on the left, with no black on the lower fins, and only one larger one with black on all fins. I'm guessing one large male, 2 females









(1) Protomelas taeniolatus (Red Empress) - Got this name from the LFS, pretty sure it's correct









(1) Cynotilapia afra -Cobue (Dwarf Red Top) - LFS said cobue, but that was after I went back to check to see what I had already bought. I pointed to some in one of their tanks that looked "exactly" the same as mine. When I got home I looked thru LOTS of photos online to be sure, mainly in this site's gallery and didn't see one just like mine, another site showed one "exactly" like mine, and gave Chimate as the location, I suppose I'll never know. should the LFS really know, should I really care?
















(1) Copadichromis sp. (Yellow Blaze) - got name from LFS, pretty sure it's correct









(1) Haplochromis sp. (Red Tail 44) - I bought a "replacement" for the ick victim because I really liked him (Marley) before he died. this new Marley is just as pretty now.
















And now on the the 2 I think are hybrids...

(2) Labidochromis hybrids? - This one looks like lots of stuff to me, but I can say anything for sure
















this one is even more suspected to be a hybrid, and I suspect the mama of the little fry I've seen swimming about. It appeared to be "holding" when I first got it, but didn't know what that was at the time, just looked like a funny "double chin" which is no longer there.
















it's not really this blue in the tank, he's clear/white and yellow along the top, not really gold (love that flash)









So those are my 17 cichlids.

If you can help with any ID's, corrections, or general advice about the truly randomly selected group so far, and suggestions as to which 5 or 6 others to add, I would REALLY appreciate it.

thanks in advance for all your help!


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## why_spyder (Mar 2, 2006)

The_ C. afra_ photographed aren't Cobwe.


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## JustinChase (Sep 22, 2009)

why_spyder said:


> The_ C. afra_ photographed aren't Cobwe.


Thanks. Does Chimate seem likely/correct for this guy?

Here's a photo of one identified as Chimate (Red Top Dwarf)

http://www.safhl.net/davesfish/images/Cynotilapia afra Chimate.jpg

Looks like mine I think, no?


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## why_spyder (Mar 2, 2006)

There are a couple different 'red top' _C. afra_ variants (Chimate, Likoma, Mara Rocks, Hai Reef to name a few) - with many of them looking similar. Unfortunately, if you didn't buy them with a correct location attached, you are s**t out of luck.


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## ibr3ak (Jan 4, 2008)

The first thing I thought when I saw the afra was hai reef, here's my likoma male, just for comparison:


















But I definitely agree with why_spyder, if you haven't bought it with the correct location point, it's all just a guessing game at this point.


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## JustinChase (Sep 22, 2009)

Thanks. I'm going back to the LFS tomorrow, I'll just see what afra's they've had in the last month, and see if they know for sure, I didn't really know enough to get location when I asked, they may know.

If not, I suppose it doesn't matter much in the long run, but I'd rather know than not.

Anyone got any suggestions for filling out the rest of the tank. I think I"m gonna go for all male and hope for relative calm and low maintenance.

Also, anyone can confirm or deny the rest of these folks?


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

I was reading your other post in the Malawi section which brought me here to see what other fish you had.

I hope you get some more responses.
I can agree that...
1. the first fish is demasoni
4th. joanjohnsonae
5th. yellow lab
9th. 44
but I don't know the others or if the ones you think are hybrids are hybrids
maybe Noki or someone that will know will come along :wink:


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Afra ... Cobue and Red Top Dwarf are two different fish, and yours does resemble the so called Red Top Dwarf, usually said from Chimate or Hai Reef, I don't know if you can tell which. I would assume that the store just got confused on the name. I would get a group, they are cool fish.

The Orange Elongatus has to be a hybrid. I've seen some years ago, got one once, may have been sold as a Red Elongatus then. Very bright colorful fish. Don't know what they are hybrids of, nor do I know why they are not more common.

Yellow Blaze is probably Copadichromis sp. virginalis. They feel more comfortable in groups, if male may never show much color in this tank.

Red Empress, no sign of male color, may be female and stay drab... there seem to be two fish sold as Red Empress. Some show some barring that comes and goes, while another type has that strong middle stripe that has the break in the middle, and the face seems a little longer also.

Demasoni and Yellow Labs can be hard to sex, don't assume too much. That one Yellow Lab is tubby.

The last two seem like hybrids. They are colourful, if you like them.


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## JustinChase (Sep 22, 2009)

Thanks for the feedback.

I have made some changes since that post, all additions at this point. But first these guys.

After asking the right person at the LFS, the afra is from Mara Point, and I agree, it seems pretty cool, I hope he works out.

The dems are 2 male, one female, I'll need to pull them out soon I think.

RE: the red empress, they didn't/couldn't sex it when I bought it. I just looked at a couple of recent photos, and I do see a slight gold band starting from about the cheek, around the eye and along the top fin, and orange tips along the top of the top fin. I'm hoping for a male, but we'll see. It is the one with the long stripe with the break in the middle. I believe LFS calls it the Super Red Empress. I think I might see a bit of color along the bottom, but the flash does funny things.
















The 2 hybrids seem like pretty mellow fish, the orange one likes to hang out in the holes in the rocks, and usually swims directly from one rock to the other, with not much time in between. Someone suggested it might be a Red Zebra (metricalima eshterae). I'm gonna find a new home for the female/white one.

I'm going to trade the demasoni's, the elongatuses, and the heteropictus, and more than likely one of the joanjohnsonea's soon, and see how everyone gets along. so far everyone seems reasonably happy, but they are still young I think.

I added 2 peacocks and 3 haps on Friday, so 23 total now, but back down to about 16 this weekend I think.

thanks again, and if anyone has any suggestions, on who to keep, trade, or add, I'm all ears


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

Like I said in your other post, I don't know how well mbuna will do with haps and peacocks in an all male set up. It's usually not a good idea to mix them (with the exception of yellow labs because they are more mellow). If your tank was huge, it might work out better but in a 75g. I'm not so sure. I would get rid of both joanjohnsonea for sure because of their aggressive nature. In an all male tank, you shouldn't keep 2 of any species and no 2 that even resemble each other. The demasoni and cobue might even look to much alike.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

That Red Empress shows no sign of being male. Look for color in the fins.


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## JSwan (Nov 9, 2009)

noki said:


> Afra I would get a group, they are cool fish.


I second that I have a group of Afras and they are one of my fave fish! They stay small and there agression level is not too high. Perfect fish to maintain a group of in a 75 as they should always have plenty of room. I have 2 males colored up most of the time in my 75 with minimal fighting :thumb:


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