# i got asst. africans from the store can any one help?



## jar (Aug 18, 2008)

sorry pictures arnt the best so i explained basic coloring

ok fish[ready?]










thats blurp the whole reason y i started this. he is purple blue-ish with black stripes










light tan with light brown stripes










ok so im pretty sure this guy is an albino he is white with red eyes but has sum light striping










yellow lab im asuming










black with white spots all over like an reverse dalmation










light purple light stripes










idk best way to describe is dark brown with diffrent hues of brown sripes all over like idklike a tiger or sumthing lol










my little orange guy he has light stripes










this guy is light brown with dark stripes with orangy clear fins with one orange streak across his top fin kinda like a lab

haha sry lots of pic but thats most of the fish i got a few others but they look like sum of those i already posted <3


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

I can help with a few. The first two fish are metriaclima lomardoi (kenyi). The male is tan and the female is blue. The albino could be anything, probably a zebra. Yellow lab is correct. The spotted fish looks like a tropheus dubosi, it looses the spots and does best in large colonies, unlike your other fish this a lake tanganyika. Cant tell with the next one, your brown one is probably a female peacock. The red one looks like a red zebra and the last one is probably a female peacock as well.

If some one else chimes in that would help.


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## jar (Aug 18, 2008)

thanx  i have i think 13 all together and they all get along and are so great together suprisingly, so no matter wat they are they are great <3


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

The kenyi Male is usually aggressive and usually needs a few females to keep him happy. When fish grow up together they usually are more compatible and peaceful.

Good luck


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## jar (Aug 18, 2008)

thats wat i was hoping for thats y i got most from the same place  mine are so comon and tiny compared to everyones on this site lol i feel like a little newb lol


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

Im new too, my biggest fish is 2.5 inches. I was thinking, if your fish are all small, your peacocks still have potetnial to be males and posess really intense colors.


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## jar (Aug 18, 2008)

i really hope so ! how many u got and how big is ur tank


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## BurgerKing (Jul 1, 2008)

I only have seven fish right now (not including babies) in a 75 gallon. Im going away for a little bit so im holding off on adding any more until i get back.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

BurgerKing said:


> When fish grow up together they usually are more compatible and peaceful.


That's not true...As these fish grow and sexually mature, they will be less tolerant and more aggressive.

The first two fish might be kenyi, but both have irregular barring (with #2 too many bars - kenyi should only have 5) - not uncommon for the tank raised ones you see in most LFS these days. They shouldn't be kept in less than a 75G, and would really do best in a tank larger than that.

They also aren't pairing fish, and shouldn't be kept as such. Mbuna are harem breeders, meaning each male of a species requires several females.

The albino could be anything, but it looks like faint yellow in the tail and fins, so it may be an albino M. greshakei, another fish that requires quite a bit of space.

The Tropheus is indeed a duboisi, and is a young one going by the polka dots still on his/her body. These fish are difficult to keep for a beginner, even under the right circumstances. They are a bit more finicky about what they eat and their water quality, and can be stressed very easily if kept as a lone Tropheus in an otherwise mbuna tank. Stressed fish can turn into sick fish overnight, so it's a risk I wouldn't take with my tank.

The other identities will require better pics.

What size tank is this?


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## jar (Aug 18, 2008)

this is only a 55g im going to upgrade as soon as i get sum cash. they are so tiny i just pretty much got them so a month of waiting shouldnt be too bad. and they are picky eaters? lol i would of never guessed lol. kk thanx


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

I think Kim was saying the picky eater was the Tropheus duboisi. Not sure if she ment it's hard to find a food they like or if she ment food that agrees with them. I know it's a cute fish with the polka dots but they are hard to keep. I'd consider trading it back in for something easier. :thumb:


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

Let me rephrase myself. Tropheus aren't picky eaters, you have to be picky for them and feed them appropriately. They are herbivores, and very sensitive to their diet and their water conditions.

Stress can cause illness, and when you stock the fish inappropriately, you add to the stress levels of the tank. Judging by the fish that we've identified, you already have a high risk tank for problems. The best thing you can do for the fish is fix the problems before it's too late. :thumb:


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## jar (Aug 18, 2008)

then why do they sell them 2gether? ya know? and idk that it was a herbivore but i mean he eats fine now. i cant take them back jsut tell wat to seperate and i'll get another tank. it so funny tho cuz they like travel in the tank in a school and seem to get along so well. and then they get older and it all changes lol


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

It's just a sale to most LFS. 

Cichlids are a bit trickier than some other tropical fish to keep successfully. They are (for the most part) very territorial and require a considerable amount of space per fish in many cases. (Just like those two possible kenyi that you have in those first two pics - I wouldn't try to keep them in a 4 ft tank.)

Tropheus should be kept in a tank of their own, very few other fish are compatible with them. You would want a colony of duboisi, and would really need a larger tank than a 55G for them, but you could start out with a 55G - ultimately, I'd recommend at least a 90G for a colony of Tropheus. There are a couple of other species you could keep with them, but not in a small tank and none of the fish you currently have go well with them. (Tropheus are from Lake Tanganyika, your other fish appear to be from Lake Malawi.)

I would try to get better pics of the ones that you don't have a solid identity on, and then I would browse the profiles and research the fish that you do have...Determine their dietary needs and their tank size requirements.

It really pays to do your research with these guys before stocking the tank, especially in a situation like yours where you can't return the fish to the LFS. :thumb:


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## jar (Aug 18, 2008)

i mean i planed on getting a bigger tank but im 17 so its not like i can just magically get the money. and i did research but none to spacific african cichlids because idk which they were because it just said asst. lol i think the black one is goin through an identy crisis because he always plays and travels withthe others but he doesnt look like them lol.


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