# How Long Till They Colour Up???



## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

Hi Guys
Just wondering if anybody knows about what size Pseudotropheus flavus (curently 5cm) & Cynotilapia afra 'Cobwe' (curently 4cm) have to be untill they start to colour up??? And if you can sex them before they do colour up??? :-? Any imput would be great and any comments from onwers of these 2 cichlids would also be great :thumb: :thumb: 
Thanks


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I don't know about the flavus, but the Cobue may not color up in the presence of the flavus. Flavus is aggressive and Cobue is one of the more timid afra.


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## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

DJRansome said:


> I don't know about the flavus, but the Cobue may not color up in the presence of the flavus. Flavus is aggressive and Cobue is one of the more timid afra.


Thanks for the quick reply :thumb: My tank has many caves and I have lots of cichlids in there too as I have been told that keeping them in large numbers lowers aggression. Do you still think the Flavus will not let the Cobwe colour up??? I have 2 Yellow Laps, 2 maingano, 2 Flavus, 2 Cobwe, 3 Mapang, 2 Bristle Nose Catfish and a common pleco (sorry if they are spelt wrong). 
Thanks :fish: :fish: :fish:


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Malawi are harem breeders and to control aggression you want large numbers of _each _species. For most species 1m:4f works well, but for aggressive species like maingano you would want 1m:7f.

Or you want one male of each, no look-alikes.

What are the dimensions of your tank? Which fish from Mpanga do you have, labeotropheus or elongatus?

Yes I think it could happen that the flavus, maingano and Mpanga could intimidate the Cobue and cause him to not color up to his capacity.


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## chris777 (Jun 27, 2008)

I had labeotropheus mpanga reds, flavus and cobues together and my male cobue always looked like this.


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## swrighty747 (Aug 30, 2011)

chris777 said:


> I had labeotropheus mpanga reds, flavus and cobues together and my male cobue always looked like this.


very nice fish can not wait till mine colour up. Do you know about what size yours started to colour up. Mine are about 3cm and they have got a little bit of bight blue on there lower body and all there fins, is this simalar to how yours started to colour up :-? 
Thanks


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## chris777 (Jun 27, 2008)

Mine started getting the orange first on his head, then started geting the blue. I belive He was around 1.5inch when he started getting his colors. Once he started gettinf them the rest came in pretty fast imo.


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