# Giant Demasoni



## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

Hey all I would like to hear anybodys opinions on keeping Giant Demasoni, and maybe post a few pics. Thanks a lot


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## kyboy (Oct 30, 2009)

Nice fish, I really like them - good colors, larger size & not highly aggressive. I don't have any pics. I sold mine because my tank is a 55g.


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## gmaschke (Aug 23, 2008)

I have never considered them thus never researched them. I love my dems but if the giants aren't as aggressive I too might consider it.

Hopefully more opinions are posted.


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## Cromak (Dec 29, 2010)

Aren't these also referred to as Blue Dolphins? I see them at my LFS all the time, they look nice but are named Blue Dolphins and look exactly like Dems, just larger.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Think so http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/s ... hp?id=2605
or http://www.cichlidae.com/gallery/species.php?s=2440
I guess they will get the usual Malawi treatment (like demasoni and get duller and cheaper with time.)
Dunno about their agression status. Not tried em.

All the best James


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## kyboy (Oct 30, 2009)

Yes, they used to be referred to as Ps."blue dolphin" or "blue dolphins" which was confusing because the hap Cyrtocara moorii had already been commonly known as " blue dolphin". The giant dems are now Met. sp."Dolphin" (Ndonga).


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

Have 'em right now. They are Metriaclima sp "Dolphin" formerly known as pseudotropheus blue dolphin.

The descriptions so far are pretty spot on. They don't seem very aggressive. Although, yesterday I just rehomed a second male who has been sparring with another male in the tank. Mostly they flare their fins and posture, but lately I've been seeing some scratches on the nicer of the 2 I suspect from fighting after the lights go out and I wanted to save the nicer one, so out went the other male. I don't know if one would have managed to kill the other, but I've come home to find dominant/subdom males dead just randomly out of the blue, and I do not want to lose the nice one like that.

As far as status in the tank, they show no aggression towards the other species. In my tank at least, they tend to stay to their areas, which aren't very big, and they don't aggressively defend them. They tend to change colors a lot with mood. The dominant male can look very stunning when fully lit up. He will have a trim of yellow at the very back edge of his tail, which looks very nice. I noticed the same trait in the dominant albino zebra I just traded in.

I'm not sure how may females I have. I suspect maybe only one  . The female and sub dominants don't show constant barring. Well, you can tell its there, but very faint. It comes and goes with mood. Sometimes the subdoms color right up, and you can watch the color shut off instantly if it gets a view of the dominant male. I hope to get a clutch of fry out of the male I like and suspected female - both show very good quality barring. But for the last 6 months, the only spawning that has been going on in my tank has been the rusties and one acei spawn that didn't hold. I want some fry to get more females - my LFS only seems to have a limited quantity every once in a while that they breed themselves, and I don't trust getting any more from a different supplier as they may be a different line or variant.

All in all, I really like this species. I'm afraid if I don't get some fry soon though, I may be finding a different blue barred species for their slot unless I manage to grab some more fry from the LFS. I can already see the next sub-dom male I will have to remove. He was coloring up last night after I removed the one and rearranged the rocks. Then I'll be down to 3


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

Rhinox, I think I asked you about them once before, but do yours look basically like a regular demasoni? Just larger?


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## kyboy (Oct 30, 2009)

They have same color , but they have more bars & less aggression.
Sorry, I know you were asking Rhinox.


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

Oh no thanks kyboy any opinions were welcome. I once saw someone get them and they just said they were solid blue, so I figured they just got the wrong fish.


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## kyboy (Oct 30, 2009)

Not sure about that, but it may be possible for them to have that appearance if they're really stressed or young. I've seen juvies look washed out, but after they settle in & grow a little; they show their barring. They can be intimidated by more aggressive tank mates when they're juvies or added to an established tank.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The hap moorii which is also called dolphin can be more of a solid blue. Common names are a problem. :lol:


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## mattawan_cichlid (Dec 24, 2010)

It wasn't cyrtocara DJR for sure, it looked like a solid dark blue, not sure what it was tho :wink:


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

mattawan_cichlid said:


> Oh no thanks kyboy any opinions were welcome. I once saw someone get them and they just said they were solid blue, so I figured they just got the wrong fish.


My females sometimes appeared solid blue, and were very much like my Cyno Hara females. Here is a pic of the male. I no longer have this tank, and regret selling the fish.


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Found this pic also


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## Rhinox (Sep 10, 2009)

When my dom male was younger:









More Recent:









He's not really solid black on the bottom like that the stripes go the whole way down, thats just how the pic made him look. Not the best pics, I know... I also took some video the day I took that last pic but I didn't put it up on youtube yet. Maybe I'll do that this afternoon.


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## Shawn71 (Apr 19, 2007)

Like others have said there color is really mood related.They don't seem to display the bright color all the time. Nice fish, but get kinda large.Mine are very peaceful.I heard others talk about them and had to have them.If I had to choose between Demasoni or them I would pick Demasoni even with all there aggression issues.


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