# Opinions on colors when mixing Tropheus



## Gusmyster (Feb 3, 2008)

I know the library article puts forth the idea that when mixing different species of Tropheus in the same tank that in many cases the result is lower levels of coloration in some or all of the trophs in the tank. What are your personal experiences/opinions on this matter?

P.S., I'm thinking about having some Tdubs and Moorii in my 75 gallon.


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## twofronts (Apr 23, 2003)

personal preference really, i have only been keeping troph for a short while but from wht i have heard and read ppl just like to the keep there colonies pure, no inbreeding. Sort of ruins the bloodlines. However if you can keep two species that will not breed then perhaps you could, but to be on the safe side, at least keeping ones of breeding age, one would recommend keeping an species only tank.

I filled my 180 with about 35 of the same troph and it did look awesome, so you can imagine if you could get away with maybe 60 fish with colors that compliment each other would look pretty cool also. from what i have heard the only safe haven to mixing is with dubois (sp) They will only breed with dubois, i think.

just my 2cents.


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## Gusmyster (Feb 3, 2008)

Thanks for the response, I'm not too concerned because I will not be mixing the same species together (i.e., moorii and moorii) and in the off chance that I get some cross-breeding I will cull those offspring. Also, I will not be considering sp. Red because I have read that they tend to breed with any of the tropheus.

However, right now I'm leaning to an all Moorii bulu point tank


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## katytropheus (Jul 13, 2008)

I'm going against the grain here but I started with all Bulu Points and was disappointed with the lack of color and needed variety to juice up the tank. I don't sell fry so nothing is going out of my tank so why not enjoy some color contrast. If you are going one Moori, I would go Ikola over the Cherry Spots--I love both breeds but the bright yellow outshines the off red in my opinion. If you go Bulu's, a lot of F-1's are as good as the WC that I have seen. The WC Bulu's are not readily available a lot of the times. My second choice on all one variant would be Tanzanian Red Rainbows.

Enjoy.


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

I have tried to keep two groups in one tank and it has allways ended up with neither group looking or behaving it's best. The colours are subdued and the breeding is very much reduced. As far as hybrids are concerned, they can all cross breed. There is a report of duboisi crossbreeding with moorii that I read somewhere reccently. I have seen sp. black (pemba) spawn with moorii (kasakalawe) in my own tanks. If you want a tank full of nicely coloured trophs, I would suggest moops (kasakalawe). If you have a big enough tank, you could add a group of petro's.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

In a 75g then its just one species for me.
Those two would be fine together long term in a larger tank about 120g.

I have heard tails of dubs crossing with morrii types (that is species red, rainbow black etc (most convincing was a report from a friend of cherry spots crossing with dubs)) but none have yet been confirmed as far as I know.

Can you give any details of the report read. It is an interest of mine what has been bred with what by accident.

Deliberate crosses then yep I would guess it pretty easy to get any Tropheus to breed with any other.

All the best James


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## noddy (Nov 20, 2006)

Try this link James. Hopefully it works.
http://trophs.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=2968&st=0


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Thanks.
Interesting read.
Single Ndole or unidentified sp. "Red" crossing in a dub colony, if anyone can not follow the link.
Just 3 eggs which were destroyed by the sound of it.
Guess even dubs with a moorii type are not safe. Wow I remember the flack I got when I said that here a while ago. :wink: 
One on one dub crossing with another moorii type sp. "Black" this time I guess (is that a Bemba or Kiriza?) but with a dominant dub then I guess it could happen even in a mix.




Any young resulting would I guess have to be culled but interesting to see what they might look like first I guess.
I wonder if there are many hybrids knocking about in the shops?


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## geoff_tropheus (Feb 13, 2003)

James, all I asked for was the evidence of your claim. If you were taking it as flack sorry man.

This is the only case I have ever seen in 12 years, and even then they are unsure. The German guy believes it so, but the tank is atrocious.

I would still recomend Duboisi as the only safe mix.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

My barb was not aimed at you mate. And not aimed at anyone in particular, I had a bit of a hard time when I introduced this idea.
I like you take things folk say with a pinch of salt unless there is evidence.
I am still looking for evidence of a fertile dub x moorii complex crossing.
Breeding behaviour is easier to show. I have done that I think.
I suspect fertile crossing it is just one of those things folk do not like to talk about, I have no evidence so far, still looking. I think it is a very low risk from personal experience but a risk none the less.
I very foolishly culled my own dub x un ided sp red I think chipimbi or chipimbi cross, crosses before taking photos. I am talking a number of years back.

I did not mean to take away from the far greater risk folk take when they mix the group formerly known as moorii.
Sp Black with other sp Black or with sp. Red with Ikola or with cherry spots. Moliro with Chaitika etc etc. Sp red or any rainbow and with pretty much any other formerly described moorii.

It is just even the best literature and web sites describe it as zero risk. It is not. :thumb:

As long as folk have kept and bred single species and type groups and mixed groups, then they are free to compare the breeding of mixed groups with single groups. As long as folk are careful to keep types that the hybrids of which they can spot to cull before passing em on then they should feel free to mix.

Otherwise I strongly recommend folk do not try it.
From my own experience mainly. :thumb:


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## geoff_tropheus (Feb 13, 2003)

The fish do a lot better as their own group for certain.

Sometimes people have to make combinations because they want the fish, but cannot get another tank.

As long as people are smart about thier mix being, as far apart color wise, as far apart location wise, and give each type atleast 10-12 fish of each type, and the aquarium is sized correctly for number of tropheus,..there are certain combos that will work.

For people who want two Tropheus types, I believe that if following the rules, Duboisi is a safe mix. Its only in EXTREMELY rare instances such as a soup bowl of fishes in a small aquarium, where the creature had no choice, that it will not.

Glad to see you still here...

Geoff


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