# Can Johanni and Maingano Crossbreed?



## hoopvillian (Feb 12, 2012)

Hello everyone.

About 6 months ago I purchased a few Maingano from my LFS that had the tank titled Electric Blue Johanni. All but one were murdered. A couple weeks ago I went back to the same LFS, same tank, and picked out a couple more what I thought were Mainganos again. One was a bit pale. I'm assuming this is a female or male Johanni in transition? About 2 inches long.

Will it crossbreed with my Maingano?

Here it is. Doesn't really look it in the pic, but I can see the faint marking of a Johanni/Maingano on its face. Cameo by my tank boss.









My original Maingano.









Section of my tank.


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## master chi (Jan 3, 2010)

I don't think if that fish turns out to be a male johanni it will cross with the nice looking maingano but fighting will most likely occur.

Who will be determined the victor is up for grabs.

While the Johanni has a darker temperament,however slight. the Maingano has already established himself in the pecking order. My money will go to the maingano winning the fight. But something tells me you should take the johanni back. 
I haven't seen enough of the johanni to be sure, but the fish in the photo to me looks more like an acei cross,more than a pure johanni. If you bought this fish at a big chain store this scenario becomes even more likely,since those stores care or do little to avoid crossing strains.

In most cases you can find at these stores as an example, Kenyi swimming around in a tank labeled demasoni, red zebras in tanks labeled yellow labs,as well as other various misrepresentations.

I once witnessed a moori cichlid in a tank labeled for Cynotilapia Afras. This type of product control is exactly what ruins the beginner hobbyists experience,causing them frustration,wasting time and money. ultimately they either give up on african Cichlids or Find a reputable breeder,either locally or online.

I suggest you do the same and find some nice mainganos to add to your tank.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

I think maingano and johanni will crossbreed, but I can't confirm the ID of your fish.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Maingano and johanni often hybridize, and I wouldn't keep them in the same tank if one is planning on saving fry.


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

I reallllly don't think that one in the pic is a Johanni. Johanni, when stressed, are still bright yellow. I don't know anything about Maingano specifically, having never kept them, but I can tell you it isn't a Johanni. If it was sold to you as one, take it back.


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## hoopvillian (Feb 12, 2012)

Thanks everyone.

I don't plan on intentionally saving fry.

I was going to return her but I started to like her so unless she flips out and starts abusing my other fish, she's part of the community.


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## hoopvillian (Feb 12, 2012)

Storiwyr said:


> I reallllly don't think that one in the pic is a Johanni. Johanni, when stressed, are still bright yellow. I don't know anything about Maingano specifically, having never kept them, but I can tell you it isn't a Johanni. If it was sold to you as one, take it back.


Hmm.

When the adult Maingano does his vibrating shimmy on it, I see the horizontal stripes that Maingano/Johanni have appears. The fish will color up and get darker. It also hangs with the other 2 Mainganos.

I'll do some more research, and get better pics and post in the ID section.

Thanks.


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

The one in your first picture on the right ... is that the one you're referring to? Not a Johanni. It could be a Maingano, I don't know because I've never had one.  But Johanni are basically lemon yellow when young, then the males darken up. They may get brownish barring when stressed, but they never turn the silvery gray that one has.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Storiwyr said:


> I reallllly don't think that one in the pic is a Johanni. Johanni, when stressed, are still bright yellow.


Dominant males are blue. Sub-dominant males can be varying stages between blue and yellow. Looks like a johanni in transition colours to me.


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

Fogelhund said:


> Dominant males are blue. Sub-dominant males can be varying stages between blue and yellow. Looks like a johanni in transition colours to me.


I totally trust you on matters of Cichlids, so I'm just making sure we're talking about the same fish ... first picture, on the right? Is it weird lighting? He looks nothing like my Johanni ... I had three for a while. A female, a dominant male and a subdominant male. I had them all from about 1.5" to 4-5" ... they never looked anything like that fish at any stage. This was the developing color:



















Did I just have extraordinarily bright Johanni?


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## Baggly (Feb 2, 2012)

I just bought eight juvenile Mainganos. Even the smallest of them (1.25") were very dark blue with very distinct markings. I do not think the blue fish in the first pic is a Maingano.

This is one my smallest and this picture was taken the same day they arrived, shipped over night. If they were going to be stressed, I'd imagine traveling in a box for 24 hours would do it. They all arrived with identical markings as this guy.


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## hoopvillian (Feb 12, 2012)

Storiwyr said:


> Fogelhund said:
> 
> 
> > Dominant males are blue. Sub-dominant males can be varying stages between blue and yellow. Looks like a johanni in transition colours to me.
> ...


Looks like this one, my lighting is slightly off. It's a yellowish brown, and when he gets excited, I see the Johanni pattern appear. On a scale of 1-10 I see the pattern go from 1 to a 4 or 5. I just can't catch a shot of it. Mine does not have the black band along the top dorsal though.


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## hoopvillian (Feb 12, 2012)

Baggly said:


> I just bought eight juvenile Mainganos. Even the smallest of them (1.25") were very dark blue with very distinct markings. I do not think the blue fish in the first pic is a Maingano.
> 
> This is one my smallest and this picture was taken the same day they arrived, shipped over night. If they were going to be stressed, I'd imagine traveling in a box for 24 hours would do it. They all arrived with identical markings as this guy.


Yup. Mainganos are like that, male and female, from juvie to adult. Johannis aren't.

I've had Mainganos before but this is my first Johanni, why I was asking about crossbreeding.


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

See, that is why Fogelhund is brilliant, because I totally couldn't see Johanni at all in that pic. XD But yes, that's one of my Johanni. He was a little terror and getting worse, so he was rehomed along with my other two Johanni.


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## hoopvillian (Feb 12, 2012)

Better pics of the lil fella. You can see the pattern in these a little better. This is the 5 on the scale of 1-10 I was talking about earlier. Haven't seen him color up more than this so far.


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## Storiwyr (Apr 24, 2012)

I see it now! Particularly on the first one. Thanks for the extra pics.


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## hoopvillian (Feb 12, 2012)

UPDATE: The Johanni which I thought was a male turning into his adult colors is now holding. I'm totally confused now.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

hoopvillian said:


> UPDATE: The Johanni which I thought was a male turning into his adult colors is now holding. I'm totally confused now.


By the looks of it, it is probable that she is a hybrid of johanni and maingano herself.


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