# my full grown male kenyi gets owned!



## Brisco007 (Nov 23, 2009)

Had to pull out my dominate male kenyi tonight. He was out of no where beaten down by just a normal striped lab. Anyone ever have this happen? I mean, he dominated the tank for at least a year, beating up anyone who challenged. Then all of a sudden BOOM he gets his ass handed to him. Good thing i had a spare setup tank to throw him in. When I got to him he was straight up and down and was being eaten by a mix of mbunas and a few peacocks that have co-existed for quite some time without any fighting. Any comments?


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## Brisco007 (Nov 23, 2009)

The fish that beat him up was what I thought as a female hap that grew to his size...


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

It happens from time to time...


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## Brisco007 (Nov 23, 2009)

He's barely alive


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Sometimes, all that is needed is for the dominant fish to let his guard down a bit and someone will exploit it. He may have given off some vibe of not feeling tip-top. There are always challengers waiting in the wings.


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## Brisco007 (Nov 23, 2009)

hmmm that makes me wonder. ill tell the story quick of what i know first. i walked into the kitchen(where the 100 gallon tank is) and saw that he was caught up in a big fake plant near the top of the water. i figured he got himself stuck trying to be a hero and swim through. but he already looked a little beaten up(his fins were chewed a bit) so i untangled him and noticed he immedietly looked weak almost as if he had been stuck there for a while. every fish started attacking him immedietly. he ran for cover and after another 3 hours i found him swimming upright and being eaten.

he also could have ran up there and jumped in the weeds to save himself after a huge battle with the other fish that i didn't actually get to see. i wonder.


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## Brisco007 (Nov 23, 2009)

im going to post some pictures asap


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## Brisco007 (Nov 23, 2009)

Big orangeish one WAS the dominate male. The killer of him is seen here very top middle. What is he?

 

Another pic of the dominate male(the late)

 

Another shot of him, and the killer of him is shown here agian top left


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## Brisco007 (Nov 23, 2009)

edit: the third pic does not show the late dominate male, only the killer in the top left


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

It is an emerging younger kenyi male.


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## Brisco007 (Nov 23, 2009)

yeah i thought it was a kenyi, but then again i also thought it was a male... they fought from time to time but the orange one always had the edge. so i guess hes gonna turn bring orange soon eh?


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Adult male kenyi should be yellow, not orange. I actually have never seen a kenyi that orange color.


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## Brisco007 (Nov 23, 2009)

so is he something else?


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

All the rest of his parts look right for kenyi (head shape, body shape, faint barring, etc) so he might just be an unusually dark orange one. There is always the possibility of a mix most likely with red zebra, but it impossible to tell for sure.


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

MalawiLover said:


> All the rest of his parts look right for kenyi (head shape, body shape, faint barring, etc) so he might just be an unusually dark orange one. There is always the possibility of a mix most likely with red zebra, but it impossible to tell for sure.


I've had some kenyis go orange, but the majority have gone yellow. Maybe its a regional variant, or that the fish is still transitioning and will lighten a bit with age. He could also have a bit of zebra in him too...


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

Brisco007 said:


> Had to pull out my dominate male kenyi tonight. He was out of no where beaten down by just a normal striped lab.


"normal striped lab" means yellow lab? I see in the upper two photos a yellow fish that looks like a yellow lab hybrid since it has no black on its dorsal. Did the photo not come out well? Or is it a red zebra?

Thanks


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

I believe that is the younger male kenyi Fogelhund was talking about


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

so why did he use the term "lab" what does that refer to when refering to a kenyi?

What am I missing here?


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

TKC747 said:


> so why did he use the term "lab" what does that refer to when refering to a kenyi?
> 
> What am I missing here?


Mistaken identity by the OP, that was later cleared up in the thread.


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## BigFish77 (Feb 1, 2009)

the owned fish looks like he has a slight concave belly to me.


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

looking really closely at the pick, I think the coloration of the anal fin near the body makes it hard the see where the body line really is. He looks to be healthy


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## Brisco007 (Nov 23, 2009)

yes the yellow one is a lab, but im talking about the orangish one.

another twist to the tale. 1 month ago i put in a full grown johanni male and 2 females. '

turns out they are actually Melanochromis auratus.... think he coulda done the damage? never seen em fight b4, and if i did the kenyi male always chased.

comments?


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Brisco007 said:


> yes the yellow one is a lab


There are no labs in any of the pics you posted.


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

MalawiLover said:


> Brisco007 said:
> 
> 
> > yes the yellow one is a lab
> ...


Agreed.


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## TKC747 (Dec 5, 2008)

I am someone without much experience but from what I've been reading, that yellow fish (no barring) must be a hybrid or its a very bad photo, yello lab X M. Esthere? Or perhaps a very yellow red zebra? Do these exist?


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

In the first two pictures, the brighter yellow fish is a male kenyi. Look at the 8th pic in the kenyi profile. This is what all the male kenyi I have seen look like

The darker orange fish with the faint bars is also a male kenyi, though I have never seen one so dark, or have barrs that dark as an adult.

None of the fish in the pictures are labs or lab crosses


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## il0veCichlids (Nov 9, 2009)

wtf orange kenyi? *** breeded over 20 and non orange/


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## Brisco007 (Nov 23, 2009)

the yellow one is defenitly not a kenyi. yes its true the orangish one is a kenyi... hes just different. so what is the yellow one then? very curious as I origionally thought it was a female. it then after bred with a female electric yellow lab and i have the fry which are very small right now. wonder what they will look like


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## Brisco007 (Nov 23, 2009)

A pic of the bruised and beaten kenyi male


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

How about you take a few more pictures of the yellow one then? While it certainly looks like a kenyi, it could be possible it is a estherae x lab hybrid.


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