# p.saulosi color



## snnorlaxx (Mar 30, 2009)

I'm relatively new to cichlids and so I relied on local breeders to purchase my first tank full of fish. I'm concerned about the p.saulosi. i have 9 of them and they are about 2-2.5 inches in length. 1 or 2 of the males are starting to change colors and getting quite aggressive. I woke up this morning to see one of the female holding a mouthful. I thought they were still too young to reproduce, but what do I know. My question is about their coloring. Everything I've read say the males end up blue and black and the females are yellow. Well my males are getting black along the fins and hints of blue on the face but the females are more of a golden color than yellow. They almost glow. Are these some kind of hybrids ? I've attached a photo (not very good, but thats another story). it has a female p.saulosi on the left and one of the males thats changing on the right. Theres also a yellow lab in the background.


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## kodyboy (Dec 9, 2007)

your males are not fully changed yet, they will eventually have dark blue bars on a light blue background. 
I have found saulosi females to be more golden then "yellow lab" colored.


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## snnorlaxx (Mar 30, 2009)

Thanks for taking the time.


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## beep (Dec 9, 2008)

I have a 125 saulosi species tank. They can hold at less that 2 inches, I have one less than 2 inches holding now. I started with 23 in January and never remove any holding mothers or fry, just plenty of rock work for the fry to hid in. Now there are at least 60 from fry to adults.

I've read different threads about yellow, orange and gold saulosi females. I've also experimented with different lighting and come to the conclusion that I can make them any color I want, depending on which bulb they are under. I've even put a different light on the front of the aquarium than on the back and watched them change from orange to yellow as they swim from front to back.


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## GaFishMan1181 (Dec 17, 2008)

Saulosi can breed when they are very small. i have had fry from a female that was less than 2" long.

If you just got the fish then within a short time one of your males will color up before the rest and become your dominate fish.

Also the temperature of your aquarium light can change what color your females look. i use a 10k bulb and my females look yellow, however i have taken pics of them with a different color light or using a flash and they will have more of an orange tint.

Here is a pic of my saulosi from a while back. 10k coralife bulb. 1st male to start coloring up (he isnt done in this pic but just to show you what yours will start looking like soon).










Saulsoi are my fav mbuna. They have a ton of personality and i like how you can get a variety of colors from one species (females, dominate males, and sub doms- all look different)

good luck


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## harveyb27 (Dec 15, 2008)

beep said:


> I have a 125 saulosi species tank. They can hold at less that 2 inches, I have one less than 2 inches holding now. I started with 23 in January and never remove any holding mothers or fry, just plenty of rock work for the fry to hid in. Now there are at least 60 from fry to adults.
> 
> I've read different threads about yellow, orange and gold saulosi females. I've also experimented with different lighting and come to the conclusion that I can make them any color I want, depending on which bulb they are under. I've even put a different light on the front of the aquarium than on the back and watched them change from orange to yellow as they swim from front to back.


A colony of 60 saulosi in a 125g =D> Could you post some pictures. Would love to see it!

The lighting thing sounds awesome! If you had two of each bulb placed both in front and back... which automatically alternate being switched on... you could acheive a strobe effect where the females could change colour every... like 10 seconds lol... only joking.

(just make sure the fish arent stressed, by having a phase where all bulbs are on between switches).

...But agains please post pics of tank. :thumb:


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## beep (Dec 9, 2008)

Photomaster I am not, but I'm trying. I have a sliding glass door on the other side of the room that reflects in the front of the aquarium during the day, and the fish just won't hold still for the low light pictures.




























I put a few plants in and liked it, so I added more and now I don't, plus these guys are shredding the silk plants. I'll be removing most of the plants and adding more rock in the next day or two. It takes me about a week to get the rocks ready, but thats another story.


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

Beep..

Nice tank!!!


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## GaFishMan1181 (Dec 17, 2008)

wow that is really nice! Makes me want to kick my males out of their all male tank and let the saulosi take over.


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## harveyb27 (Dec 15, 2008)

nice variety of colors from just one species, nice tank beep. I dont think the plants are that bad. Perhaps if you kept the plants and added more rocks like you plan, then they would be ok.


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