# Cichlid ID...Help..



## Mikey1973 (Feb 3, 2013)

well I have looked at galleries and posts till almost all fish look alike. I know most say don't, however I purchased 6 Cichlids from Petsmart.. Out of the assorted tank. I am not the type for high priced full blood animals. even my dog was a free mix breed. The mix is what makes an animal different and unique. So I have one Orange, 2 pale pinkish, one Yellow Lab mix, one solid yellow and one blue with bars.. Was hoping someone would be able to tell what some are that I have...Sorry for the bad pics.. still working on better ones..


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

M. lombardoi "kenyi"
M. estherae "red zebra"
L. caeruleus "yellow lab"
M. Greshekei "albino ice blue"

I don't have too much confidence in the fish from the assorted tanks, but these guys look like they could be legit. The yellow lab may even be pure, just not one bred too carefully.

Pure fish are much easier to keep long term because you'll have a good idea of which will want to breed with each other. You can keep males and harems of each species without too much drama. It isn't a snobbish thing to seek out pure fish, it's more a matter of practicality. I prefer mutt dogs, though!


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Mostly it's because we don't want to kill the babies, and when you get 100 babies every six weeks, you have to do SOMETHING with them. You have three Metriaclima if brinkles is right and the estherae crossbreed with the yellow labs.


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## Floridagirl (Jan 10, 2008)

You have what you purchased, assorted african cichlids. Just like your mixed breeed dog may look like a poodle, some of your fish may look like purebred fish. It's impossible to tell for sure.


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## Mikey1973 (Feb 3, 2013)

Floridagirl said:


> Just like your mixed breeed dog may look like a poodle,


Well he is 3/4 pit and 1/4 pug looks like a small pit with an over bite..lol.


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## cichlidaholic (Dec 7, 2005)

The thing about it is, although you don't care if they are mixed species or not, their behavior is unpredictable by the species norm, and it's impossible to set up a nice tank with 'assorted'. Petsmart is notorious for mislabeling their fish, and the mbuna they do have are rarely 'pure'.

With that being said, where you could normally count on having a more mild mannered mbuna with a yellow lab, and a highly aggressive mbuna with a red zebra, a cross of the two can go either way. They will also continue to crossbreed, and may also appear to be pure fish.

As DJ said, it can get out of control very quickly, and you have to look at what you want from this tank in the long haul.

It is hard to say with the picture quality, and even harder to say knowing where you bought them, but the only thing I see that would allow a possible id is the kenyi. It _looks_ okay.


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## 24Tropheus (Jun 21, 2006)

Sorry we are talking species hybrids not Mutts. Mut equivolent would be a variant cross not a species cross.
Mind you its also slang for mutated. :wink:


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

If you buy assorted...don't worry about what they are because you may never know for sure.


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