# New Pictures of My Tank



## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

I love looking at pictures from everyone else, so thought I would share the pictures I took last night (well most last night and a few from before.) I ahad to get rid of my Kenyi due to his agression. It was sad to see him go, but I am very very pleased with how well everyone is getting along now.. I am sure that will change too!


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## convictkid (Jul 28, 2004)

WOW opcorn:


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## FishGeek (Sep 29, 2007)

Nice Fish!! And nice photo skills :thumb:


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## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

Very beautiful tank.


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## quiksilver (Mar 2, 2007)

very nice, have you thought of a background??i think it black would mack your tank really stand out


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## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

I totally agree with a black background. I picked up an expensive black sheet made for the background and found it was laminated and reflective. When I put it up, it scared all my fish. I am simply going to get a big piece of black construction paper or something with a matte finish to put behind the tank.


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## iplaydrums1 (Apr 16, 2008)

please correct me if im wrong but are those "red zebras" - dont want to mispell the full name- 
but i saw them at a store today, and i wanted them real bad, however...i dont think the guy helping me knew if they would be too aggressive for my tank. i have all mbuna...all maybe an inch to 2 inches, and i want to know your experience with them and yours?

i also have afras, it is their tank...they decide who works haha


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## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

The ones I think you are talking about (pictures 7 and 8, bright orange fish with black blotches) are my OB (Orange Blotch) Zebras, Metriaclima Estherae, same species as red zebras, but different morph. I have two in my tank.

As you can see, my tank has relatively mild Mbuna for the most part (2 peacocks, but my OB peacock thinks he is a mbuna and hangs out with them.) In my tank they are probably 3rd in a row for agression, after my lab hongi (He is quite a bit bigger than the rest of my fish and probably that is why, maybe temporary as the others grow) and my metriaclima callianos-cobalt zebra (may be a hybrid of some sort.) They really keep to themselves and don't both much, although they have an occassional quick chase, usually of each other and not their tank mates. They are a little more dominant than my afra, but he seems to be kept in line by my cobalt zebra, so it may be different in your tank.

Based on my experience I really recommend them. I only got them because my husband liked them and honestly was quite worried about their aggression, but it has turned out great and they add a lot of color and personality to the tank.


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## why_spyder (Mar 2, 2006)

CW - what Cyno. afra species do you have in there?


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## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

WS - Honestly I am not 100% sure. He came from the LFS and the tank was simply marked C. Afra. He most resembles Metangula from the pictures I have looked through, but could be a hybrid of various Afras. The two pictures shown above are slightly purple compared to his true color and his stripes are as pale as they get. His blue varies slightly and is darker and slightly grayer that my cobalt blue. He has stripes that are very variable from almost invisible to dark bluegray, although they never reach black (his coloring may be somewhat subdued due to other more dominant fish in the tank.) He has the dark outer line on his lower fins and tail fin, but has a very thin bright yellow edging to his dorsal fin and tail fin. He is a very mild fish and super friendly and always the first to come when I put a finger up to the tank. That is how I chose him, he was by far the friendliest fish in the tank at the LFS. Do you have any idea what type of Afra he is? I would love to know.


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## Dewdrop (Nov 20, 2007)

:drooling: Gorgeous fish and pics of them. Love that plant to the left in the tank too. I recognise some of the fish but alot I don't. Can I be a pain in the rear and ask you to make a list of the pics & post the name of the fish in each one. 
example:
#1. tank shot
2. tank shot
3. (this is one I don't know lol)
Hope you don't mind and I'd really appreciate it.
Those acei are super pretty. Mine aren't nearly as nice color. Aren't you the member that has the all male tank? Sorry, I'm real bad with remembering peoples names


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## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

Yup.. I have the all male tank. Here are the names of the fish (or what I think they are.) Some are not considered "the best specimens" or may be some sort of hybrids. I have found to my great surprise that my LFS seems to mislable fish, not all, but some. And some of what they sell as pure is probably not. I am OK with it because I simply love these fish, but I know others are fussier. If I was to breed them (as I plan to do in the Tang tank I am planning - we have to move to a bigger house before I can get it, so my be a while) I probably would be fussier, but this is simply a show tank.

#1: Tank

#2: Tank

#3: Labidochromis Hongi SRT (not properly labelled at store, but multiple repeat posts have come to the same conclusion) - one of the prettiest colored fish I have seen.

#4: Labidochromis Hongi SRT (Same fish as #2)

#5: Melanochromis Cyaneorhabdos (Maingano)

#6: Melanochromis Cyaneorhabdos (Maingano) (Same fish as #5)

#7: Metriaclima Esterae OB (OB Zebra)

#8: Metriaclima Esterae OB (OB Zebra) (Same fish as #7, although I have a second one of these in the tank with a little more black markings. Picture #7 is more the actual color.)

#9: Aulonocara Hybrid (OB Peacock)

#10: Aulonocara Hybrid (OB Peacock) (Same fish as #9)

#11: Pseudotropheus Daktori (day after I got him; not the best to represent his color and also he has brightened up a lot since.)

#12: Pseudotropheus Daktori (Same fish as #11) with Labidochromis Perlmutt on top

#13: Metriaclima Lombardoi (Kenyi) - not longer in tank; when I posted I had looked at the pic quickly and thought he was my yellow lab; This fish was very beautiful, but terrorized my tank.

#14: Labidochromis Caeruleus (Yellow Lab)

#15: Pseudotropheus Acei

#16: Pseudotropheus Acei (the big one is the same as the first picture; I have only 2 in the tank.)

#17: Metriaclima Callainos (Cobalt Zebra) (I suspect this is a hybrid; He has incredible color and his stripes almos completely fade most of the time; the stripes come out instantly when I he sees the camera though.)

#18: Metriaclima Callainos (Cobalt Zebra) (Same fish as #17; color actually does change, but is usually closer to #17)

#19: Labidochromis Perlmutt (Possibly a poor specimen as his stripes interact some, but I lvoe how he looks; His stripes should fade as he matures more too, he is a little over 2 inches now.)

#20: Labidochromis Perlmutt (Same fish as picture #19)

#21: Cynotilapia Afra (His color is less purple than here and his stripe very from as pale as they are here to a dark gray, but never black; His fins are outlined with dark blue/black stripes and his tail and dorsal fins have a very thin outer line of bright yellow if you look closely; These pictures simply don't do this fish justice.)

#22: Cynotilapia Afra (Same fish as #21)

#23: Aulonocara Baenschi (He was mislabelled in the LFS, but I am pretty sure that is what he is; He is only about 2 - 2 1/4 inches in this picture, so I am thinking he will be stunning when fully mature.)

#24: Synodontis Lucipinnis (I have 4 of these little guys; they play all the time and are the best little cats; I bought them as petricolas, but after much discussion on this site, I am sure they are lucipinnis; Hard to photograph because they are very fast, camera shy, and under an inch here.)

Hope this helps; Sorry I had not done it originally.


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## Robertsf (May 11, 2008)

wow, what fish is this?


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## Ravenatnm (Mar 20, 2008)

Beautiful tank. What do you use for lighting? What kind of plants are they?


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## D-007 (Jan 3, 2008)

Very, very nice setup. :thumb: :drooling:

*Robertsf*, they are #16 in his list


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Robertsf, they look like yellow-tail Acei caught in some very flattering lighting. They can look like that or with more light the usually look a lighter periwinkle blue. More of a subtle-colored fish compared to some others.


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## Fish_Dude (Aug 13, 2006)

what camera did you use? very nice photos!


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## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

Sorry for the delay in reply to questions... I hit a major issue when I found out that at least two of the male fish are not male... :-? and are holding..  unfortuately the eggs/babies are definitely hybrids, so dealing with figuring out what to do with them now. :roll:

In any case, the Afra is one of them.. I am not positive what type of afra it is, but I think a female cobue. I am really torn about keeping her babies. I am pretty sure the dad is the cobalt zebra and they might be simply beautiful babies.... I guess it is never definite with hybrids.. :?

Now I have to also find homes for the girls..... and hopefully find some boys of the same species too....

So, as far as the camera, it is a canon XTi. It is a telefocal lense unfortunately. I am hoping to get a macro soon though.

I am not sure of the exact light above the tank, it came with the tank. I have been playing with external lighting though. Also, I ahve been talking to a friend of my brother's who has been commisioned by many of the aquarium/seaquariums across the country to do fish photography and he has given a few interesting ideal I am going to try... including tripple ziplock bagging a flash and putting it into the tank....

Any suggestions on the ladies holding (with the exception of culling discussions) would be very appreciated.


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## BANANAHANDS (Mar 22, 2007)

sorry no suggestions here.
I'm just wondering about your yellow tailed Acei. I've seen a couple of other peoples tanks here on the forums that had Acei that color but the only ones I see in person are a pale purple. Where did you get your Acei? 
Thanks,

Khris


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## Donzi (Apr 2, 2008)

Just curious what part of NJ you are from because I never see that level of quality in the LFS in my area. I would be willing to drive a bit to get a chance to get fish of that caliber.


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## gaqua (Apr 11, 2008)

BANANAHANDS said:


> sorry no suggestions here.
> I'm just wondering about your yellow tailed Acei. I've seen a couple of other peoples tanks here on the forums that had Acei that color but the only ones I see in person are a pale purple. Where did you get your Acei?
> Thanks,
> 
> Khris


My acei change from nearly black to dark purple to pale purple depending on environment, stress level, etc. I have a male that goes almost jet black when he hides in the rocks at night to sleep. He changes color so fast you can almost see it happen.


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## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

I live around Cherry Hill and use a combination of a few LFSs in both Jersey and PA, depending on what fish I want. There are also a few I have found in northern Jersey that look interesting as well. Where abouts are you?

Oh, BTW, I looked back at the pics of my Acei and I actually don't think they do them justice. The shade is correct, but they are almost radient, especially their faces, kind of like an electric blue, but a deeper, more purple color.


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## BANANAHANDS (Mar 22, 2007)

were they that color when you bought them or did they "color up" later on as they grew? I am really interested in Acei but would like to find them in the color you have but have had no luck. 
Thanks,

Khris


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## BANANAHANDS (Mar 22, 2007)

> My acei change from nearly black to dark purple to pale purple depending on environment, stress level, etc. I have a male that goes almost jet black when he hides in the rocks at night to sleep. He changes color so fast you can almost see it happen.


So under optimal water conditions during the day with the lights on, what color are they?

Thanks,

Khris


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## CichlidWhisperer (Apr 12, 2008)

They were pretty dark, but much duller in color. I almost did not get them because of that. I actually think the vibrance in color came out as they got used to the tank. They do get slightly duller with water changes, but not much and never pale.


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## BANANAHANDS (Mar 22, 2007)

I may have missed it but what are the specs of of your tank? Size, filtration, lighting (i think u said they came with the tank)?


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## BANANAHANDS (Mar 22, 2007)

Oh, and what do you feed them? Just wondering because all of your fish have great color.
Great tank! :thumb:


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