# Looking to confirm fish type



## xyzoptics (Dec 2, 2013)

I found some fry of these fish from a breeder in my region, and he labeled them as "blood red." Upon some research, I'm thinking they may be "dragonblood peacocks."

Any help would be appreciated. Also - will this do well in the long run with mainganos and yellow labs? I have a 55g tank.





Thanks for the help!


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

I wouldn't put peacocks with mainganos. They're ok with yellow labs though if you want to get rid of the mainganos. Top fish looks like a dragonblood. Bottom fish = ?


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

"Blood Red", "Dragonsblood", "Firefish", "Strawberry", "Ruby Crystal" - All Names Used To Describe The Same Fish. Sure, Whoever Came Up With The Name For Their Particular Line May Know The Difference, But The Bottom Line Is They All Refer To A Man-Made Hybrid That Is Suspected To Be At Least Part Aulonocara.

As Pablo Said, These Should Be Good With Yellow Labs, But More Aggressive Mbuna May Be Too Much For Them To handle. It Kind Of Depends On The Individual Fish, Though - Some Of These Dragonsblood Peacocks Can Be Pretty Aggressive Themselves.


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## xyzoptics (Dec 2, 2013)

Ugh, I forgot to mention that those two fish are the mother and father of the fry we got. The breeder said he's watched a few of their offspring grow and they end up pretty similar. Right now the fry are maybe an inch long, while our mainganos are probably 2" and bigger yellow labs 1.5".

You guys are saying that they will likely be attacked by the Mainganos once they're a little bigger? We've had them in our tank for about three days, and so far the two Mainganos we have in the tank haven't given them much care. It's been the same way with the Yellow Labs. The only fish the Mainganos seem to consistently chase after is each other. But we do hope to get a few more Mainganos, and things may change with that.

We'd rather go with the Mainganos then this hybrid. Do you think we'd be doing the fish harm if we kept them in there? I'm sure I can re-home them fairly easily if that's in the best interest of the fish.


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

Pick either the mainganos or the peacock. You can't have both.

Keep in mind that dragonblood peacocks are not 'hybrids' in the purest sense of the word (a one off freak fish ie metriaclima estherae X yellow lab). They are an established, albeit man made strain of peacock that can be bred to the same strain with comparable results every time. It's more German Sheppard than Labradoodle.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

pablo111 said:


> Pick either the mainganos or the peacock. You can't have both.
> 
> Keep in mind that dragonblood peacocks are not 'hybrids' in the purest sense of the word (a one off freak fish ie metriaclima estherae X yellow lab). They are an established, albeit man made strain of peacock that can be bred to the same strain with comparable results every time. It's more German Sheppard than Labradoodle.


Can you define what is a pure bred "Dragonsblood", and what isn't a pure bred "Dragonsblood"?


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## nmcichlid-aholic (Mar 23, 2011)

noki said:


> pablo111 said:
> 
> 
> > Pick either the mainganos or the peacock. You can't have both.
> ...


Both valid points - yes, Dragonsblood peacocks have been around long enough that when bred together the offspring will for the most part be consistent and predictable. You have to admit, though, that there is a much higher level of accepted variability in Dragonsblood individuals than in almost any other "pure" species - some can be a very light orange (almost peach), while others can be a bright red with white highlights throughout, with a wide range in between (just do a quick Google image search to see what I mean). That much variation in almost any other species would certainly raise concerns about purity.

Back to the OP's situation, though. Yes, the maingano are pretty aggressive fish and they will most likely go after the Dragonsblood once they start to become sexuality mature and want to claim territory. Unless you add more maingano, the one that kills the other first will probably start attacking it's other tankmates, and since they tend to go after more timid species (they like to exploit weakness), they will most likely start in on the peacocks first. I would trade the Dragonsblood in towards about 6 more maingano, and just keep them and the labs. Once you have enough of them, the labs should be fine - the maingano like to pick on each other more than other species, and having a bunch of them allows their aggression to be spread out enough that nobody usually gets killed (once any extra males have been removed).


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## xyzoptics (Dec 2, 2013)

Tomorrow morning I'm picking up some Maingano fry. Those will be the final fish we hope to add.... unless we get rid of the Dragonsblood, which appears to be something we need to do.

Anyone else have an opinion on that? Any other fish that would be good with Maingano and Yellow Labs?


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## Kanorin (Apr 8, 2008)

I agree that maingano and dragonsblood peacocks are not good tank mates.
There are a lot of mbuna options which would make good tank mates for the mainganos and yellow labs- "Rusties" (Iod. sperengae) are one idea.


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

BTW Just noticed after looking more carefully at your original pictures, you do not have yellow labs. You have "all yellow labs". These are hybrids.


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## xyzoptics (Dec 2, 2013)

That picture is of the parents of the fry we just got. Our yellow labs are much smaller, and -hopefully- are pure. We've been getting them from a local shop, same place as the mainganos.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Maybe I'll move the dragonsblood into a separate smaller tank, and try to pick up some rusties, or something similar.


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

Dragonsblood isn't a hybrid? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

That is a good one. That a hybrid strain has been fixed, doesn't make it any less a derived hybrid.

As other's have mentioned, it depends on the individual male... given they ARE hybrids, and there is likely mbuna in that background, many can keep up with many mbuna.. . But, I think a 55 gallon is too small for such an experiment.

I saw some in with estherae and msobo just the other day.


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

rennsport2011 said:


> Dragonsblood isn't a hybrid? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:


You didn't read what I said properly.

Every "purebred" dog out there is a hybrid of two slightly or highly different other dogs. After many years, the new "breed" of dog becomes established, with repeatable traits generation after generation, and is called a "breed" and is eventually recognized by the AKC, and so forth.

I said that firefish are a man made fish, and yes, a hybrid, but that they are an established strain with relatively repeatable traits generation after generation. They are not a complete hybrid in the sense that their parents were two different species of fish. Firefish come from firefish, which came from firefish, and so on. Same goes for OB peacocks. They are an established strain. A hybrid, yes, but as much an established strain of fish as a german shepperd is an established strain of dog. See what I mean?


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## Mr Chromedome (Feb 12, 2013)

You do know that all breeds of dog originated from one species, right? That different dogs are not different species? But all Dragonsblood and OB Peacocks originated from a hybridization of two or possibly more species. That is what makes them an interspecies hybrid, now and forever. The fact that the line breeds true is irrelevant. And the concept that the line always breeds true is a false belief.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

Really, I think saying that the "Dragonblood" line breeds true might be an exaggeration. I wonder if there is a hybrid "recipe" to start with? I think there has to be selective breeding or you quickly get crappy fish. if it was that easy to breed quality Dragonbloods, they would be everywhere like the Blood Parrot, without hormoning. I wonder if you bought 5 different Dragonbloods from 5 different sources... would they all be the same, or just different fish that could be broadly defined as a "Dragonblood"?


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## rennsport2011 (Oct 21, 2013)

pablo111 said:


> rennsport2011 said:
> 
> 
> > Dragonsblood isn't a hybrid? :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
> ...


Terrible example, and not useful at all. Established strains sure.. not purebred, but hybrid.

All dogs, same species. The fish, are not. See what I mean?


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## pablo111 (Dec 10, 2013)

rennsport2011 said:


> pablo111 said:
> 
> 
> > rennsport2011 said:
> ...


I guess you're right. Still, I think I made a good point.


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