# What is this fish?



## rjg1992 (Sep 23, 2013)

Despite the cloudiness because of adding sand... i was told it would be okay to put the fish in the tank. What is that tan fish in the middle of the 2 yellow? Is it going to get any color when it grows up? And what kind of cichlid is it?


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

Possibly a hybrid, a better picture would help.


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## rjg1992 (Sep 23, 2013)

let me try to get a better pic. Hybrid?


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

Did you get the fish from a breeder or a tank that was labeled assorted african cichlids.


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## rjg1992 (Sep 23, 2013)

Tank labeled assorted african cichlids


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

Yup most likely a hybrid. Fish mixed and breed with different species.


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## rjg1992 (Sep 23, 2013)

oh awesome.


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

The best place to get them is from local breeders. Your yellow labs appear to be good. Lions Cove 2 because of the white bellies. Those are pure most likely.


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## rjg1992 (Sep 23, 2013)

Awesome and ill have to see. i know the guy said that all the african cichlids he had were from him breeding them. I have never had african cichlids. How big do they usually get? And how do i know when ones are females and which are males? Do all the males have the egg spots on the end of their tails?


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## rjg1992 (Sep 23, 2013)




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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

The yellow labs can be distinguished with males having more black on their fins and developing a bluish face mask around their face sometimes. The only way is to vent them though most genders can have eggs spots.


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

What size is ur tank by the way an ill help u get a good stocking arranged


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## Michael_S (Aug 18, 2013)

When I first started with Africans, specifically mbuna I roamed the species profiles and learned some interesting stuff. Labidochromis caeruleus (Electric Yellow) get to 5". I think the top one is a Rusty (Iodotrohpeus sprengerae) which gets to 4". That last picture is a different fish than that brownish one in the first picture right? It looks similar to my male Labidochromis sp. "Mbamba" which gets to 3.5". The best way to tell if a fish is a male or female is by venting them which is looking at their private parts. Their is two holes on each underside a male's will be like this... o o... and a female's like this ...O o... I suggest looking that stuff up in videos. I never judge a male or a female by egg spots because I have both genders with egg spots in my tanks.


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## rjg1992 (Sep 23, 2013)

Cichlidman14 said:


> What size is ur tank by the way an ill help u get a good stocking arranged


I have a 55 gallon tank with 14 cichlids right now.  i don't know what all of them are so i will probably be posting a video for someone to help me out once the water is a little bit more clearer


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## rjg1992 (Sep 23, 2013)

Help me identify these fish and how big they will grow?
#1








#2








#3








#4








#5








#6








#7


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## Michael_S (Aug 18, 2013)

#1
Labidochromis sp. "Mbamba"
#2 - #3
??? Female Cynotilapia ???
#4
Iodotrohpeus sprengerae (Rusty)
#5
Some type of Labidochromis I think, originally I though White Lab (Nkhata Bay), but also similar to pallidus
#6
Melanochromis johanii/maingano hybrid?
#7
Labidochromis caeruleus (Lions Cove II)


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## rjg1992 (Sep 23, 2013)

Exciting! I can't wait to get more.


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

I would keep the lions cove 2 labs, get more then have 1 male with 4-5 females.
Then have 1 male rusty with 4-5 females. Finally I would get 1 male red zebra, (the orange one with a spot near its gill) and get 5-6 females


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## rjg1992 (Sep 23, 2013)

So get rid of the ones i already got?


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## Cichlidman14 (Jul 17, 2013)

Keep the ones i told you about, the others you can give to your local lfs or do u have a spare id say 40 gallon since you would be adding 4-5 fish. Either way would work


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## Michael_S (Aug 18, 2013)

I think the Yellow Top Mbambas color would work better than the red zebras in the tank.


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## noki (Jun 13, 2003)

The first brownish fish is probably one of the common questionable Red Top Zebra types, like Metriaclima greshakei. May be a mix of similar types.

The white Lab might be Labidochromis chismulae but in a lighter phase, or something similar. Not sure if people really know what species are actually for sale, as there are many similar Labidochromis, plus the common names change adding to the confusion. Probably a nice fish thou.


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