Cichlid Breed ID, please?

CowgirlFishKeeper

Hello! I bought these at the LFS the other week and never wrote the name down (otherwise I forget) and now they don't have them in stock and the guy can't rememeber what I bought. They are juveniles, but I'm hoping someone can help identify my (suspected male and female) cichlids?

Here is my suspected male. He has 2 egg spots, sort of joined like a figure 8 (as you can see there, sorta). He shows off a lot for the other cichlid, vibrating at her, turning on his side, cave digging, chasing her into his cave, and about the tank, generally being a nuisance horny male (lol)




He stays much more still than the other one, especially when he thinks he's being fed.

This is my suspected female, she gets shown of for, and danced/shook at, and generally likes staying in the plants (hence why there is so many other angles and shots, hopefully you can ID her somewhere. She has one egg spot back there, and those white lips are strange, I have never seen them lip lock, fight, or do anything aside chase about the tank, and it isn't flaky or fuzzy at all, and she is eating, so I think it's purely a color thing.













I have a couple more if these are no good. Anyone have an inkling what they are? They are the same species, they were in a species-only tank. She is blue, just dark looking, probably from being chased by the horny male, ha ha. He will chase her into a corner, then dance and shake at her, then lead her off to his cave, and shakes more.

Christople

well forsure a rift cichilid, do you happen to have the receipt and could someone else put in their worth

CowgirlFishKeeper

Yeah, it's an "Asst. African Cichlid - Tank B". Something like that. Otherwise I lost the receipt.

Christople

well I'm no help, and I couldn't help but noticing you have a saltwater algae

CowgirlFishKeeper

Yes, the red kind that grows on live rock....the live rock was from our sw tank before we converted and decided to let it be used for hiding cave stuff (didn't know any better) and it's still growing.....lol.

Christople

haha

rrcoolj

You always run a risk when buying cichlids labeled "assorted" of getting hybrids. However your fish look to be labidochromis hongi and good looking ones at that.

CowgirlFishKeeper

You misunderstand; they were in a species only tank in the African Cichlid SECTION. Our LFS has them separated into sections for that very purpose (and ease of shopping I suppose too). They do not sell hybrids; if they get any, they cull them. They have an anti hybrid campaign too; bring in hybrids, you get $5 store credit for the cull.

fryup

That is a TREWAVASEA cichlid (think tnite how to spell it ) ....hope this helped :):):) there Malawi and dnt grow too large :)
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rrcoolj

That's a a very good system I am glad there are some good LFS out there.

They are not trewavasae... trewavasae have a huge overslung lip for grazing algea. Also they are not only one of the more aggressive mbuna species but one of the larger ones growing to 7in. The fish the op has are indeed hongi.


trewavasae


hongi male


female


see the difference? Hongi are smaller topping out at around 5in and a much better beginner fish and much less aggressive.