Bought 4 more fishes from the LFS

[lilcam]

Bought a couple more africans (hoping to get some females) and two big looking convict fishes. I came home and was able to find their name and now I'm in for a surprise.

I bought two buttikoferi!!! Just my luck they are the most aggressive cichlids. I have a 55 with 7 other africans. The two buttikoferi are about 3 inches long but from what I've read they will get meaner when they get older. Damnnnnnnnnnn ... I cant get another tank and I dont want fishes to disappear.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

They also get large. I'd trade them back.

 

[Desi]

hey Cichlid man; how do you tell the different malawi's appart? I love them sooo but I wish I could tell them apart, both species wise and sex wise. I've read that they are prolific? Should I worry about cross-breeding?

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Species wise you basically just got to know what they look like. Just a learning thing. Sexing wise, generally at adult age males tend to be more colorful. Males will also be more aggressive usually. In some species, the egg spots on the back fins may tell the sex, other speices may not.

Sometimes in Mbuna or peacocks crossbreeding becomes a problem. But if you don't mind and don't really sell the fry out on to the market i don't see a big deal with it. Thats how the OB cichlids came about.

 

[oscarowner559]

egg spots are the easiest, but not very accurate way. Most the time, males have more than 3 spots on their anal fin, and females have under three, but that isnt very accurate, because I have seen females with five and males with zero. Like red zebras, good luck with that, but kenyi are very easy...