Can anyone help identify my cichlids?

[momisla4]

I finally bit the bullet and picked up two African cichlids today. After some back and forth, I figured why not, and my local fish store had them labeled as just "African cichlids" - no specifics. Now I'm digging through Google to learn more about my new additions. I like knowing who's who in my tank, and if there's potential for issues. Although, they all seemed to get along at the store and in my tank so far. I'm curious - does anyone know how to sex these guys? They're all pretty chill together, but I'd love some insight.

[momisla4]

I guess I got a little carried away - I ended up bringing home four instead of the two I planned on getting. The guy took his sweet time bagging the first two, and I just fell for the other two while I was waiting.

[coltin]

I hope you're not housing those cichlids in a community tank with softer water. African Rift Lake cichlids like these require hard water, and they tend to get aggressive as they mature.

Looking at your pictures, 182503 appears to be a female Pseudotropheus lombardi. 182522 seems to be a male Pseudotropheus lombardi - if that's correct, be prepared for some nasty behavior when they grow up. 182529 looks like a Pseudotropheus acei, which is relatively peaceful for a Rift Lake cichlid. Not entirely sure about 182749, but it might be a Pseudotropheus crabro.

[mikko]

I think the first is actually a Convict Cichlid, not one of the ones I was looking at - I'm guessing the store just had a mix of different types of cichlids, not just African cichlids.

[coltin]

I'm wondering if "Convict" is a common name for an African Rift Lake cichlid, or if it's exclusive to the South American species, Cichlasoma nigrofasciata.

[momisla4]

No sir, coltin, thanks for the concern, though. I did my research and knew better than to put them in a community tank. I've had someone tell me the first two are a male and female kenyi, the third is an acei, and the fourth is a zebra obliquiden. I'm not sure if kenyi is another name for what you said, but it seems I've got a pair on my hands, and they might get feisty if they spawn. So, the female will probably be rehomed or moved to another tank soon. I'm already loving these guys - they've got so much personality. I'm working on getting a 30-gallon cycled for my livebearers, so I can give these lovelies my 50-gallon tank. I'm planning to redecorate with sand and caves, and I've been researching Lake Malawi to give them an environment that's as close to home as possible. I'm having so much fun with all the different tank options - I don't think I can pick just one favorite.

[momisla4]

Mikey, I actually dug into convicts and rams, but the problem was finding rams locally and I wasn't sold on the color with convicts - I'm all about a mix of colors, you know? These guys are definitely African, so unless 'convict' is a common name for an African cichlid, that's not an option. I'm seriously thinking about going back for a few more from the African tank, they had this gorgeous solid orange one, a few more acei - I mean, those things are stunning! And a couple with horizontal stripes... all such beauties. But I'm holding off until I'm 100% on sexing and mixing. So far, these guys have gotten along great, a bit of chasing, but nothing too serious after 24 hours.

[coltin]

I dug deeper into the world of African cichlids and it seems Kennyi is actually another name for Lombardi or lombardoi - who knew?. These fish have a pretty cool trait, the males are usually yellow and the females are blue, opposite of most zebra type cichlids. They're mouth brooders and the females have this neat expandable skin pouch under their mouth where they incubate their eggs.

As for the other fish, I think I found some info on Pseudotropheus obliquidens, but it seems it's not what I have - instead, it's more like Astatotilapia latifasciata, nope not that either. I've got a Pseudotropheus, aka a zebra or mbuna cichlid - and let's just say they're not exactly known for being friendly.

I've been looking into creating a Lake Malawi environment for my new friends, and it seems it's all about the white sand and limestone/sandstone rocks - simple yet beautiful.

I'm totally running out of space, but I'm thinking of building a fish room or at least getting some double tier stands - that way I can fit more tanks in the same space. It's a great way to have multiple tanks without taking up too much room.

One thing I'm considering is getting all the same sex cichlids, that way they won't breed and there'll be less aggression. Plus, they won't hybridize, so I won't have to worry about males fighting over females.

[momisla4]

I just got a couple better pics of that one we're still trying to ID - he's such a stunning guy, and I'm having the hardest time capturing his colors on camera, but check out the bright green tips on his dorsal fin, and he's got this gorgeous orange tint going on, plus his eyes have this amazing orange glow to them

[momisla4]

Colin, that's genius - I'm loving the idea of double-tier stands, and I'm definitely considering it. I'm still learning, but it seems I've got a knack for picking the feisty ones. I'm a bit curious, though - should I be worried about the acei? I've read they're generally more chill than the kenyi and zebra mbuna, but I've also learned that every fish is different.