Metriclima Estherae?

[Sam Anderson]

I am hoping some one can tell me what size the fry will start color up from
there orange and the size they will be ready to spawn . I also have some
Labidochromis sp. "mbamba" that I am wondering the same thing about

Thanks

[Amateur Cichlids]

"Sam Anderson" > wrote in message
...
>I am hoping some one can tell me what size the fry will start color up from
>there orange and the size they will be ready to spawn . I also have some
>Labidochromis sp. "mbamba" that I am wondering the same thing about
>
> Thanks
>

My L. sp "mbamba" fry had color after the first month. I've had them
spawn as early as eight months. The eight months will probably apply to your
M. estherae as well. Size isn't a good indicator of when they'll be ready to
spawn or take on adult coloration. Breeders who power feed their fish can
get them to a larger size fairly quickly, this doesn't mean their bodies are
advanced enough to spawn. Many times in an LFS you'll see some adult size
fish with little coloration. These could be fish that were power fed. (Most
of the time it's just stress from the shop.... )
Your M. estherae, if from a blue male and orange female as opposed to
breeding the strain of orange males to an orange female should be sexable as
soon as they're large enough to distinguish color. The females will be
orange, but the males will be more beige in color. If the fry came from the
orange strain, (I'm guessing by your question they didn't) the fry will stay
orange.
Tim
www.fishaholics.org

[Tommi Jensen]

Sam Anderson wrote:
> I am hoping some one can tell me what size the fry will start color up from
> there orange and the size they will be ready to spawn . I also have some
> Labidochromis sp. "mbamba" that I am wondering the same thing about
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/m_estherae.php
(Maylandia [Metriaclima deprecated] estherae)

snipped directly from the article:
At about 2.25 inches males will start to put on a light blue shade all
over their body and fins, and thus become somewhat unworthy of their
name. The females just put on a brighter orange color as they mature.

hth

/Tommi

[Amateur Cichlids]

> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/m_estherae.php
> (Maylandia [Metriaclima deprecated] estherae)
>
> snipped directly from the article:
> At about 2.25 inches males will start to put on a light blue shade all
> over their body and fins, and thus become somewhat unworthy of their name.
> The females just put on a brighter orange color as they mature.
>
> hth
>
> /Tommi

Feed your fish three times a day and do water changes every other day. See
if they have color yet at 2.25 inches. Or, feed them once every other day
and you'll find they color up at a much smaller size. Size is relative.
Tim

[Amateur Cichlids]

"Tommi Jensen" > wrote in message
...

> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/m_estherae.php
> (Maylandia [Metriaclima deprecated] estherae)
>
> snipped directly from the article:
> At about 2.25 inches males will start to put on a light blue shade all
> over their body and fins, and thus become somewhat unworthy of their name.
> The females just put on a brighter orange color as they mature.
>
> hth
>
> /Tommi

Although I respect Marc and Eric from cichlid-forum greatly, I will
point out, not everything on every site is accurate. Vincent Choi says
"Juveniles are hard to sex: they all have the same orange color."
But according to Ad Konings, Malawi Cichlids in their natural habitat
3rd edition, page 55, "When a normal blue male is mated to an orange female,
the fry can be sexed as soon as they appear from the female's mouth; males
are beige-brown and females are orange."
Where I'd agree that on average males will obtain color form 2 to 2 1/2
inches, I don't believe it to be a hard, fast rule for reasons stated
already.
Tim

[Sam Anderson]

Thanks for all the help. look like I have a bit of time before I will see
any changes

Thanks again

Sam

"Amateur Cichlids" > wrote in message
m...
>
> "Tommi Jensen" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>> http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/m_estherae.php
>> (Maylandia [Metriaclima deprecated] estherae)
>>
>> snipped directly from the article:
>> At about 2.25 inches males will start to put on a light blue shade all
>> over their body and fins, and thus become somewhat unworthy of their
>> name. The females just put on a brighter orange color as they mature.
>>
>> hth
>>
>> /Tommi
>
> Although I respect Marc and Eric from cichlid-forum greatly, I will
> point out, not everything on every site is accurate. Vincent Choi says
> "Juveniles are hard to sex: they all have the same orange color."
> But according to Ad Konings, Malawi Cichlids in their natural habitat
> 3rd edition, page 55, "When a normal blue male is mated to an orange
> female, the fry can be sexed as soon as they appear from the female's
> mouth; males are beige-brown and females are orange."
> Where I'd agree that on average males will obtain color form 2 to 2 1/2
> inches, I don't believe it to be a hard, fast rule for reasons stated
> already.
> Tim
>
>
>
>