help identifying new fish

[Dale]

Hello --

I'm quite new to cichlids (a week in) and was hoping someone could help me
identify what exactly I've got here. These are the only 3 fish in the tank
right now, but I'd like to add more. As I've been reading (and I'm kicking
myself for not understanding more before I got into this) I understand that
there are MANY MANY more cichlids that I thought. I'm hoping someone can
help me identify these fish so I can add compatable fish and grow my new
tank into something really keen. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

http://img197.echo.cx/img197/3258/dfish19iz.jpg
http://img197.echo.cx/img197/3825/dfish21to.jpg
http://img197.echo.cx/img197/6967/dfish31qx.jpg

--Dale L. Houston

[kay-bee]

hi,

It looks like you have a trio of Melanchromis Auratus, which are typically
highly aggressive african cichlids from lake Malawi, and have been known to
decimate tank-mates.
Maturing males will change to a darker color and tend not to tolerate other
males.
As with most mbuna, you'll probably want to add more, at least twice the
number you have now (with a high female to male ratio).
They're most compatible with other highly aggressive african cichlids with
lots of rock work in tanks 55-gallons are larger.

kay-bee


----- Original Message -----
From: "Dale" <-->
Newsgroups: rec.aquaria.freshwater.cichlids
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2005 22:22
Subject: help identifying new fish


> Hello --
>
> I'm quite new to cichlids (a week in) and was hoping someone could help me
> identify what exactly I've got here. These are the only 3 fish in the
> tank right now, but I'd like to add more. As I've been reading (and I'm
> kicking myself for not understanding more before I got into this) I
> understand that there are MANY MANY more cichlids that I thought. I'm
> hoping someone can help me identify these fish so I can add compatable
> fish and grow my new tank into something really keen. Any help would be
> greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
>
> http://img197.echo.cx/img197/3258/dfish19iz.jpg
> http://img197.echo.cx/img197/3825/dfish21to.jpg
> http://img197.echo.cx/img197/6967/dfish31qx.jpg
>
> --Dale L. Houston
>

[MrHappy]

Hello dale

Melanochromis Auratus would be my guess
Theu are attractive but violent cichlids from Lake malawi...
have a look here so you feel confident of the identification

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/aquarium/mbuna_auratus.html

I don't know how big your tank and what the filtration is like

but some general rules

Make sure the fish in the tank want the same conditions and
food. Mbuna are 95% herbivore and grow to about 3-4"

probably best not too mix the predators and the prey usually
fish with upturned mouths eat other fish! Avoid anything torpedo
shaped as it will be a swinmmer and need open water...not Mbuna
rock faces

If you already have fish of a particular colour and body shape
new introductinns should be different in colour/stripes - it
lowers aggression

In a Mbuna tank overstocking stops territories being formed and
so dominance....means you need heavy filtration

If the melanochromis form a pair and attack the third......take
it out and trade it an at your local fish shop

either remove all decor and put in some 1.5-2" diameter plastic
pipe in 6" lengths to get lots of hiding places for new fish.
when you have your fish, then aquascape properly. doing this,
stops any of the fish forming a territory...as they will kill
anything that enters their territory.....if you add them all in
to a new aquascape...they all have to do the best they can

I use little lengths of pipe and no substrate before putting
them in a nice rock and sand palace....the filters are run on
the bare tank to make sure they will accept the ;pad when you
put the fish in to the aquascaped tank

I take the fish out and put them in a rubbermaid box with the
tank water and filter.....aquascape the tank then transfer the
fish back

Put them in the dark and they will go to sleep



----------------------------------------------
Posted with NewsLeecher v2.0 RC2
* Binary Usenet Leeching Made Easy
* http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
----------------------------------------------

[Dale]

Thanks for the advice and the identification. The identification appears to
be dead-on (double points for deciphering those blurry pix :)

Of course my first time out looking for more agressive fish, I manage to
pick something in the top 5 killer scene. Other than the coloration change
when they atart to get older, is there a way t sex these fish now? I'd love
to be able to avoid males killing each other if I can avaoid it.

Right now I've got a 30 gallon tank, so I definitely don't want to overstock
it. I'm working on adding lots of rocky terrain now for these guys. It was
indicated I should add more of these if I can (I'll see what I can find
around here) or fish of equal size/agression - any specific suggestions?

-Dale

[Frankster]

> I'm working on adding lots of rocky terrain now for these guys.

Just thought I'd throw out my experience on this. I know that "lots of
rocky terrain" providing hiding places is often recommended by advanced
fishkeepers and pros. I never liked that solution because I don't want my
fish hiding from *me*! I want to see them (go figure! :) ).

Anyway, I have found in my experience that having almost no place to hide
seems to work equally well. As long as other factors are controlled. Kinda
like the fish store scenario, who never have rocks and such (how do they all
survive in the fish store with barren tanks?). I do have some rocky
decorations, but they are aligned in such a way that when the fish "think"
they are hiding, they are facing outward to the glass and are clearly
visible to anyone peering into the front of the tank :) My "rocks" are
nothing but little upside-down U shapes.

Works for me. Not specifically recommending this, or trying to fly in the
face of other more experienced fishkeepers. Just stating that there *are*
other solutions.

I should add that I do other things as a compromise to control aggression
that some folks would not like to do. I never buy two of the same fish
(really helps!!!). I always buy similar sized fish. I try to pay attention
to the compatibility charts as well as I can. These things have allowed me
to keep the same 5 fish in the same 55-gal tank for almost three years now
with no aggression worth noting. Just happy fish, shoveling gravel all over
the place as they continually move my (fake!) plants around to positions of
their liking. LOL!

-Frank

[Kim]

Hi
I'm new to cichlids too! Just in the process of setting up my tank.
Here's a compatibility chart:

http://www.cichlidrecipe.com/cichlidchart/flashchartd.html

Here's a link to EVERYTHING you need to knnow about cichlids. The best
I've found anyway:

http://www.cichlid-forum.com

I hope these help

Good luck
Kim

[NetMax]

"Frankster" > wrote in message
...
>> I'm working on adding lots of rocky terrain now for these guys.
>
> Just thought I'd throw out my experience on this. I know that "lots of
> rocky terrain" providing hiding places is often recommended by advanced
> fishkeepers and pros. I never liked that solution because I don't want
> my fish hiding from *me*! I want to see them (go figure! :) ).
>
> Anyway, I have found in my experience that having almost no place to
> hide seems to work equally well. As long as other factors are
> controlled. Kinda like the fish store scenario, who never have rocks
> and such (how do they all survive in the fish store with barren
> tanks?). I do have some rocky decorations, but they are aligned in
> such a way that when the fish "think" they are hiding, they are facing
> outward to the glass and are clearly visible to anyone peering into the
> front of the tank :) My "rocks" are nothing but little upside-down U
> shapes.
>
> Works for me. Not specifically recommending this, or trying to fly in
> the face of other more experienced fishkeepers. Just stating that
> there *are* other solutions.
>
> I should add that I do other things as a compromise to control
> aggression that some folks would not like to do. I never buy two of
> the same fish (really helps!!!). I always buy similar sized fish. I
> try to pay attention to the compatibility charts as well as I can.
> These things have allowed me to keep the same 5 fish in the same 55-gal
> tank for almost three years now with no aggression worth noting. Just
> happy fish, shoveling gravel all over the place as they continually
> move my (fake!) plants around to positions of their liking. LOL!
>
> -Frank


When I keep Africans in a 120g holding tank for a few weeks, there is
nothing in the tank. I'm quite confident that if they had a single rock
to fight over, there would be murderous chaos. It's not natural, but
it's healthier for them this way (for quarantine periods). I also keep
the lights dim and the tank is away from traffic, so they can stay calm
without their rocks to hide under.

Note to Dale, when I worked in a fish store, if a customer came to see me
complaining they have a fish which has killed every other tankmate *and*
everything they have tried to add, I would be about 95% correct in
telling them what kind of fish they had, Melanochromis auratus. In a
30g, I don't even females would leave each other unmolested for long. I
vote for exchanging them for something which is not in the top 5 for
aggression, like some Julies, Shellies or even Labs.
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Happy'Cam'per]

> vote for exchanging them for something which is not in the top 5 for
> aggression, like some Julies, Shellies or even Labs.


I think his tank is way too small for a Labrador. ;)
--
Kind Regards
Cameron

[wes]

Dale:

You have 3 Melanachromus Aurotis, one of the few species of mouthbrooding
cichlids (they rear their young in their mouths). The aquarium looks set up
perfectly for them. You may also find that putting a small flower pot with
a hole in the bottom upside down provides a nesting place. They are a great
species!


Wes


"Dale" <--> wrote in message ...
> Hello --
>
> I'm quite new to cichlids (a week in) and was hoping someone could help me
> identify what exactly I've got here. These are the only 3 fish in the
> tank right now, but I'd like to add more. As I've been reading (and I'm
> kicking myself for not understanding more before I got into this) I
> understand that there are MANY MANY more cichlids that I thought. I'm
> hoping someone can help me identify these fish so I can add compatable
> fish and grow my new tank into something really keen. Any help would be
> greatly appreciated.
>
> Thanks!
>
> http://img197.echo.cx/img197/3258/dfish19iz.jpg
> http://img197.echo.cx/img197/3825/dfish21to.jpg
> http://img197.echo.cx/img197/6967/dfish31qx.jpg
>
> --Dale L. Houston
>

[Roger Sleet]

In article >,
(wes) wrote:

> *From:* "wes" >
> *Date:* Fri, 3 Jun 2005 08:37:49 -0400
>
> You have 3 Melanachromus Aurotis, one of the few species of
> mouthbrooding cichlids (they rear their young in their mouths).

Wes Pleeeze try to gain some knowledge of what you are talking about
before you post. The fish is Melanochromis auratus. Just typing
Melanachromus Aurotis into google gives you the correct spelling

Mouthbrooding is probably the dominant reproductive strategy in cichlid
-ALL- yes that is *ALL* Malawi and Victoria Cichlids (probably getting on
for 1000 species) mouthbrood. Getting on for half the rest of African
Cichlids also mouthbrood. It is not so common in American species.


Roger Sleet
Roger's Aquatic Pages http://www.sleet.plus.com

[MrHappy]

Yep Frank
keeping them with nothing in the tank and overstocked as they do in
the fish shop works as they can't form territories
If a pair forms watch out!!

If you have a dog...I suggest superglue on the paws then stick it
to its basket. Then you will always know where it is and be able to
see it easily

You have noticed that fish kept in LFS conditions tend not to fight
but...neither do they eat well, show their proper colors or behave
like fish but...hey what is fish keeping about?

----------------------------------------------
Posted with NewsLeecher v2.0 RC2
* Binary Usenet Leeching Made Easy
* http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
----------------------------------------------

[Frankster]

> but...hey what is fish keeping about?

Well, I've been thinking that I might extract my biggest Cichlid from my
tank and glue him to a plaque to hang on the wall.

-Frank

[Dale]

Thanks to everyone who helped out. The tank is doing grate (other than a
slightly high amonia level I'm working on) and the Melanchromis Auratus
appear to be quite happy and I'm pretty happy myself.

Go team you-guys!

-Dale

[Gazoo0]

I don't know ... Them there Chocolate and golden Labs sure like water.
;-]

Gazoo0

[Gazoo0]

Fish ? You were talking about fish? I thought we were talking about gun
dogs!! Ooops! Hmmm..... I was sure he said Labs..lol.

take Care
Gazoo0

[silvrsteln]

I use a small length of pipe, there is no end, Them in a nice palace, rock and sand filter run Bare tanks, to ensure that they will accept; pad when The fish tank to aquascaped.