"Pokey" wrote in message
et...
Okay, I went and did it. I recently set up a 300 liter tank with the
intention of keeping mbuna. Since I didn't have a place to put my two
angel
fish, pleco and four neons I added them to the tank until I could make
a
decision on where to move them.
Tonight I went to my LFS and impulse got the best of me. I purchased
ten
colorful cichlids that are fry size. Now that I have them I would
really
like to identify what species they actually are. The only one I can
positively identify is a yellow lab. What is the best way to ID these
guys
and what do you think my chances are for long term success with this
random
mixture of fish?
The particulars of my setup a (1) 300 liters (2) one 404 Fluval (3)
cichlid mix sand as substrate (4) about 80 lbs of lava rock. Ph appears
to
be about 8.0, ammonia is zero.

Positive identification of fry from a mixed mbuna tank might be
impossible even as they get older. There is a lot of hybrids created in
these mixed flavours, so they are sold for a lower price to people who
might not necessarily care. Some of the LFS might mix they together for
a lack of space, so sometimes they can tell you what they originally
ordered. If they ordered them as mixed, then it's more random again.
Some fish will appear to be easy to ID. There are a couple of labs in
circulation, which they call black back and sunshine in Singapore. I'm
not sure if they are both Labidochromis Caerelous or the 2nd is a
different species. It's tough enough when they are sold with a name,
rather than you having to guess with picture books.

I'd say your chances of long term success with that mix are somewhere
between zero and none ;~) My money is on the Neons disappearing, the
Angels having heart attacks and the pl*co starting daytime retirement
into the closest fitting cave he can find. Then depending on who is in
your African mix, a few others could get voted out too, but in an 80g,
you have some time.

NetMax