# Can you ID my fish? (w/ pics)



## mmseng (Oct 13, 2008)

Hey, this is my first time keeping cichlids. I got a few recommended community species from the LFS. Usually I note down the genus and species, this time I didn't and am having no luck looking up the names online. The only thing I can remember is that two or three of the species are of the genus pseudotropheus. I've got 5, 2 of which are the same kind. These and 6 zebra danios share a 19 gal long tank currently.

Even just the few days I've spent with them I've loved them. They are very playful and extremely personable and react to me much more than I had expected, at least more than many of the species in my other tanks even 

Anyway here are their pictures, I couldn't get a very clean shot of the black/white striped one, so I included a few shots of him. The black with white spots (which ironically and completely unintentionally blends perfectly with my sand substrate) is the kind of which I have 2 individuals.

Thanks in advance for any help!


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## mmseng (Oct 13, 2008)

Here's the pictures i couldn't fit into the original post:


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2008)

Welcome to Fish Forums!


The first 2 I'm not sure about, but the 3rd looks like a Venustus/Giraffe Cichlid (_Nimbochromis venustus_). The last 3 are Tropheus species. The spotted ones look like juvenile Tropheus duboisi, but I'm not sure of the species of the last one.


I can tell you that you will eventually have issues keeping all these cichlids in a 19g tank. Venustus get pretty large. All Cichlids have the potential to be aggressive and the aggression can be elevated in a small tank.

Tropheus can be hard to feed, especially when kept with other Cichlids. They are herbivores, so they need a strictly veggie based diet and can get bloated and have issues when they are fed animal protein. Alot of times, they are kept in species tanks.....and in groups, which means a fairly large tank.

I don't suggest keeping the Tropheus with the others. Venustus are carnivores, according to cichlidforum.com profiles, so they definitely aren't a good match for Tropheus tankmates. They also come from another lake.

If you plan on keeping all of these fish, I'm afraid it shouldn't be together. Depending on what the first 2 are, they could possibly be kept with either the Tropheus or the Venustus, but I don't about that. You should decide what you are going to do because I don't think any of them need to stay in a 19g for too long.


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## MaelStrom (Jun 24, 2007)

The first one is most likely neolamprologus tretocephalus


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## mmseng (Oct 13, 2008)

Sorry, your numbers confused me a bit. Let me see if I understood you correctly.

Unknown (black/white striped):
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/att...u-id-my-fish-w-pics-dsc00037.jpg?d=1223932577
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/att...u-id-my-fish-w-pics-dsc00024.jpg?d=1223932525
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/att...u-id-my-fish-w-pics-dsc00028.jpg?d=1223932525

Venustus/Giraffe Cichlid (Nimbochromis venustus), a carnivore:
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/att...u-id-my-fish-w-pics-dsc00030.jpg?d=1223932525

Tropheus, possibly duboisi, a herbivore:
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/att...u-id-my-fish-w-pics-dsc00038.jpg?d=1223932577
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/att...u-id-my-fish-w-pics-dsc00041.jpg?d=1223932659

Tropheus something, a herbivore:
http://www.fishforums.com/forum/att...u-id-my-fish-w-pics-dsc00053.jpg?d=1223932659

Is that right?


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2008)

That's right. Sorry about the confusion.


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## mmseng (Oct 13, 2008)

MaelStrom said:


> The first one is most likely neolamprologus tretocephalus


I see, google images definitely agree with you. Thanks.


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2008)

The black and white striped (first two pictures) kind of look like juvenile frontosa to me.


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## Guest (Oct 13, 2008)

Ya know, I thought that at first Katie, but after looking up Frontosa pics and even juveniles, they didn't look exactly like that. 

My second thought was some type of Neolamp. and the pics of the tretocephalus look like the fish in mmseng's pics. I've seen that before and thought of it kind of like a false Frontosa.


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## mmseng (Oct 13, 2008)

Wow I see what you mean about the Venustus: http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/n_venustus.php

Can never count on those LFS guys unless I get the owner  I may have to take this guy back if he's going to be that difficult to feed and will grow that much. Looks like a beautiful adult fish however. If I can clear up one of the tanks I'm using for shibunkin at the moment I may think about keeping him. The problem is I've got two mature shibunkin, which SHOULD be taking up only one tank, but one of them went and gave himself cataracts in both eyes a year or two back by always swimming up against the glass, so now he has to have his own tank.

The tretocephalus seems easy enough to keep with the other new cichlids, from a diet and size standpoint anyway.

Anyone know about how big the suspected Tropheus duboisi gets?


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1865

Only 5", but they are aggressive enough that they are best kept in large groups (10) in large tanks (75g)


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## mmseng (Oct 13, 2008)

Is that the same fish? The one pictured at cichlid-forum is clearly an adult, but the markings are way off.


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## mmseng (Oct 13, 2008)

Ah I see it's the juvenile markings.


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## MaelStrom (Jun 24, 2007)

Yeah I would rethink the Tropheus. From what I understand, you either keep one( probally not the best for them), or you keep a colony tank. And I love Neo. Tret.'s because they look exactly like frontosas!

Edit: Oodles of Tropheus info http://www.cichlid-forum.com/articles/tropheus_corner.php


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## ThatFishKid (Aug 9, 2008)

mmseng said:


> Looks like a beautiful adult fish however. If I can clear up one of the tanks


Unfortunately, only the male gets the blue color (sometimes his whole body)
The females IMO are beautiful too. Mine has a nice yellow and green all about her body. Also, just so you know, the females stay much smaller than the males. mine is about maybe 3-4 years old and only about 4-5 inches as opposed to the 10 inches i've heard the males get.


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## mmseng (Oct 13, 2008)

MaelStrom said:


> Yeah I would rethink the Tropheus.


Yeah this was definitely a bad case of blind following/not doing enough homework. I decided to take these guys back to the LFS in the hopes they'll find a more suitable home.

Thanks for IDing them though. I'm gonna rethink my situation a bit.


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