# Breeding Malawis



## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Does anyone know if you can breed melanochromis auratus with melanochromis johani. I bought a male yesterday and I woundered if it will breed with my female auratus.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Oh, yes, they'll cross, but you won't like the results. UGLY! They look like bluejean denim with peanut butter smeared on them.
Crossing them is no problem. Keeping them FROM crossing is the hard part. LOL!


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## Lexus (Jan 19, 2005)

Wow thats what those blue fish are I see come in at Walmart crosses of them! Hmm


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## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Oh, so it's common practice then Oldsalt. Have you any pics, or know of a site were I can see them?


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

I was under the impression that they will not cross. I will have to double check my findings on cichlidforum.


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## Orbital (Jun 11, 2005)

Any malawi cichlid has the possibility to cross breed, even peacocks and mbuna, mbuna and haps. Although it is rarer, they will usually goto their own species unless single males and females of a species are housed. Hybrids are frowned apon by most hobbyists because they can be hard to tell apart after being bred x # of generations. They also end up at pet shops where they are sold as fish that they are not. Most people that keep and breed these species want pure bred colorful fish. Some hybrids are colorful, but alot I've seen are not. If you cross breed, please keep them for your own personal tanks or use the fry for live food.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Hmmm... no, no pics or knowledge of where to find some. Sorry about that. Orbital is spot-on, though. I might have made it sound a little too easy, but crossing them really is "too easy" when you consider the big picture.


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