# Assorted african cichlids



## Damon

OK what cichlids are these are why are they always so cheap? I see them in the petstores (all of them). Are they mixed breeds? I hope someone shed some light on the subject.


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## Guest

thats what i alwasy wonder too! people tell me that they are what they say. people are too lazy to seperate them by species so they throw them in a tank and call them "assorted".
that stuff pisses me off cuz they're so pretty and i want some but i dont know what they are, how big they'll get, etc


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## Damon

Here's what I found on the subject so far.

Taken from Pet Solutions: (Great mail order in Beavercreek, Ohio FYI)
http://www.petsolutions.com/Assorted+African+Cichlids-I-90000-I-C-79-C-.aspx

I'm ASSuming this is standard everywhere.


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## Lexus

Basically the Assorted Cichlids are usually the crappy ones that the distributer sends us. At walmart we get alot of hybrid/crosses but we have been know to have tons of zebras, some auratus, and sometimes yellow labs. I think its an easier way to sell cichlids without getting too involved in which ones they are. Its funny we sell ours at $4.93 and they are the same ones that Petco has identified and are selling for $5-15!
:roll:


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## Osiris

uh huh lexus hit it on the spot, you usually don't want them! lol.

Siempte, usually you wanna stick to breeder's when you can, lower prices, way better quality(usually), but u know as well as i do unless u want a "ick outbreak" dont buy from wally world, lol. 

Petco is pricey as heck, but u know walmart, cheaper comes for the price and quality of product, lol hence hybrids. Nothing wrong with them i just don't promote them often....What state you from anyway? might be able to track down some clubs in ur area and breeders.


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## malawi4me2

Don't buy anything from an "assorted African" tank! More than likely they're hybrids (there's especially a lot of _M. estherae_ X _L. caeruleus_ goin' around right now as "lemon yellows" or "yellow yellows"), and if they are a pure species, they're usually of very poor breeding stock. If you care about keeping species pure, definately either go to a private breeder or a well respected LFS that labels each species separately.


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## FISHFACE

I went to Pet Supermarket today. They had an Assorted Africans' tank. I saw a couple of M. chipokae and a lot of other stuff, priced @ $2.99 ea. Had a couple peacocks in the same tank, also.
Three tanks over they had identical peacocks same size for $5.99! Go figure. :twisted: :?:


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## Damon

I didn't want any of them. Was just curious. One lfs here is having a sale on them. They are $1.99 a piece right now. My next cichlids after the N. Brichardi will be Daffodils, brevis, Julidochromis, and maybe a pair of apistos. Sticking on the smaller size for now.


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## malawi4me2

Hopefully you're not planning to put the Apistos in the same tank as the Tanganyikans... Tangs are super aggressive, and would probably constantly harrass Apistos. I actually believe that my 3" _N. helianthus_ would have killed my 6" _C. mloto_ had they been in the same tank! :lol:


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## Damon

I'm not planning on it but the next tank to finish cycling (30 gallon) might be an experiment. A trio of brevis or Similis and a pair of apistos. I think it could work though will have to do some more reading. The brevis aren't agressive and if I make a clear boundary (keeping the shells on one side), some plants in the middle and caves and whatnot on the other, I think it could work. Not sure about the spawning though. Most fish get agressive when spawning.


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## wannagofishin

Hi: Just wanted to say that while the brevis is not aggressive it requires hard water, while the apisto needs a soft water...so diff. water parameters.


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## Damon

Good point. I didn't even think about the diff in water. I keep the tangs I have now in 7.6. My planted tanks are at 6.8.


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## Thunderkiss

At my LFS sometimes they are decent, sometimes not, such as the "tangerine" (read: washed out and probably a hybrid) zebras. 

Some i think just fell on the floor and they all get swept up at the end of the day and bagged like the horrid multi-color gravel .


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## diverdan

Any Julidochromis species should always be purchased from a breeder. Not sure about you guys in the states but in sydney I have seen fish keepers physicaly fight over Julidchromis crossing. 
Infact I would only buy from breeders and have a look at the parents of the fish to be purchase. Any decent breeder would be happy to show the parents as hopefully the produce they are making are going to look like mum and dad.


Fish shops here inflate the price hugely and most of the time they have no idea what they are buying.


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