# What are these??



## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

Ok, so I got tired of having an empty tank and drove into Milledgeville which is about 30 miles one way and hunted a fish store. I actually found a really nice pet store that carries a large assortment of cichlids.. Made me wish I had a few more tanks! They even had an Arowana(sp) - first time I had ever seen a real live one.. 

anyhow, most every african they had today was alot bigger than my labs so I bought some small africans from a mixed tank- not sure what exactly they are - they look like mbuna of some type - Here are some pics of them - they are not all that great but they are the best ones I could get today being as how they are new to the tank. Any clues what these are??

these are orange in color and have a dot on the anal fin - one of then has two dots..










this one is a powder looking blue and sometimes he sorta glows on the nose and top fins.. these also have a dot on the anal fin










currently they are all about an inch long.


----------



## IloveCichlids (Jul 11, 2005)

Sounds and looks like red zebras and cobalt blue zebras. The ones with the dots are the males, they have to do with reproduction trates in Africans (not sure why or how though)


----------



## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

they looks like red & blue zebras to me also.


----------



## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

I kinda thought thats what they looked like too - but wasnt sure. All of them have at least one spot on the anal fin - guess they must all be males.. **great :roll: **** anyhow, does anyone know why they only have one?? Does it have to do with age?? All that I see online have four or more....


----------



## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

After doing a little more "googling" (CM would be proud) LMAO - I found this information... 

_Yes eggs spots can be used to determine the gender of some African Cichlids. But many African Cichlids do not have egg spots. Male Mbunas usually have large gold colored egg-spots with a transparent ring around each egg-spot. So the egg-spots really stand out and are easy to see. 
Some female Mbunas also have egg-spots, but their egg-spots are usually smaller and usually lack the clear ring. So the female's egg spots are not as prominent.

You can see these differences in the egg-spots in the pictures of the male and female Minutus just above on this page. The male has four large bright yellow spots with a clear ring around each spot, and the female has only one egg-spot that is smaller and less distinct.

So both males and females can have egg-spots, but the males' egg-spots are bigger, brighter, and usually more numerous than the egg-spots on the females' fins_.


----------



## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

I read somewhere that when the mouthbrooding cichlids breed, the female lays eggs and then scoops them up in her mouth. The new problem is that now the male needs to somehow ferilise the eggs in her mouth. So when the female sees the egg-shaped spot(s) on his anal fin, she swims over to collect those, thinking they are eggs. As she trys to collect the spots, the male will release his milt, which can then easily get into the female's mouth where she is holding the eggs.


----------



## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

micstarz, thanks for the information. 

My next question is, should I go back and get some more?? I only bought three each and I read they should be in larger groups to keep down aggression. Currently I have three yellow labs, three reds and three blues and the botia.


----------



## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Georgia Peach said:


> After doing a little more "goggling" (CM would be proud) LMAO - I found this information...
> 
> _Yes eggs spots can be used to determine the gender of some African Cichlids. But many African Cichlids do not have egg spots. Male Mbunas usually have large gold colored egg-spots with a transparent ring around each egg-spot. So the egg-spots really stand out and are easy to see.
> Some female Mbunas also have egg-spots, but their egg-spots are usually smaller and usually lack the clear ring. So the female's egg spots are not as prominent.
> ...


LOL, thanks GP, doing a bit of "googling" can make all the difference.


----------



## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

You have nine right now right? I'm thinking 2 more? Ask CM or something, I'm not exactly bingo at cichlids!


----------



## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

I got one more each the last time I went - I took the green tiger botia back - he was too mean.. lol and got a synodontis euruptus catfish (sp)


----------



## Cichlid Man (Jan 19, 2005)

Good decision, coz botias are asian fishes anyway


----------



## Georgia Peach (Sep 23, 2005)

Cichlid Man said:


> Good decision, coz botias are asian fishes anyway



yeah, I figured that out after doing some research on him - stupid pet store has them in tanks with cichlids... :chair:


----------



## fishfreaks (Jan 19, 2005)

Georgia Peach said:


> yeah, I figured that out after doing some research on him - stupid pet store has them in tanks with cichlids... :chair:


Haha, yeah they aren't always right!


----------



## micstarz (Oct 22, 2005)

Yeah, :chair: 

In one of my LFSs they house GOLDFISH with ANGELS!!! Then there sometimes tigerbarbs, loaches, softshelled turtles, female bettas, mollies.

They are sTuPiD!!!!! :chair: 

At first I thought the tanks were having fin rot problems but then I saw the barbs literally eliminating the angel's fins. OMG absolutely outrageous!

(p.s they are all squashed in two 20GALs)

I'll post some pics of this evil shop maybe


----------

