# sex my electric cichlids please



## komodo182 (Apr 14, 2009)

I think i know what these two cichlids are. I just started having cichlids today and do not know much about them. Its confusing on the internet from what I research. One site told me they are the same breed, but i do not think that is right anymore. I was told the male is the blue one and the yellow is the female and they are both electric blue cichlids...however i am thinking they are mistaken as well as the internet. Any info would be great.. I figured I would stop searching and just ask the experts because the internet is lying to me about something. 


















Thanks everyone


----------



## Cichlid1000 (Nov 3, 2008)

I think they are different types of cichlids. I have electric blues and yellows and the male blues are that electric colour and the females range from grey to brown. The yellow one I am not sure about you will only know when they get bigger.


----------



## komodo182 (Apr 14, 2009)

I think they are different species myself. but like i said, i have never had cichlids before and frankly, the internet does not give out straight answers or even the same answers each time.

They were in the same tank at the pet store so i assumed the could go in the same tank at my place. for now just a 5 gallon with some pots and plants. they are getting along fine as we speak. i cut up a cricket for them when i got them home and they loved it. do you know if there is anything i shoudl worry about with them being in the same tank? They will get a larger tank later, but frankly right now, they are about an inch or so.


----------



## komodo182 (Apr 14, 2009)

I made a mistake, the blue guy (male maybe) is a little bit larger than an inch, 1.5-2 inches


----------



## SouthernBelle23 (Mar 24, 2009)

Its hard for me to tell what fish you have, but they are from the same lake in Africa. The first looks like it might be a Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos. Those and Melanochromis johanni look similar, but the if the fish is still very small, if it was a johanni, it would be yellow. I'm still not certain it is cyaneorhabdos though.

The yellow ones looks like either a Labidochromis ceruleus (Electric Yellow, Yellow Lab) or a female Pseudotropheus saulosi. Electric Yellows usually have a black stripe on their top fin and yours doesn't have one, so I'm leaning more towards a saulosi. Still not certain though.

These fish will be ok in a 5g for a little while, but I definitely would start thinking about upgrading in the next several months. They are aggressive fish and while small should be ok, but eventually they will need more space and territory.

They need mostly vegetable based foods....so Spirulina flakes, pellets and foods made for African Mbuna are good. If you can find anything that says vegetable flakes or pellets, those are good too. I would feed bloodworms and brine shrimp sparingly.


----------



## komodo182 (Apr 14, 2009)

I knew about the diet part, but the pet stores around here did not have any veggie based foods. The yellow one is picking up rocks with its mouth, almost liek building a nest near my pot. the blue guy is not doing this. I will post some better pictures.


----------



## komodo182 (Apr 14, 2009)

Thanks everyone


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I have to agree they are different fish. I haven't seen a melanochromis yet that doesn't have some kind of horizontal line. Yellow labs usually have some black-edged fins. Female saulosi is a possibility, but the color of your fish is more lemony than my saulosi and mine don't have any blue spangles in the tail. Likewise, its too lemony to be a male lombardoi and it doesn't have an egg spot. Are the colors in the photo accurate? Where did you get them? There is a much smaller set of fish in "assorted africans" @ petsmart than are available at the ACA convention.


----------



## komodo182 (Apr 14, 2009)

there is a tiny bit of black on the dorsal fin. i would not call it a line though. I just got them from a small pet store in the area.
animal essentials.


----------



## Cichlid1000 (Nov 3, 2008)

How long is the yellow one? because my yellow labs didnt get a black stipe until they were about 1-1.5 inches


----------



## komodo182 (Apr 14, 2009)

just over an 1 inch. like 1-2 inches.


----------



## Mysteryimpt (Jun 17, 2009)

I don't know how right I am but I have a huge feeling that the blue one is a male Auratus (Melanochromis auratus) how big is it? the female are yellow with black stripes. But the males are blue just like yours. They are rare and hard to find as they get very violent and aggressive when they are ready to mate. Your are lucky to come by one! The yellow I am still not sure looks like a yellow lab but then it has no black lines so i am not sure. if it is under 2inches without any black line I will say its yellow lab. But not 100% sure. But 5 gal is definitely very small and once the blue one gets a little older it will harm your yellow lab very badly and probably kill her as I know my friend's auratus male(looks like yours) killed a oscar within couple days and the oscar was lot later than the auratus. But then again this is what he told me and i didnt see it myself. Just letting you know! Cheers


----------



## komodo182 (Apr 14, 2009)

They are in a larger tank now. I got the pet store to contact its supplier and they said it was an electric blue and a yellow lab. But this is just a small mom and pop pet store so you never know.
Thanks for teh reply


----------



## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Auratus are mean, but they are not blue. They are different amounts of gold and black. The one called electric blue is usually melanochromis johanni but you can never be sure of pet store fish. Yellow labs are labichromis caereleus as was suggest by SB.


----------

