Hybrids on the Way . . .

[Ulu]

I was sold this as a Johanni male mbuna. SHE is 1" longer & holding eggs now, so positively a female, but who knows if this is actually a johanni? Is there a clear distinguishing feature?

This is the daddy.


I'm trying to imagine what these fry might be, and if I should just feed any survivors to my Oscar.

I'm really feeling the pressure to avoid irresponsible breeding.

 

[Ulu]

I tried to get some better photographs of these fish.

Leeloo



Buttercup

 

[Ulu]

I had to put a tank divider in to separate the proud parents.

 

[james99]

johanni females should be yellow I believe.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Yup if she was a johanni she would be yellow. I don't know what yours is, but that just shows why irresponsible hybridization should be avoided! Wouldn't it be nice to know what you had. Distributing hybrid fry muddies the already muddy waters. I think your idea of oscar food would be a good use of the fry personally.

 

[Ulu]

I have no intention of selling my fish. If there are particularly beautiful examples I may raise them, but almost all would have to be culled.

Of course we are presupposing that I can prevent the new fry from being eaten by the big males. If they can swim thru the screen they will be, but there are lots of fake plants to hide in as well.

But it can happen. I never suspected that I had a female, OR that she would breed in a tank this crowded. There are ten 3-6" fish in a 55 std.

 

[Ulu]

By the way these were mostly rescue fish.

 

[Gourami Swami]

Good looking cichlids. ten at 3-6" in a 55 is pretty average stocking level for African mbuna, I don't think it's too crowded for the fish to feel comfortable. Obviously they are at happy if they are breeding!

 

[Ulu]

The current stocking consists of 10 males and 1 female (Leeloo.)

Two 3" convicts ( Fish and Chips)
One 4" in bristlenose pleco (Rhino)
One 4" upside down cat (Whiskers)
One 4" golden mbuna (Maynard)
One 4" mixed mbuna female (Leeloo)
One 5" Yellow Lab (Sunflower)
One 5" mixed peacock (Photon)
One 5" mixed mbuna (Voodoo)
One 6" blue hap (Cromwell)
One 6" yellow hap (Buttercup)

To me this is highly overstocked but it's the only way to keep these fish, so I am changing their water 75% twice a week.

I run one Aqueon 75 hob & two 6" Bacto-Surge sponge filters. There is also a tiny Rio circulation pump and a 300w Eheim.

It's a beautiful collection of fish (most of whom were given to me) but it takes a lot of water to keep them healthy. I skipped one whole week without water changes and the next thing you know I'm putting nox-ich in the tank.

I am hoping to put them in a 100 gallon tank soon, and there are a couple more fish that I would like to add including an orange blot and a sunshine.

 

[Ulu]

By the way I'm not 100% sure which of these fish are Haps and Mbuna or Peacocks, as the case may be.