Sexing Africans, sand, and invertebrates.

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C

chasers

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Jul 1, 2011
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Phoenix
I have three questions.

1. How do you sex electric yellow lab, acei cichlids, red zebra cichlids, and kenyi cichlids. I was told to have a specific ratio of males to females so how do I tell on the young africans you would buy at the lfs.

2. I would like to get a real fine tan/white sand for the tank like saltwater ocean sand, what would be the best thing to use to get at homedepot, is there like a type that anyone recomends.

3. finally are there any invertebrates that would get along with the african mbuna? Crabs, shrimp, anything that you would find in the ocean.

Thanks
 
1. You will need to research the term venting cichlids.

2. too find will destroy your filters. I prefer pool filter sands.

3. Nothing found in the ocean will work in a tank with freshwater mbuna cichlids. Some mbuna actually eat crabs and shrimp often.
 
1. How do you sex electric yellow lab, acei cichlids, red zebra cichlids, and kenyi cichlids. I was told to have a specific ratio of males to females so how do I tell on the young africans you would buy at the lfs.
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With young fish it's almost impossible to tell. Some of those species as adults are even difficult to tell. What most people do is buy several juveniles and remove extra males as they mature. Yellow labs and acei don't care as much about gender ratios as many other species. At one point I believe I had 6 male and 2 female acei and they didn't bother each other too much. Just some extra chasing around breeding time.

Just a note as well that Kenyi get to be very aggressive and if all these fish are going to be in the same tank you might have hybrid issues with the yellow labs and red zebras.
 
Yes I know you can't put anything literally from the ocean in the tank, I meant something that is associated like freshwater shrimp, crabs, not saltwater.

Thanks
 
And if anyone has any other suggestions as to what african cichlids to stock please let me know, I want to keep the electric yellow labs, blue acei, and red zebra, but I am willing to budge on the kenyi if you can find me one that is similar but less aggressive.

Thanks
 
Ok two more questions (in addition to question number 3) what food available at petsmart is best for african cichlids. Omega one has a cichlid flake that has pictures of africans on it, is this a good food for africans? Also what should I do to make the water best for the africans. API makes something for african cichlids but it doesn't alter the ph, so do I just need to make the ph around 8 or what do I need to do.

Thanks
 
NLS is a good pellet ,if keeping mbuna supplement with a spirulina flake omega one is good. As for maintaining Ph I would not mess with chemicals. To raise your Ph keep some limestone rock in your tank and use some crushed coral or aragonite sand in your substrate.
 
Male Pseuotropheus acei will get a dark barring coloration around females or other males they are trying to chase off.... almost zebra-like. The other two are completely monomorphic.

Essentially, if you have a decent-sized group, when one fish chases around the same fish relentlessly, the one being chased is generally a sub-male. Pull him out then.
 
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