What Kinds of Cichlids are These?

[fishyz]

Even though I'm a native guy I'm going to post in the cichlid forum (I will apologize to the other native guys right now).

On Sunday my family and I went to the Fish-O-Rama for the Milwaukee Aquarium Society. As we were walking past bags of African Cichlids my Dad once again said that he was going to take over my 29 gallon planted tank in the living room. I never believed him because he always said that he would do it but never actually did and I let him know that.

After I told him that I didn’t believe him, he bought for bags of some nice show quality cichlids for $40 all together, a great steal. He got 3 males and 2 females of one kind and 3 males and 1 female of a female of another.

I don’t remember what the guy selling them said what the fish where so I’m posting this to ask what kinds they are. There are pictures of them below.

Thanks,
fishyz

 

[scottgeeze]

Looks like a pair of Sunshine Peacocks and a small S. Ahli with a few female or juvinille males. I would keep an eye on them because if those are Sunshine Peacocks they will end up possibly getting bullied or killed by the Ahli's. Ahli's will get much bigger then the Peacocks and are alot more aggressive.

 

[ikevi]

Huh? ugh. Ok first off can't tell for sure on the second. I really don't think it is what he is referring to as an ahli (though likely he really is meaning Sciaenochromis fryeri... but that isn't even right.) The reason I say that is I thought males had dark brown verticle stripes that just evetually become blue, never grown them out.

Now what I think it is but I would need more pictures to be sure is the Otopharynx heterodon:
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1216395&postcount=62

A very good fish if you do have it.

As for the first.... well I can never figure out the difference of them so look under sunshine peacock with common names:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/category.php?cat=3

Now also please ignore the comments about fryeri and peacocks not getting along, that is complete BS.

That being is said a 29 really isn't big for them let alone colonies... both sets of fish should get to be about 5 inches or more.

NOTE also mixing if breeding is bad since both will breed with each other and hence hybrids...

 

[scottgeeze]

It's an Ahli my friend, or a Fryeri or an Electric Blue, the same fish basically in the trade.

 

[ikevi]

No, I do have to stress, especially since you put an S in front of Ahli that you are in fact naming Sciaenochromis ahli http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1337
Which is a very different fish than you are saying...

If you would have said hap ahli, ok fine I let that go but would still give the true name. But when someone is trying to figure out what a fish is I ask you use at least it semi true name.

Now the reason I really don't think it is a fryeri is that there is the yellow, and I have never seen one with the yellow...

PS fishyz if you didn't know what a fryeri looks like here are adults:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1328


That being said this is the fish scottgeeze is saying it is. (I found as many young pictures as I can, fryeri color up really young ~2-3 inches so there aren't many males that I can find.)
http://amazingafricans.netfirms.com/EBluePage.html
http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/images/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Scfry_u0.jpg
http://www.jjphoto.dk/fish_archive/aquarium/sciaenochromis_fryeri2.jpg
http://www.wetpetz.com/images/cichlids/elecbluejuv.jpg

Anyways I can't say what it is for sure, and the more I look at it I don't think it is an Otopharynx heterodon, even though I would need a better side shot to make sure.

 

[tarheels910]

No, I do have to stress, especially since you put an S in front of Ahli that you are in fact naming Sciaenochromis ahli http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1337
Which is a very different fish than you are saying...

If you would have said hap ahli, ok fine I let that go but would still give the true name. But when someone is trying to figure out what a fish is I ask you use at least it semi true name.

Now the reason I really don't think it is a fryeri is that there is the yellow, and I have never seen one with the yellow...

PS fishyz if you didn't know what a fryeri looks like here are adults:
http://www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1328


That being said this is the fish scottgeeze is saying it is. (I found as many young pictures as I can, fryeri color up really young ~2-3 inches so there aren't many males that I can find.)
http://amazingafricans.netfirms.com/EBluePage.html
http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/images/thumbnails/jpg/tn_Scfry_u0.jpg
http://www.jjphoto.dk/fish_archive/aquarium/sciaenochromis_fryeri2.jpg
http://www.wetpetz.com/images/cichlids/elecbluejuv.jpg

Anyways I can't say what it is for sure, and the more I look at it I don't think it is an Otopharynx heterodon, even though I would need a better side shot to make sure.

I aggree. Not a Fryeri.

As for the tank size, Too small.

 

[straitjacketstar]

First is Aul. sp. "Stuartgranti Maleri".
Second is Sciaenochromis fryeri hybrid.
Looks S. fryeri enough but as the case with so many other hybridized species such as midas, bettas, mollies...it may look S. fryeri but still has traits uncharacteristic of that species. S. fryeri should not have 3 (or two) spots on the sides of the body. Those 3 spots are common in Otopharynx species such as O. lithobates with which S. fryeri are often crossed with.

 

[fishyz]

I forgot to say that they are all still juvies and aren't fully colored up yet. Also, the other blue males have the bars on them I just couldn't get a good shot of them.

 

[tarheels910]

I forgot to say that they are all still juvies and aren't fully colored up yet. Also, the other blue males have the bars on them I just couldn't get a good shot of them.

Start looking into buying a 55 or 75 gallon.

 

[mike dunagan]

look for 75+ if it is a hap of sorts the + being the best idea... a 55 for that many will not work, mixing that many types if they can physically crossbreed they will, think of this before making final plans... and look out they will start breeding really soon, if they are already showing color...