paigntonlad;3277994; said:Quote:
Originally Posted by paigntonlad
Rubbish! its nothing to do with being a hybrid!
Cant you see the pictures?
That is obviously an ill fish, and if you cant see that, then obviously you have no experiance in keeping fish
I'd check my spelling first, and I'd do more research before putting such a superficial and faulty assumption on my experiences out there. But enough on me.
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Where is the spelling mistake?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paigntonlad
CICHLIDSROOL is completely correct, when fish are ill or stressed, their colours appear 'washed out' and look silvery. To correct this you need tp pin point the stress in the tank. On this occassion I think it could most certainly be put down to water conditions, although it would help if the OP tested everything and put up the results.
Not sure how much you know about the Labidochromis Caeruleus, and I dare not say anything. However, since they are pretty much the rats of the Malawi Mbunas, and everything that is out there in the trade can, and most of the times is tainted ...oh well, I'd dare again say that most of the Yellow labs out there are either the product of long term inbreeding or hybridizations down the line.
And to cover the silver part, there's only one silver Labidochromis, also called the "white lab" ...Labidochromis Caeruleus "Nkhata Bay" which is a variant on its own.
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I know a fair old bit on the Lab, I know all about the silver Lab, or white Lab, I also know about stress bars on all Malawi Cichlids when they arent to happy, I also know that the fish in question is more of a washed out yellow, than of a silver Lab colour, indicating stress, poor water, even ammonia burns, supporting that theory is the pale black stripe on the fins, thats is broken and not solid, as it should be.
The fish is also photographed sat on the substrate and not in mid water or swimming.
There is also the washed-out colours of the other fish in the picture, incidently showing stress bars.
The only healthy and happy looking fish in the picture is the plec, which I'm sure you know, is a soft water fish requiring pH under 7, whilst the Malawis require a pH around 8.
Also there is the fact that the substrate is gravel and not sand.
Gravel allows detritus to sink between it, where it sits undisturbed, and rots, where it turns to numerous chemicals, ending in a reaction that drops the pH of the water, making it more acidic.
So even if the OP originally had a pH around 8, then after a couple of weeks the pH COULD drop below 6, if the water changes are less than needed (20%) a week with the gravel being vacumed.
Im sure I dont need to tell an experianced hobbiest like yourself why gravel is unsuitable for Malawis do I?
So putting all of these things together, bearing in mind its only a couple of pictures, AND the OP hasen't posted the water params, then I would most definately diagnose poor, or incorrect water conditions, inducing stress on the Malawis.
Listen Dr. Spellcheck, I'd do my research first before opening my mouth. A fish that doesn't have the typical morphology of a described specie must be assumed to be a hybrid. Especially in the case of the Labidochromis Caeruleus, as mentioned earlier, the little Guinea pigs of every African Cichlid keeper out there.
The little stressed cichlid you mention is actually looking very happy as it is a Pseudotropheus. Same with the Nimbochromis Venustus. I'll give you that the gravel is not the best choice of substrate, but nothing more than that.
Good day.
