[andrew5859]

Hello all!
I have had these fish for a while now not sure what they were. I started to get concerned when they had babies.....I really like to read up on fish before i get them but didnt think i would have to worry about them much. Got them at my LFS with the "assorted africans" tag and just went by first similar picture i saw on them....shame on me.

I think the he is possibly a Johanni.....i started with 3 young juvies and he killed the other 2

I have had her for a while and she decided to mate with him and she is currently holding again

the Babies

Any help to what these fish are is greatly appreciated! :thumb: Im stumped! :-?

Also if the babies are hybrids what would be the best thing to do with them?

Sorry if something didnt show up or came out wrong this is my first post!
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[andrew5859]

of course the pics didnt work....retry

Male

Holding female

Babies

 

[Fogelhund]

Dad is a johanni hybrid.

Mom... I can't tell from this picture if she is a Metriclima zebra type, or a Haplochromine female.

Either way, the fry are hybrids.

 

[andrew5859]

Thanks, I figured the fry were hybrids.
The male looked a lot like a Johanni but I would have never guessed a hybrid one.

With your suggestion on the female I would lean more towards a Hap, reason being i have a male ice blue zebra in the tank that takes no interest in her. Would it be worth it to set up a hybrid tank with the babies? Or just hope they will get eaten?
Again thanks for the reply.

 

[stefan88]

First pic is a male Metriaclima Msobo deep.. Beautiful fish.. I used to have a group of these guys.. Females are solid orange..

 

[andrew5859]

Hmmm the markings match and it could be a very high possibility (as a johanni hybrid could be also) any idea what the females look like?

 

[stefan88]

Yeah I don't think it's a hybrid.. Msobo are pretty common.. Not to sure on the female but looks liek a hap..You mentioned you had a blue male? Pics of him might help on the female..

 

[andrew5859]

Looking at more and more of the pictures of the Msobo i think you're right.
The male is an Ice blue zebra. Same one in my profile picture

here is another pic of him

Another of the female....she does kind of look like a hap but thats why im asking lol also her face looks more pointed in this picture because she is holding and shes swimming towards the camera

Could she possibly be a Msobo female?

 

[stefan88]

The blue fish looks more like a pseudotropheus acei.. Not sure on that female.. Head is very long and narrow..

Here are the msobo.. The females are solid orange/yellow color http://mbuna-maik.blogspot.com/2008/10/ ... ga_27.html

 

[adam0444]

Red top Mbuna

 

[andrew5859]

The female I am clueless on. The blue male is a red top ice blue for sure but i think the Msobo would be a good call on the first one.

 

[stefan88]

What is a red top mbuna?

 

[24Tropheus]

Females are hard. Erm does not look a million miles away from female red tops.

But for sure it could be a different Metriaclima or cross as so many look similar.
Mouth does look a bit pointed out for a Met.
I am avoiding calling em Metriaclima greshakei as I am not sure your or my old red tops and the ones common in the hobby are pure anything.
Did you see them breed?

All the best James

 

[andrew5859]

She looks VERY similar to that female just a little duller grey.
I did not see them breed but they were both in breeding fin flares on top of the flat breeding rock and the babies patterns and colors look like the male. (the first dark blue male picture. so i am not confusing anyone here)

Baby has similar stripe patterns

Dad

 

[etcbrown]

I currently have and have had many previous groups of Msobo.................and that fish is not Msobo at least not pure.

The mouth is much more Melanochromis than Metriaclima so I would certainly lean toward a hybrid of johanni/cyanerhabados/interruptus. Just as Fogelhund originally suggested.

Also, Metriaclima Msobo are most definitely the pickiest (Mbuna) breeders I have ever seen, it is tough to get them interested in their own females let alone some random that doesn't even resemble one.

 

[andrew5859]

So he could also be a hybrid......he is not picky at all and he will try and interrupt the labs when they are mating. His face seems a little pointed for a Melanochromis so maybe just a hybrid or not a very pure one.