I have a Melanochromis auratus that is obviously male.(became dark in color after maturing from juvenile) He has been chasing around my Melanochromis johannii for weeks, as if he wanted it dead. Now all of a sudden, he keeps the johannii in his "home," and will not let it leave. He just goes back and forth from this home, to patrolling just outside of his home, as if to keep the other fish away. I believe he must be trying to breed with what seems to be a her. Does this seem like the case? and please, for those of you tempted to scold me about interspecies breeding, or tank stock, kindly keep it to yourself, because i don't care.
interesting Melanochromis auratus/johannii behavior
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Hmmm that is interesting. I've only been keeping fish close 1 yr. but haven't seen behavior like that. I think auratus can be strange fish. I had 3 juvies, 2 turned male color and I had to remove the one because the other was picking on him bad. Shortly after, the last one turned male color too but these 2 are getting along ok...for now.
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Your "johanni" may be a Melanochromis cyaneorhabdos, like the one in Dewdrop's avatar. If so, it could be a female. They are often sold as "electric blue johanni".
That would be my guess...
What size tank do you have?
Trying to keep two Melanochromis species together usually leads to disaster. I'm not only talking about crossbreeding, I'm talking about aggression and stress in the tank, both of which can affect the health and well being of the entire tank.
For this reason, you should care.
Kim
That would be my guess...
What size tank do you have?
Trying to keep two Melanochromis species together usually leads to disaster. I'm not only talking about crossbreeding, I'm talking about aggression and stress in the tank, both of which can affect the health and well being of the entire tank.
For this reason, you should care.
Kim
maybe that is true that it is not a johannii. it was sold to me as an "electric blue." now the auratus is picking on him again, so the electric blue is now recooping in it's own tank. like i said, i don't keep fish to prove to everyone my **** don't stink, or that i'm better than everyone else because i follow the "rules." i keep fish to visually entertain me and my guests. and lots of color is what entertains me visually. sorry my habit offends you, but thats the way it is.
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I hear you, I love my fish and I got lots of color and different species :thumb: I got 2 electric blues too that they didnt seem aggresive and I introduced 4 new fish a few days ago now they are swimming in the middle of the tank and not hiding in the caves. Who knows what fishies think?
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What do you do if you are already commited with certain fish. If I see any aggresion I got a tank on stand by to move the fish to. Im trying to see how I can correct my enthusiam when I purchased all the fish and then found out some were very aggresive like the Johannii's.
I wish there was a way to connect with this forum when I was at the fish store and check on the compatibility and aggression of fish.
I wish there was a way to connect with this forum when I was at the fish store and check on the compatibility and aggression of fish.
I agree with Kim, Auratus are vicious so be careful. I have 4 Melanochromis Cynaeorhabdos and here, in the UK, the common name is Maingano and I know they are listed on this site in the species profiles, they are different from Johanni. My LFS ordered them for me and when they were delivered they were housed in a tank next to the Johanni and they do look very similar, but the Johanni blue doesnt seem so vivid.
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Did you read my post at all?chad311k9 said:
You are the one who brought up the potential for hybridization, NOT me.
I said:
You have no idea what an overt amount of aggression due to improper stocking can do to a tank, but I have a feeling you're about to find out.
I don't care what you keep in your tanks.
I do care about fish. :thumb:
The male auratus may easily kill the "johanni". If he doesn't kill it, he may stress it to the point of the fish becoming ill. If the fish becomes ill, you could lose the entire tank to health problems.
I can't say it any plainer than that.
Kim
its justs that i've read it on here a million times before, and i am tired of the stuck up people on here. i know i don't keep my fish by the rules. i do know the so called "proper" way to keep cichlids. i just like a variety. every fish is is different. when i come across a problem, i take care of it. like for example, the auratus is becoming a problem, so he is going to the pet store today. an example of every fish is different is i once had a male auratus who was picked on daily by what is supposed to be one of the least aggressive species, yellow finned acei. i also understand that crabros are supposed to be very aggressive, but that same "mild mannered" acei nearly killed him. the acei became a problem, and then went into his own tank at my friends house. if i told you people what else is in my african tank, most of you would throw a fit, tell me i'm a terrible person, blah, blah, blah, blah. but you would also **** yourselves when you seen how well all the other fish get along(besides the 2 melanochromis) trust me, i do my research, and understand i am stocking my tank against the "rules." but in 2 years, i have yet to have even 1 fish die or become ill due to incompatible tank mates/stress.CICHLUDED said:
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So did you want help with your initial post or were you just posting an observation?
Kim
Kim
i was just posting an observation, and i appreciate your concern. i know you are smart about your cichlids, i just wasn't asking for criticism. believe me, i'm normally a by the book kind of guy, but in the case of my fish tank, i just like a lot of variety. i knew when i bought the fish some would be incompatible, but i also realize not all fish of a species have "by the book behavior". i want to thank you for pointing out my "johannii" may not be a johannii. that was very helpful. FYI the auratus has become a problem, so i'm going to find a new home for him. I really like my electric blue, and do not want to see him harmed. this was the only issue i've had in this tank setup. like a say, you'd probably **** yourself if you seen the success my tank has with its current stock.
cichlidaholic
in my initial post, i used the wrong choice of words. instead of saying i don't care,(because i do) i should have said that i know it's generally a bad idea to keep 2 of the same species in a tank, and that i've heard all the criticism on here before, and just don't want to hear it again. trust me, i do my research on this website, and generally follow all the guidelines, except the only problem is i like all the african cichlids! believe me if i had it my way, i would have a room full of tanks that each have a different set of compatible cichlids(arranged by the cookie cutter guidelines). just a little out of my price range right now.
in my initial post, i used the wrong choice of words. instead of saying i don't care,(because i do) i should have said that i know it's generally a bad idea to keep 2 of the same species in a tank, and that i've heard all the criticism on here before, and just don't want to hear it again. trust me, i do my research on this website, and generally follow all the guidelines, except the only problem is i like all the african cichlids! believe me if i had it my way, i would have a room full of tanks that each have a different set of compatible cichlids(arranged by the cookie cutter guidelines). just a little out of my price range right now.
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