[CichlidWhisperer]

OK.. so I just watched my "male" mangiano lay an egg.. Boy do I suck at sexing fish!!!!! :-? This is the third that has turned out to be a female... On the other hand, I seem to be very successful at breeding fish.. Maybe the all male mbuna tank is not the best option for me, LOL... :roll:

I have noticed none of the male mbuna (no other melanochromis in the tank, so that may be why) have been interested in her... Hoping they don't get fertilized... She is another of my favorites and I figure if the boys don't like her, maybe I can keep her????

In any case, just wanted to share my frustration with someone :x

 

[cichlidaholic]

You are going to have hybrids coming out your ears.

Realistically, you can't expect the males NOT to spawn with her if you leave her in the tank.

Sounds like you just need an extra tank to remove all these females to!

Kim

 

[Fogelhund]

Do you just have the one maingano?

 

[CichlidWhisperer]

yeah I have just the one maingano... I already brought one female back and have seperated one... gonna bring the seperated one and the maingano back this coming weekend... Only have one other fish in the tank that could be female so watching it very closely...

I am planning to take out a few others as well... My fish are really having the strangest pecking order and I want to get it back to normal... The current boss (and very mean at that) is my socolofi and second in line is my yellow lab. My 2 OB Zebra are the easiest going and best fish ever (not all all agressive, but can handle themselves.) My 2 Ps. Acei are also great and easy going. My lab hongi is the biggest fish and territorial, but does not really bother anyone otherwise. My daktari is not agressive, but hides a bunch to avoid being chased (the one I am wondering about being a female.) And then there is my red top zebra, the fish I would have assumed would be boss, but is the most picked on fish in the tank. He was originally very beautiful, but is now very dark and his dorsal fin is somewhat tattered on the end...

I have no idea why they are acting so weird... has anyone seen this sort of pecking order?

In any case, I am planning on removing the girl mangiano along with the socolofi and redtop zebra this weekend.

I am planning to add a few more, but will do so with reputable dealers (probably online mail order) who can sex the fish reliably for me. I do want to replace the maingano with a male one and probably replace my two other girls (male lab Perlmutt and afra, all though may do a C. Lions Cove), and get a couple more to replace the socolofi and redtop zebra, although not sure which varieties yet. Any suggestions on other fish? I am thinking about an L Mbumba, and possibly either Ps Flameback or L Gigas Mara...

It may take a while, but I am determined to end up with a working all male mbuna tank!

 

[cichlidaholic]

I think you'll see some changes once you remove all the females. (If you don't see them settle down, look for another girl! :thumb: )

You're also going to need to take it back to one of each species. 2 fish that look alike aren't going to get along in an all male tank, even if they are both males.

Kim

 

[CichlidWhisperer]

I agree with what you said and have always been watching for issues between teh OB Zebras, but so far (and they are almost 3 inches each) they actually rarely cahse each other and are very good together.. Like I had said, I am surprised at their disposition. I think the Acei are a different story though.. and since I got the second they are both much happier.. they hang together all the time. In fact, the redtop zebra is very dark at the moment (I think due to others in the tank harrassing him) and the acei act as if they think he is one of them and try to hang with him too.. It is the wierdest tank dynamic I have ever seen...

What are your thoughts on the two Acei?

 

[cichlidaholic]

Having two of them in the tank long term? Is that the question?

I would go with one male. Aceis are happy go lucky most of the time, but that's if they are kept in a larger group with enough room. I've seen my males go at it for days, even in a large group.

Also, keep in mind that those OB zebras are just now starting to mature fully. Once they get another inch on them, they may be holy terrors.

Kim

 

[CichlidWhisperer]

Maybe that is what is going on in the tank... I guess they may be maturing at different sizes so the zebras are still not agressive and the socolofi is more mature, so more aggresive for the time being...

 

[CichlidWhisperer]

So I once again took all my rocks out to catch the girls and brought them back to the fish store this morning... they have been out of the tank for only hours, but I realized I have made another mistake.. it seems the reason the OB zebras got along ok is that one is a girl and she is currently laying eggs... I am hoping the other is a boy, they are interacting and I am watching to see if he seems to fertilize them... If so, I will seperate her into my 10 gallon until she spits them.. But I am sad that I will need to get rid of her in the end... Hoping the other is really a girl though.... Would be a shame to loose both....

I am starting to think I should simply pick the fish I think are not boys, all the boys I get seem to be girls... :lol:

 

[Dewdrop]

At least it sounds like you are determined lol. I started out wanting an all male tank and was buying fish in trios thinking surely I'd get a male in the three. As it turns out, I have a hard time getting rid of females and really like having babies. Some of my trios turned out to be all males. Instead of taking 2 back to the LFS what am I doing? Trying to get more females lol. This fish keeping isn't as easy as it sounds is it? lol

 

[NYjets51]

i cant think of the name of the fish in your avatar cichlidwisperer, can you help me out?

 

[CichlidWhisperer]

NYjets51, that is a Labidochromis hongi SRT.

Dewdrop, I think we need to get together, I can supply the females and you can supply the males....