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» Forum Index » Fish Species Identification Help » Topic: Identification help |
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Posted on 07/05/09 00:24:46 AM |
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Steve
* Posts: 25 Reply  |
Identification help
I got my first tank 75 gal. 5 (assorted) African cichlids 1 South American cichlid (Jack Dempsey) all 1in. long and 1 pecaustemis about 12 in. long. The Jack Dempsey and the fastest growing African did not get along. When size difference became an advantage the African cichlid killed the Jack Dempsey. Since then my wife has brought home 4 aditional mistery fish (African cichlids).I've identified one as electric yellow ,one electric blue ,one albino peacock , can you help? here's 2 pic's    |
Posted on 07/05/09 08:00:02 AM |
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TheFishGuy
Administrator Posts: 214 Reply  |
Re: Identification help
Hello Steve. First, thanks for joining TheFishGuy Messageboard. It's nice to see another tropical fish hobbyist around these lonely parts.  In case you are wondering, for simplicity's sake, I combined your two posts and three images into one post. Concerning your post, I would like to start out by offering a few suggestions. First, rather than combining South American cichlids with African cichlids, you may want to consider keeping one or the other, but not both, in the same tank. The reasons why I offer this suggestion are various. One of the main reasons is that the water parameters for SA cichlids and AFLC -- African Rift Lake Cichlids -- may be very different. For example, some SA cichlids -- such as Angels and Discus -- require soft, acidic water, while generally-speaking, African cichlids require hard, alkaline water. The disposition of the fish you purchase is another good reason to be careful regarding what you mix together in a tank. As you have seen through personal experience, while some SA cichlids can indeed be pugnacious and aggressive, ARLC cichlids certainly have a notoriety of their own when it comes to aggressiveness. Of course, there are other factors to consider as well, such as diet, male-to-female ratio, maximum size, etc. This leads me to my second suggestion; and this is based on a recent personal experience of my own. In my view, spur-of-the-moment "mystery fish" purchases are not a wise approach to stocking an aquarium, because quite simply, as in your case, you never know what you are getting. As a result, you could create future problems for yourself through this practice. I am referring to compatibility problems, size problems, dietary problems, aggression problems, etc. In short, before making any fish purchase, it is good to conduct a fair amount of research regarding the fish you wish to purchase, so that you are fully aware of its needs. In addition, you should make your purchases at a reputable LFS -- Local Fish Store -- if at all possible, and know with certainty that the LFS is selling you exactly what you want. Having said that, I advise you to strive to avoid purchasing fish from a tank that is simply labeled "Cichlids", and purchase from those tanks which are labeled with specific English names, and preferably, with their scientific names. Another point I also wish to emphasize here, is that it is not always wise to trust in the information that you are given by a LFS or pet department employee, because they are often inexperienced, misinformed, and plain wrong. Concerning the actual identification of your fish, there are so many different species of African cichlids on the market today, that it is hard to say; particularly because your "mystery fish" appears to be an albino with a very typical body shape which is shared by many African cichlids. I am far from an expert on the subject, but my very first impression upon looking at the image is that it appears to have the body of a Labidochromis Caeruleus, or Yellow Lab. The fact that it has egg spots and what appear to be pointed dorsal and ventral fins, may be indicative that it is a male. Again, this is just a guess on my part, as in the absence of body colors, it is hard to say. I will ask around and see what some of my online friends have to say. Perhaps someone else here will offer you some other ideas as well. I wish you the best in identifying your "mystery fish". Oh, BTW, it would be nice if you could add a few more details to your profile page, and possibly add a short introductory post to our new members section. Thanks! _________________ TheFishGuy TFG Messageboard Administrator |
Posted on 07/05/09 12:51:18 PM |
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TheFishGuy
Administrator Posts: 214 Reply |
Re: Identification help
Steve, another hobbyist has suggested that you might possibly have an albino Pseudotropheus Socolofi, a.k.a. Snow White Socolofi. Let's wait and see if other hobbyists confirm this, or offer suggestions of their own. _________________ TheFishGuy TFG Messageboard Administrator |
Posted on 07/06/09 03:00:42 AM |
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TheFishGuy
Administrator Posts: 214 Reply |
Re: Identification help
Hello again Steve. This is just an update to my previous response. As you can see by the view count, even though no one else has posted a response here yet, your fish images have now been viewed over one hundred times. While no one besides myself has offered a reply here -- possibly because they don't wish to go through the hassle of joining this board (it only requires a login name and password and no other details) -- I have received a fair amount of responses to your question on other fish boards that I frequent. Thus far, the verdict appears to be unanimous: you have an albino Pseudotropheus Socolofi. To date, no one has offered an alternative possibility. _________________ TheFishGuy TFG Messageboard Administrator |
Posted on 07/06/09 08:51:14 AM |
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Steve
* Posts: 25 Reply |
Re: Identification help
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Posted on 07/06/09 10:59:47 AM |
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Steve
* Posts: 25 Reply |
Re: Identification help
Thank you very much for your help. Can you tell me where to find detailed info for this and other Cichlid's,book's web.site ect. |
Posted on 07/06/09 12:06:22 PM |
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TheFishGuy
Administrator Posts: 214 Reply |
Re: Identification help
One book which I purchased a number of years ago is a paperback book that is published by Barron's. It is called Lake Malawi Cichlids. If you want to invest in a volume of books which cover literally hundreds of species of fish and aquatic plants -- including many cichlids -- consider the excellent Baensch Aquarium Atlas. There must be around six volumes by now. Regarding Pseudotropheus Socolofi, simply google it, and you will undoubtedly find tons of information regarding this particular fish. _________________ TheFishGuy TFG Messageboard Administrator |
Posted on 07/16/09 10:29:57 AM |
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TheFishGuy
Administrator Posts: 214 Reply |
Re: Identification help
Hello Steve. Another online friend just suggested that you have a look at this image. It is another photo of an albino Pseudotropheus Socolofi:  _________________ TheFishGuy TFG Messageboard Administrator |
Posted on 07/16/09 12:14:35 PM |
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Steve
* Posts: 25 Reply |
Re: Identification help
That look's like a match alright. Body is longer than most Pseudotropheus and very white like this one. My pic show's pinkish tint thats probanly lighting but he's realy snow white. Has same spots on anal fin.tails the same. mouth, head. to bad they dont have there dorsel fins errect. I think its the same fish. |
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