Help Identify

WookiellMonster

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Hey so i went to the LFS and got this cichlid. Problem is what kind of cichlid is it, im pretty sure its an african one cuz on the tank it said african cichlids. Its all black with blue dots.
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Its a Melanochromis Johanni, nice fish. Here's some info

LINK
 
OOhh quite intresting, its a little aggressive as i already knew when i brought it home... it took over my shark's cave with a lil fight but my shark found another cave.

well im plannin on gettin more fish so since this particular fish is a tad bit more agressive that my semi-agressive fishes id like to knoe which fishes would work and not work. I was thinkin about a 1 male and 2 female rams or cockatoo apistos prolly rams cuz i can never find a store with apistos. Any other fishes that will work?
 
What other fish do you have in your tank and what size is it?

These fish are not community fish. They should be kept in an african rift lake set-up with other african cichlids from the same area. Apistos or rams will get killed if kept with them.
 
Eeek... ok now im thinkin bout returnin them. OK but i have a rainbow shark, 4 tiger barbs, and 3 cory cats.
 
They should be ok with the shark - they can usualy hold their own - at least for a while. The tiger barbs might also make it because they are quite fast. The cories, however, are almost deffinately doomed unless you do something soon.

You didn't mention your tank's size...
 
tank size is 30 gallons long. im pretty sure im goin to return it anyway. >_< but r there any black with sum blue fish that are semi-agressive instead of highly agressive that i could keep? because im goin to the LFS 2morrow to return this fish.
 
So you just want any blue/black fish to go with those you already have?
Does it have to be a cichlid?

If you are prepaired to add 3 more tiger barbs (that'll reduce the chance of them nipping new additions), that opens up your options and there are countless blue and black possibilities.

The one I would reccomend for you is an opaline gourami (trichogaster trichopterus color morph). You should stick to either a single male OR get 3 females. The males have longer fins, a pointier dorsal and are much more 'stream-lined' in appearance when compared to the 'deeper' and wider females. The reason you should keep the male alone is that they can be quite aggressive towards their own kind or other gouramies. The females do better in groups but keeping just 2 can still be a problem - that's why 3 is best to split up any aggression. Once you have this species of gourami in, don't add any more gouramies. Also, having a planted tank helps. This fish gets to 6" and spends most time in the upper layers. Avoid adding any more top-dwelling species once you have some of these in.

Alternatively, melanotaenia lacustris (turquoise rainbowfish) gets to 4" or so. However, as this is a schooling fish, you'll need at least 6 and that'll mean your tank is fully stocked if you choose these. Their size means they can handle boisterous tankmates but nothing aggressive. You wouldn't be able to add anything else though anyway. They are bright blue (once settled - they'll appear dull in the LFS) but have no real black on them. They are still my favourite rainbow though and absolutely lovely.

Besides the turqoise rainbow, there's the smaller red and blue melanotaenia praecox. this dwarf neon rainbowfish, as it is often called, gets to about 2.5". It is also a schooler so keep at least 6. These are peaceful fish but should be fine with the other fish you have provided you keep them in a large enough school and, prefferably, if you also add 3 more tiger barbs to decrease their nippiness. Though they are smaller, they will still mean your tank is almost completely fully stocked. If you go with a single male opaline gourami, however, you could put 6 of these small rainbows in as well. Nothing after that though.

Lastly, german blue rams have lots of blue on them but, again, it's a good idea to add some more tiger barbs to your tank first. Then stick to just one pair of the rams. You could keep one opaline gourami in with rams as well.

I'd also add a couple more cories, besides the extra tiger barbs and other fish, while you're at it.
 
ok so i returned the fish but they didnt have any rams so im prolly goin to get a male and 2 females of german blue rams then my tank is complete. just sum more plants
 
Yea but most mbunas r very aggressive anyway, but very colorful fish i should work on a mbuna tank sumtime when i have the money.
 
I know its late now but the fish is actaully a Slender Mbuna very similar to a Johanni (Melanochromis johanni).

Slender Mbuna is actually a rather vague name for Pseudotropheus Elongatus, a different fish altogether. The fish in question is most definately a Melanochromis Johanni!
 

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