Is There A 'translation' Sheet Anywhere?

[GoinNuts]

Here in the states, the scientific names are never used and you'd be hard pressed to find anyone - even the lfs owners - who know the sn. All fish are known/called by their common names, here. It's putting me into a bit of a pickle trying to determine what's compatible and what's not. Especially since even the common names can be different in some cases.

I have followed a couple of links to sites that list both names, but man-oh-man! The lists are huge! I get so lost, lol. Often, I still can't tell as the photo(s) associated doesn't always resemble the appearance of common name used here.

I can also imagine that if I were to walk into a lfs and ask about a Labidochromis Caeruleus (assuming I could even pronounce it) they'd probably look at me like I had three heads.

Currently I have (in a 55 US Gal):

1 Electric Yellow
1 Red Zebra
1 Kenyi

Can anyone point me in a direction that might help me out a bit here?

TIA!
Lisa

 

[Ferris]

Tricky one, i know loads of sites that list the scientific names but none that list common names. Probably because they are so unreliable, most LFS make them up as they go along and the same fish ends up with several different names.

It would be worthwhile you learning as many sn's as you can, in doing this you will aslo become familiar with the common names.

Also if you're really stuck post here and we'll try and give you either the scientific name or common name as needed.

 

[mark7616]

Ferris is right when i first started i couldnt tell them apart but after a while you get used to what your looking at and it becomes easy learning the the sn is the best way oh and btw the sn for the fish you have are
1 Electric Yellow- Labidochromis Caeruleus
1 Red Zebra- Metriaclima estherae
1 Kenyi- Metriaclima lombardoi

 

[GoinNuts]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply. I'm sure you're both right and it's just something I'm going to have learn as I go. And thanks, Mark, for giving me the scientific names of what I currently have. That helps tons.

I hope to add a few more yellows and red zebras to my tank. Do either of you know if a cobalt (scientific name?) will be compatible? Also, Mark, what is the scientific name of the albino you have in your avatar? We saw some of those the other day at the lfs and plan on adding one or two of those, if they will be good tank mates with what I have.

Thanks again!

Lisa

 

[McMurray]

if you go to fishbase.org
you can search for the common or SN.

 

[mark7616]

the cobalt blue zebra you talking about mate is a metriaclima callainos and the albino one in my avatar is a pseudotropheus socolfi albino. I have callainos aswell mate very nice fish i would suggest loosing the kenyi though they are very aggressive and should really be in a 75g minimum.

 

[nmonks]

I wrote a computer program called FishBase Client that helps you do searches by genus and common name much more quickly than the Fishbase site. So if you type in Pseudotropheus, for example, on the Genus (Strict) tab, you'll get all the different species for which that's the currently recognised name. It's pretty good with synonyms, too. Type Pseudotropheus zebra on the Species tab and you go straight to that fish's page, even though the current name is Maylandia zebra. You could also use the plain Genus tab for Cichlosoma and get all the fishes included under than name either currently or in the past. There's a Common Name tab, into which you might type "angelfish" and get all the different fishes with that as part of their common name. The Family tab is useful for finding out information on fish families or trying to identify something using the thumbnail view in Fishbase. It's for Macintosh and Windows, and is free.

Generally, I wouldn't trust an aquarium store that didn't know the Latin name. This is especially true with fishes likely to hybridise, like rare livebearers and mbuna. Right now, I'm into halfbeaks, and finding that it is more than possible to have three different species being sold in a single batch of "Celebes halfbeaks", and two different genera being sold as something like "golden halfbeaks"!

As a total aside, there's an excellent book called Botanical Latin that you might be able to borrow from a library. It helps you understand what all the different words mean. There's actually some art to many Latin names. Pterophyllum scalare, for example, means wing-leaf, like a flight of stairs, the first part a reference to the dorsal and anal fins, and the second part to the step-like arrangment of spines at the front of the dorsal fin.

Cheers,

Neale

if you go to fishbase.org
you can search for the common or SN.

 

[GoinNuts]

the cobalt blue zebra you talking about mate is a metriaclima callainos and the albino one in my avatar is a pseudotropheus socolfi albino. I have callainos aswell mate very nice fish i would suggest loosing the kenyi though they are very aggressive and should really be in a 75g minimum.

Wonderful. I really had my heart set on those two and am happy to hear they are compatible.

That's interesting, though, about the Kenyi. We call him Little Blue Chicken because he acts like such a scaredy cat, lol. Hides all the time and keeps his distance from the other two. Perhaps he's not a Kenyi? Or perhaps he's just like that now because he's so small? (less than 2" at present)

Here's a picture:

Thanks so much for the links to those two sites, McMurray and Neale. I've bookmarked them and will definitely be spending some time on both.

Lisa

 

[mark7616]

that is a kenyi he will cause you problems when he is bigger

 

[mamafish68]

www.cichlid-forum.com in the PROFILES area you find on the right side of the page gives comon names when applicable. not all cichlids have comon names and being the biggest cichlid based forum on the web, i'd trust it 100%. they have more to lose then other links...

also check out the LIBRARY section for their COOKIE-CUTTERS.

 

[GoinNuts]

that is a kenyi he will cause you problems when he is bigger

Drats. I really like the little guy! I felt safe in getting him, I guess, because the lfs had kenyis in the tanks with the yellows and the red zebras.

That's another problem in itself, the lfs around here are mostly those big chains that hire teenagers who THINK they are knowledgeable, but actually aren't. Of the few independent lfs we have, most deal in marine or community fish. Not a lot of cichlids to be found.

I'll take Little Blue back before I get any further attached to him.

Thanks again for all the help!

Lisa

 

[Ferris]

At 2" i think its fairly safe to say your male Kenyi is a she.

Males turn yellow as they mature and i would have expected to see signs of that change by now. Females remain blue throughout their lives. You might be OK with just 1 female Kenyi and groups of the other species. If you're attached to him (her) give it some time and see if things work out.

 

[mamafish68]

hey lisa, I should have added above info about c-f's database of LFS in their REVIEWS area

heres Florida's for you:

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/reviews/lfs_i...e=FL&USstate=GO



Florida is actually FULL of cichlid breeders/transshippers

 

[GoinNuts]

At 2" i think its fairly safe to say your male Kenyi is a she.

Males turn yellow as they mature and i would have expected to see signs of that change by now. Females remain blue throughout their lives. You might be OK with just 1 female Kenyi and groups of the other species. If you're attached to him (her) give it some time and see if things work out.

Whoops! Well, that explains why, on that site mamafish gave the link to, the Kenyi pictured was yellow. My confusion is cleared!

So, you think if I just have the one female she shouldn't cause any problems? That's good news. I'll keep an eye on her, just to be safe. Thanks for the heads-up!

Lisa

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Thanks for the link, mamafish. Unfortunately, the only lfs it shows for my area is one we had a HORRIBLE experience with and have vowed to never go to again.

There are a few that are an hour or two drive away that I may be able to try. My worry is the travel time in 'the bag'. What's too long?

Lisa

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(Hope this reply is separate, I couldn't get my other one to be.)

Thanks for the link, mamafish. Unfortunately, the only lfs it shows for my area is one we had a HORRIBLE experience with and have vowed to never go to again. (Eta: I just went to read the reviews on that particular LFS and it seems 8 of 9 have the same opinion as I do. )

There are a few that are an hour or two drive away that I may be able to try. My worry is the travel time in 'the bag'. What's too long?

Lisa

Ugh. For some reason my replies keep going into this post. I've edited, refreshed, reloaded the site and tried everything else I could think of to make them separate replies. It's just not cooperating. Sorry 'bout that!

 

[mamafish68]

I hope you made a comment on the link for that lfs then, it's what the service is for, and if the lfs see's it then perhaps they can change.... YEAAAA RIGHT LOL



anywho, I've had fish in bags for hours, it's all in HOW they are bagged and with how much air in the bag.

take a cooler with you, nooo dont bring ice (dont laugh, some have asked... .)



I travel 45 minutes to 2 hrs for a good store too, their much more durable then we give them credit for, just make sure you inform the person bagging that you'll be traveling a while.