Proud new owner

[cherrybarbbaby]

I'm in they are soo pretty.

One is yellow and the other blue

the yellow one is very out going the blue is more laid back and likes swimming thru the holes in my ornaments B)

 

[freddyk]

Congrats!

You might want to look into that blue one to see what kind it is, because it isn't a bumblebee.

 

[cherrybarbbaby]

oops, DUH! )

They were given to me as early holiday gifts. He said they were in the same tank together.

I've been searching on the net for a while and I can't find a fish that looks like him.

He a very pale sky blue with dark strips and is a little bigger than my bumble bee but he does not have a horizontal marking.

But other than that he looks the same.

If anyone has any clue please let me know. I'll try to take a pic.

I'm new to african cichlids so I'm reading everything I can get my hands on.

 

[freddyk]

Reading is good! Did you catch the pinned mbuna post up top?

Blue striped mbuna are tough to identify, there are so many similar ones. One of the most popular is the Lombardoi (Kenyi), though males turn all yellow when they mature. At least it's a starting point for you to check out. If it is this then beware - these ones are mean sob's!

How big are they?

 

[cherrybarbbaby]

they are about 3in the blue fish is a little bit bigger and thicker.

Now I'm worried about the Blue. I like him but maybe I should return him. I don't want to get in over my head )

I would hate to return them cause I REALLY like them already.

 

[cherrybarbbaby]

The blue one has already claimed his side of the tank! B)

 

[cherrybarbbaby]

Yup that is what he is a Kennyi- but I'm going to keep him -he has grown on me. He comes out to see me when I come to the tank. He still a little cutie.

Right now I have them in a 25 gal

But after x-mas I'm setting up a bigger tank so I think it will be ok.

 

[freddyk]

What else are you stocking?

I can guarantee you that as your cute little lombardoi grows he will become a menace. With only a couple of fish to take the aggression out on, injuries and possible deaths are imminent. Overstocking with other aggressive fish is imperitive with these guys.

 

[cherrybarbbaby]

I don't have anything else in the tank except 7 green barbs and two otto's that are moving today.

So far she ( I read girls are blue) is fine as long as nobody comes in her corner.
She does not mind the tiger barbs and otto but the bumblee bee can not come in her corner for more than 10 sec.

The Bumblebee has not stopped swimming around a rapid speed since I bought he home

I was getting a 55 gal but I was told that since I live in a 100yr house with the water it may be to heavy for our flooring.

So now I can only get 33gal.

If I give them lots of rocks and plants will the two of them be okay? If so, do I still over stock and with how many?

Or do you all advise returning the Kennyi?

 

[freddyk]

To be honest, I'd return them both. I know it's not what you want to hear, but -

The kenyi are simply too aggressive for this size of tank, and will cause problems. This is not a maybe - this is a certainty. Crabro's (bumblebees) are the largest mbuna, and pretty aggressive themselves, also not suitable for a 33 gallon. How big is your kenyi, if it's very small then it's still to early to determine gender.

Species worth considering for your tank are:

Pseudotropheus Saulosi
Labidochromis Caeruleus
Iodotropheus Sprengerae
Maylandia Estherae (Red Zebra)

My first mbuna tank was 33 gallons. I learnt the hard way, and am only trying to save you the trouble.

The more heavily stocked the tank is, the worse of those barbs will be. In a tank of say, only Labidochromis Caeruleus, the barbs would do fine, but in a mixed mbuna community, they wouldnt stand much of a chance.

Don't let your fish fool you, the aggression at younger ages that we purchase them at are nothing compared to when they mature.

 

[cherrybarbbaby]

Thanks for the advice, I'm returning both fish today.

I'm going to miss them.

 

[cherrybarbbaby]

well they are gone ---back to the fish store they went

My friend felt bad that he gave me something that I could not use but its okay. I just want to do the right thing by all the fish involved and this was for the best.

Thanks everyone for all the help and I'll be back to this forum again one day!!!!!

 

[modernhamlet]

will you not be finding new fish to put in your tank?

 

[cherrybarbbaby]

yeah, my tank is a little bare with just a few tiger barbs LOL


I just don't know what. My new tank will be about 33gals.


I'm going to keep looking at the other Ciclids that Feddyk suggested

Pseudotropheus Saulosi
Labidochromis Caeruleus
Iodotropheus Sprengerae
Maylandia Estherae (Red Zebra)


I really like ciclids and don't want to give up.

 

[gixer]

yeah, my tank is a little bare with just a few tiger barbs LOL


I just don't know what. My new tank will be about 33gals.


I'm going to keep looking at the other Ciclids that Feddyk suggested

Pseudotropheus Saulosi
Labidochromis Caeruleus
Iodotropheus Sprengerae
Maylandia Estherae (Red Zebra)


I really like ciclids and don't want to give up.

i would even take extreme care with the red zebras in a tank that size to be honest..might be ok might not, depends on the individual fish i guess.

i have a male estherae who would demolish that tank in minutes he's great