Please help in identifying cichlid

**Gemstone** · 06-24-2008, 08:53 PM

Sooo....my husband Boertjie and I became the proud, unexpected parents of a cichlid couple and their 14 offspring. The tank and fish arrived tonight, and fortunately a lot of the tank's water came along too..so we were kept pretty busy setting the tank up *I think in record time*...getting the temperature right *hot water added*...and getting the fish settled in...We have two *rather blurryinsh * photographs of the male taken with the cellphone. Please follow the link and help us in identifying which kind we have become parents to. The adults are about the size of a large man's palm *taking my husband who is way over 6 foot's palm size into consideration here*. The male has a pinkish colour to the face with reddish markings, and blackish stripes on the body. They have red eyes.
http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fish...0&ppuser=14523

All help will be greatly appreciated.

Gemstone

**Billythefish** · 06-24-2008, 09:06 PM

Thay look like severums to me but with the bad pic it could be convicts too! Can you tell me what colour thay are ?

Ok had a good look again and im 100% on severums

**Gemstone** · 06-24-2008, 09:11 PM

it's night and they are now sleeping...the lighting in the tank is also not too good, but they have dark grey/black *stripes*....and the face are has a myriad of red *lines*...the female is more drab....they also have adark *dot* near the tail.

**Billythefish** · 06-24-2008, 09:18 PM

100% severum!

**Gemstone** · 06-24-2008, 09:21 PM

thank you ever somuch Mr Fish....or Billy...MAY I call you Billy???..If the hubby was not around I'd give u a hug....here is a cybernetic one anyways..

.....

...and on that note...good nite...is 11:39 p.m. in S.A.....sleepy bye time...

**Billythefish** · 06-24-2008, 10:06 PM

Originally Posted by Gemstone

thank you ever somuch Mr Fish....or Billy...MAY I call you Billy???..If the hubby was not around I'd give u a hug....here is a cybernetic one anyways..

.....

...and on that note...good nite...is 11:39 p.m. in S.A.....sleepy bye time...

lmao) your welcome and feel free to call me billy.... Oh and welcome to the a.c

**Gemstone** · 06-25-2008, 04:45 AM

lol...thank you Billy...Hells bells...I've been up since 5 this morning...to check and see of my new babies are ok....they had a lot of stress yesterday with the move and everything associated..there were 15 little ones, but one unfortunately died en route to my home..they were all put into a cooler box with some of the tank's original water..the slops of the tank ws also transported in theier tank, so at least there is some sort of a bio-culture in the tank...and one they are used to. Needless to say, the gravel itself is not very clean at present..he previous owner had started to neglect them apparently and got tired of caring for them...which is how I got them. They seem to be doing ok at the moment, although I am not putting their tank's light on for long periods...just lonng enough to see if all are ok...I;ve fed them the food the gy sent with them, but will be going to the pet shop later to see what else I can get them...the adults don't seem too keen on the food, or else they might still be getting over the stress of the long trip to my home..a trip they will be making again in a few months time when we move..but at least not sooo long as this trip was...will keep u updated...thanks again for the help.

**Billythefish** · 06-25-2008, 07:46 AM

Hiya, how did you fill up the tank water ? I'd get a good air stone on full blast to help the new water cycle and some tetra nitrate minus to boost the biological process,
How big is your tank?

**Gemstone** · 06-26-2008, 07:44 AM

Hey Billy!!!

The tank is about 150 litres...ahmmm....divide by 4.5...to get gallons....I would say in the region of...3.3333333 gallons....IF i worked out correctly...anyway...is quite large...but ......I feel still soo small for so many cichlids...and if the parents are anything to go by....and from what I have managed to get off the net....wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too small for them all as the little ones grow. Soooo.....yesterday..I went to the pet shop shere I buy my medication for my fishes...I only get it from the once place...the meds are stunning...its South African made and all natural herbs...and have lost no fish since using that instead of the imported stuff...and I went because the anti-stress stuff I have is not enough for that big tank...and there was an almost new second hand tank...at an extremely reasonable price...about 300 litres I reckon...which is just about double the size of the one I got with the cichlids...ao I maxed my credit card and bought it..have made arangements to have it transported home this evening as it is too big to fit in my car. I am going to get it cycling as soon as I can...and am going to put some of the cichlid tank's water in there as well...and am also going to suck up some of it's gravel so that I get a good dose of bacteria going...and will probably plant it up this weekend as well...have plants from other tanks I can use for this...And also see about getting a heater..have a spare filter etc. that will do the trick...As soon as everything is in hunky dorey condition I am going to move the adults and one or two babeis into that tank...

The fish themselves seem to be doing ok...although I have noticed that a few of the big girl's scales * I call her Abigail and he is the Big Boy* are damaged, probably in the move. Sooo...the medication should help for that as well...they are all eating well..

I did not mention the sucker fish that came with them...it's some kind of cichlid apparently with a *elephantish nose thingie*..at the end..quite cute...and large as well.

**Billythefish** · 06-26-2008, 08:13 AM

Originally Posted by Gemstone

Hey Billy!!!

The tank is about 150 litres...ahmmm....divide by 4.5...to get gallons....I would say in the region of...3.3333333 gallons....IF i worked out correctly...anyway...is quite large...but ......I feel still soo small for so many cichlids...and if the parents are anything to go by....and from what I have managed to get off the net....wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too small for them all as the little ones grow. Soooo.....yesterday..I went to the pet shop shere I buy my medication for my fishes...I only get it from the once place...the meds are stunning...its South African made and all natural herbs...and have lost no fish since using that instead of the imported stuff...and I went because the anti-stress stuff I have is not enough for that big tank...and there was an almost new second hand tank...at an extremely reasonable price...about 300 litres I reckon...which is just about double the size of the one I got with the cichlids...ao I maxed my credit card and bought it..have made arangements to have it transported home this evening as it is too big to fit in my car. I am going to get it cycling as soon as I can...and am going to put some of the cichlid tank's water in there as well...and am also going to suck up some of it's gravel so that I get a good dose of bacteria going...and will probably plant it up this weekend as well...have plants from other tanks I can use for this...And also see about getting a heater..have a spare filter etc. that will do the trick...As soon as everything is in hunky dorey condition I am going to move the adults and one or two babeis into that tank...

The fish themselves seem to be doing ok...although I have noticed that a few of the big girl's scales * I call her Abigail and he is the Big Boy* are damaged, probably in the move. Sooo...the medication should help for that as well...they are all eating well..

I did not mention the sucker fish that came with them...it's some kind of cichlid apparently with a *elephantish nose thingie*..at the end..quite cute...and large as well.

Wow you have been busy haha that excellent that you got a bigger tank sorted out... Severums like lots of room and caves to hide in, can you post a pic of your sucker fish? Im sure some one will be able to i'd it.