Red Zebra & Albino Red Zebra in Same Tank

[myersdj]

I'm new to cichlids and am having a hard time finding a consistent answer to this question. Is it a bad idea to keep Red Zebras and Albino Red Zebras together in a 55 gallon tank?

Some sources hint that it is a bad idea. Other research hints that these two are color morphs of the same species and should present no problem.

I already have decided to pull my Blue Kenyi from the tank containing the Reds and Albino's (too aggressive). I realize that with Mbuna, there will always be some aggression, but I don't want to intentionally place ticking bombs in my 55 gallon tank!

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[Weezer]

We have 1 red zebra and he took over the tank right away, don't know what would happen if we had two of them, he dose allot of chasing but never nips, he even hassles the pleco, all our fish have a full set of fins, so i think he just tries to scare them..........:)

[mee-mee]

There are different kinds of Albino Zebras....but Albino Red Zebras can be kept with regular Red Zebras....any way to post a pix of it...

[myersdj]

I've read that Red Zebra's can be aggressive too, but not like the Kenyi's apparently!

I can accept some aggressiveness, after all, that's what Mbuna's typically do, right? I just don't want to do something stupid (like having Kenyi's in a 55 gallon tank where I can't have any other yellow fish without wondering every morning if that will be the day one's lease runs out).

[mee-mee]

Yeah, the majority of the time Mbunas are aggressive is during territory rights and breeding and protecting their young....other than that they can be peaceful, and we do have all Mbuna in our 80, and the Red is the king of the tank...so to speak...

[myersdj]

Will post a pic in a few mins.

[mee-mee]

Okay, then we can figure out what kind of Albino Zebra it is...there is a difference on how they look...

[myersdj]

Here's the best photo I got. I can try some more if this is too blurry.

[mee-mee]

I found what appears to be your Albino Zebra...

http://bluegrasscichlids.com/components/com_virtuemart/shop_image/product/CIMG5478.JPG

Just click on the link I put under this and it will tell you what kind of Zebra it is ...
http://bluegrasscichlids.com/store/1595.html

and it appears to be a Albino Cobalt Zebra....and we have a Blue Cobalt in our 80 with the Red Zebra and they do just fine...

[myersdj]

That looks right. I'll try to get a clearer picture, so I can compare more closely on screen.

[myersdj]

Here's another shot. Unfortunately, my digicam is too old to capture good pics of these little guys. You can't tell from the pic, but the fish there has peach or pinkish vertical stripes like in the pic you provided. There is another, smaller albino that appears to be the same shape, but does not have the vertical stripes (perhaps they appear with age?)

Also, the larger albino has the peach/pink edge to its fins, while the smaller one does not.

Finally, both have the gold/yellow spot on their ventral fin (just like the two spots on the ventral fins of the fish in the picture you provided).

Does this help clarify anything?

How many types of albino zebras are there (I'm not looking for a handout of info I can find myself, so if you say "a lot" and leave it at that, I'll understand).

Thank you so much for your help!

[mee-mee]

All I found were 3 so far...
Metriaclima zebra (Albino),
Pseudotropheus socolofi (Albino, and
albino cobalt zebra aka Callainos

So I guess ya can google them and find the one that closely matches the one you have...it sure is pretty though...

[mee-mee]

Socolofis tend to be more elongated than the one that you have, it is more rounded and squat...but look up the names I provided for ya, and good luck...

here is a link for the Socolofi albino...
http://www.nazarite.net/africans/profiles/pseudotropheus-socolofi-albino.html

an another link for the Metri albino...maybe this one is closer..
http://www.nazarite.net/africans/profiles/metriaclima-greshakei-albino.html

[myersdj]

Well, geez. It looks like the small one could be a Socolofi, while the large one could be a Metriaclima or a Callainos. This could lead to fueds between these two, if they are both albinos but of different species, correct?

[mee-mee]

But they are still Mbuna, are there shouldn't be a problem with them...and maybe someone can give some more info on the Albinos and then the ones you described...

[myersdj]

According to the site you provided, it says a Metri has a bluish body and a bright orange dorsal fin. My fish's body doesn't have a really blueish body, but does have a blueish dorsal fin with what I guess is an orange edge.

By the way, thanks for complimenting the fish! It really is beautiful (both albinos, in fact). That's why I don't want to give them up, or put them in a powder keg.

[myersdj]

Yeah, but you'd still agree that the Kenyi's are pushing it? Especially if I want to get something like an Electric Yellow? Do you think a Yellow would be okay with the Red Zebras and the Albinos (both types, it appears).

FYI, I'm going to get a few more Red's to try to get a 1M:3F ratio. I just don't know how to do that until they're older (these little guys are barely an inch long).

[mee-mee]

Then just keep them growing stronger and you just might have more babies, if one turns out to be a female...oh and I found this from Youtube...check it out...but it 2 Eureka albinos...way tooo many albino cichlids...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSmfsjQudlI

now that was interesting...

[myersdj]

I should also say that I plan on getting more than one Electric Yellow (1M:3F).

[mee-mee]

Yeah, but you'd still agree that the Kenyi's are pushing it? Especially if I want to get something like an Electric Yellow? Do you think a Yellow would be okay with the Red Zebras and the Albinos (both types, it appears).

FYI, I'm going to get a few more Red's to try to get a 1M:3F ratio. I just don't know how to do that until they're older (these little guys are barely an inch long).

yeah, put the Kenyis in a tank of their own...if ya want the AZs to live...but good luck anyway, and looking forward to seeing pix of babies in the future...and the Yellow would be fine with the Red, we have 7 labs so far with more on the way...(see sig)...heehee..:)

[myersdj]

There are alot. And they're hard to tell apart!

[mee-mee]

I will check back tomorrow on your thread to see how things have progressed with your new AZs...

[myersdj]

I saw you keep them together. I just got worried when I read about the Kenyis. I broke one of my own cardinal rules by not researching BEFORE purchasing. STUPID, STUPID, STUPID! I always research first (except this time).

[mee-mee]

There are alot. And they're hard to tell apart!

We name them by size, when first born...and some are cross bred...but we like them anyway.....and alot of people dont like hybrids, but we dont care, to each his or her own like everyone says...we are quite happy with all of our cichlids, and just might go out tomorrow and get some more....we do have room to spare...

[myersdj]

Thanks for you help!

[mee-mee]

NP, glad I could maybe kind of help in some way...still very beautiful cichlids, even the pearl ones....but yours in pretty, even for a fuzzy pix...