Help Identify Cichlid species ::pics::

[keiferd]

hey I recently set up my 37 gallon tall and I would like to know the scientific and common names of these fish. Thank you. I would also like some suggestions on the overall setup of my tank.

1st is the mbuna
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h62/kvb2001/037.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h62/kvb2001/036.jpg

2nd these white/yellow striped guys
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h62/kvb2001/041.jpg
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h62/kvb2001/040.jpg

3rd this little albino guy which I assume is some sort of tiger peacock.
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h62/kvb2001/038.jpg

And here is the setup of my tank. suggestions?
http://i61.photobucket.com/albums/h62/kvb2001/042.jpg[/img]

[Lupin]

1st-My best guess is Pseudotropheus elongatus.
2nd-The ones at the right side? They're Melanochromis auratus.
3rd-Possibly Aulonocara but I'm not the right person to ID that one.

Nice tank although length would be more important than height when keeping African cichlids.

[ibr3ak]

First pic looks like crabro but it's blue?

Second looks like a socolofi.

The albino looks more like an mbuna than a peacock, could be an albino aulonacara jacobfreibergi though.

[keiferd]

What If I were to layer more rockwork vertically, creating "stories" of caves to create more territories in the vertical space? I can get this smooth lightweight porous lava rock from my LFS for 1.99/LB. Is there any kind of fish-safe glue to secure the rocks together?

[Lupin]

Use silicon sealant designed for aquarium to construct your rockwork.

[keiferd]

Also the Blue guys frequently change colors from a pale tan, tan with stripes, to a brilliant blue with black stripes when aggressive. They can do this in a split second and it seems that the flash of the camera seems to turn them blue and It's hard to get pics of them in their other states.

[keiferd]

I have a wild Idea, what if I were to take a plane of glass and cut a big half-circle from it and use the silicon sealer to mount it halfway of the height of my tank, creating a whole new shelf to mount more rockwork?

[jmp3854]

Here is your answer for your yellow/black stiped ones. I found this on petsolutions.com
Other places to see pictures are: liveaquaria.com (dr. foster&smith) and cichlidlovers.com
We too have a few of the blue cichlids that we are having trouble identifying. Good luck.
Here is what was on the website.

M. Auratus Cichlid

M. Auratus Cichlid comes from Lake Malawi and was first described by Boulenger back in 1897. It is currently classified as Melanochromis auruatus and is a member of the "rock dwelling" cichlids, also known as the Mbuna. Juveniles have a yellow body with horizontal black stripes, and while the female keeps this coloration, the male almost reverses having a body with black coloration and horizontal yellow/white stripes. Ounce per ounce, this male is one of the most aggressive African Cichlilds you can own. It might require a small group of 6 juveniles to obtain males and females, but when they are adults, it is best to keep one male and several females. M. Auruatus requires a rocky environment with some open areas in which to spawn. The Auratus is a mouth brooder. After the female lays the eggs and they are fertilized by the male, she will pick up the eggs and incubate them in her mouth for 14-21 days. If you plan to keep this fish with other Mbuna, make sure they have very dissimilar coloration so they do not pose as much of a "threat" to the males. Since the Auratus will spend most of its time in or near the rocks, it can be kept with open water swimmers. Reaching a size of up to 4" in length, the males generally grow larger than the females. The Auratus makes an active and attractive addition to the aquarium and will require a vegetable based diet, with occasional treats of meaty foods like bloodworms or brine shrimp.

http://www.petsolutions.com/images/200/90100.jpg

[rogers138]

1st-My best guess is Pseudotropheus elongatus.
2nd-The ones at the right side? They're Melanochromis auratus.
3rd-Possibly Aulonocara but I'm not the right person to ID that one. I'm not too sure on that one either.

Nice tank although length would be more important than height when keeping African cichlids.

:iagree: with Lupin. I do suggest adding more rocks to your tank because Melanochromis auratus are fiesty plus malawi cichlids are use to a rocky environment. Nice ta nk overall!

[keiferd]

cool thanx for all the help

[tarheels910]

1st-Pseudotropheus Elongatus.
2nd-Melanochromis Auratus
3rd-Albino Psuedotropheus Socolofi
4th-Some strain of Albino Aulonocara.

Tank size needs to be upgraded. 55 gallon + recommmended.