Wal-Mart

[Aquarius0015]

I do not intend to keep cichlids in the near future, and I never buy fish from Wal-Mart, but in every Wal-Mart there seems to be a tank full of "Assorted Africans Cichlids." Some of them are very pretty and colorful. I think one type is bright yellow, another is light blue with vertical stripes, and there are a few brownish ones. The label says they grow to be about 5". I was just wondering what types of cichlids these are. Are they different colored strains of the same species or different species entirely? If the latter, I think it is very irresponsible of Wal-Mart to not tell you what species you are buying!

[forsure]

Yeah it is irresponsible, but the "Small Assorted African Cichlid" tank is in every pet store, and LFS I have been too. These stores have the common and Latin name for most of the fish they keep, but the Sm. Asst. Afr. Cichlid tank is omni-present. It is common in the aquaria trade. I wish all LFS were more responsible. I am not very knowledgeable about African Cichlids, but I think many of the Assortment are Haps. Hap is a shortened nickname for a longer Latin name.

Anyone ?

[SayersWeb]

The types of African cichlids in the assorted tank are ususally not Haps. They are typically called Mbuna or Zebras. They are rock/cave dwellers and are very territorial. They breed easily and can be interesting to raise. They are not very relaxing to watch since they are always fighting or flashing.

[forsure]

Cool, Sayers Web I was not sure. But are the SM. ASSRT. AFR. CIC. TANKs popular around you too?

[stan the man]

Hey! A word of advice. Africans are normally good sellers for a breeder/distributer. Good enough that they wouldn't mix fish which could cross breed and then devalue. So if a store--any store--is selling "mixed africans," ask if they were put together by employees to clear out a tank or if they were received as mixed from a supplier. If they were received as mixed, there is a good chance these fish have cross bred or hybridized. In other words, what looks like a yellow lab and should grow to 5" and be okay with your fish, might have a bit of red zebra in it and be real mean. You never know with a hybrid what it will become.

[~*LuvMyKribs*~]

Hap stands for Haplochromis... btw :D

I think the assorted africans are usually mbuna, and usually from malawi I think.
They are much cheaper than the 'named' mbunas the pet store sells, which makes me suspicous. I suspect what stan the man was saying, about them being inbred and possibly hybrids.

[SayersWeb]

Originally posted by forsure
Cool, Sayers Web I was not sure. But are the SM. ASSRT. AFR. CIC. TANKs popular around you too? Yes, they often have them at the discount shops. I think even PetSmart has them, but I'm not certain about that.

BTW... the cross breed/hybrid Africans are not really an issue unless you want to breed them yourself and sell the fry. If you like how they look and you don't mind the Mbuna behavior then it's really not a problem that they are cross-bred and less valuable.

[mtdewlover]

I would say the yellow ones are yellow labs, and the light blue with stripes are kenyi's. Both are beautiful fish. I love them. Walmart sucks anyway. (I'm anti walmart) I know they are compatable, I'm not that knowlegeable on species and things like that.

[VoodooChild]

I've never seen assorted from anywhere other than Malawi. Cross-breeding is very unlikely but inbreeding isn't. And all the major pet stores have assorteds, including the Petsmart and Co.