Mbuna Pictures

[blue2fyre]

These aren't the best because they were all darting around this morning. My male white top hara is in full breeding dress now and he is all over the place. He spawned with one of the females last night and he's trying to court another one now. I think he's happy that I thinned out the group. It was my first experience venting and some were challenging but I believe I have 1 male 4 females and 1 unknown that I think is female. I remove 5 individuals hat were either too small to tell or were extra males.
The next pictures are my larger female msobo. She has really colored up from when I first got her and in the last couple days she's looking chubby. I'm hoping she might be spawning soon as well. Still no good pictures of the male, he's claimed a rockpile and has been zooming around protecting it. He has a few battle wounds right now from the battle with the demasoni so he's not looking too handsome.
I'm going to be trying a smaller demasoni soon but I want to wait until my hara is done spawning. Right now I know he's in no mood for newcomers. Plus I have some fish coming in the mail and I would like to add the whole group at once. Anyway here are the pictures!

[blue2fyre]

Oh I forgot to mention. I got a call from Bluegrass aquatics yesterday telling me they didn't have many yellow tail acei left and would I be interested in some white tail acei instead. I said that would be fine. I've always wanted white tails but couldn't find them. I still have 1 yellow tail acei and at first I worried about crossbreeding. But fry do NOT survive in my tank thanks to the petricola so I think it will be fine.
They should be here either Wednesday or Friday depending on when they ship which will be based on weather.

[Jill-O]

Very pretty!!!

[DrgRcr]

Nice blue:thumbsup:! Be sure to post pics of the Acei when you get them and they're settled in. They interest me because I don't think most people realize there's a 3rd(at least) variant. Ngara(White Tail) and Luwala(Yellow Tail) are the two that are most common. The third, which I have, are from Itungi. They are almost black with yellow tails when young, but as mine mature more, they are starting to morph into a dark blue/purple-ish color. I posted pics of them last week.

[Pittbull]

Yeah blue Bluegrass is just a few minutes away from me and we are getting some crazy weather right now so i hope all is well.. Cool photos..

[blue2fyre]

I can be patient. I want my fish to arrive alive even if it's a bit later in the week.

[Pittbull]

I so understand what your saying.. I am probably going to drive out to his place this weekend and see what i need..

[efors]

What a beautiful fish that white top hara is!!!

[blue2fyre]

Thank you!

I am so proud of him. I suggest white top haras to a lot of people now when they are looking for a "different" mbuna species.

[Jill-O]

Can you remind me again of the camera you use? I like what your getting.

[blue2fyre]

It's a Casio exilim 7.2 megapixel. I just set it on macro and shoot.

[Jill-O]

I need to order that kind or something very similar!

[blue2fyre]

It's a great little camera, I've had mine for 2 years and I love it.

[Michwol42795]

Great fish! :D

[AfroCichlid]

Great looking fish!

[Razzo]

Very nice!

[CWO4GUNNER]

Very beautiful. By the way those red and black shark looking bottom feeders I have also seen at VetSmart. Do they do well with Mbuna and are they helpful with discarded food? I never bought any cause Iv heard they are aggressive with regular tropicals, but now that I see them in your Mbuna tank Im interested!

[blue2fyre]

Red tail sharks are hit or miss in a mbuna tank. I've been trying it out and so far he has some torn fins but can take care of himself. He's still really small and I know as he gets bigger he will get more aggressive. As he grows I will have to keep an eye on him. One of the biggest things I'm avoiding is any fish that are bright orange or red. I have heard of them going after red zebras because of the color. I know another member had their OB zebra beat up by a large red tail. So I have avoided this color. I have read a lot about it working out but sometimes it doesn't.
He doesn't really clean up much food. He grabs flakes and east algae off the rocks all day. He also likes veggies. My real clean up crew/fry control are my syno petricola. They are from lake Tanganyika and like the same parameters. My mbuna tried to eat them when I first put them in but spit them out quickly. They have sharp spines.
Honestly I'm not sure how the red tail or synos would stand up to some of the mbuna you have. You do have some really aggressive species.

[CWO4GUNNER]

Wow thanks, glad I found that out I was about to go treat myself LOL.

There is another strange type of Mbuna that I cant remember the weird name and I cant find in the species list. They are at my local mom & pop LFS and they have different colors and patterns indicative of Mbuna but have bodies shaped like helicopters and naturally lay on the bottom sand on there bellies like a sick sick fish and have rounded mouths or lips. I have never seen these anywhere else and they LFS says they are sand siphoners and are Mbuna.

Know what the deal is with them as far as comparability?

[blue2fyre]

That doesn't sound like mbuna. Mbuna have enlongated bodies so they can move between the rocks. What you are describing is a deep bodied fish. I'm not sure at all what they are. I think I would need a picture. What color are they? Mbuna are very active and should be swimming around not laying on the bottom.
There are some lake tanganyika sand sifters.

[CWO4GUNNER]

They all lay on there bellies move swimm a couple inches and lay back down.and some look like Bumblebees but fatter sausage shaped, some are powder blue, some are white with blue and orange irregular dots, some are dark brownish. do you have a picture of those siphon fish from that other lake as its probubly them?

[efors]

Those fishes most probably aren't mbuna. They should be sand sifter cichlids or goby cichlids from Lake Tanganyika. There are many species of them to show you some pics. It would be easier if you could show us pics of them.

[Pittbull]

sounds like buffaloheads or goby tang cichlids post a photo so we can help you better..

[CWO4GUNNER]

sounds like buffaloheads or goby tang cichlids post a photo so we can help you better..
Yup this has to be it (photo below) only the ones at my LFS are bigger (5" at least) and more colorful and they want $30 each, too much I think. Thanks, search of the name buffalo head found it.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/images/categories/product/p-80668-cichlid.jpg

[Coler]

those fish look great blue.

[CWO4GUNNER]

Yeah I also like the white ones with the blue and reddish spots.

Sorry blue2fyre, my last out of topic comment. I have to watch my P's & Q's lol.

[Pittbull]

Cool i have a pair of the Buffaloheads.. Pretty cool fish..

Here is a picture one of mine..

118620

[efors]

Aye, we didn't know you have buffaloheads; Pitt!!!

[Pittbull]

Tis tis efors see you thought you knew a lot about me hehehe intriguing minds want to know..

[efors]

Hmmm...now you are using fishes like poker cards. Is there any other one hidden under your sleeve, you cheater? :irked:

[Pittbull]

hehehe cheater thats funny me mucker..