Pseudotropheus Johanni

[cichlidfirsttimer]

I have 2 pseudotropheus johanni in my 55 gal. I thought that I had a male and a female. The yellow one I was told from the fish store owner was a male. Then I found out it was probably a female, even though she has 2 egg spots.
Anyways, she has turned from yellow to sort of a brownish color. I heard this could be because of stress. Is this true? Or is she maybe dying?

 

[Tifftastic]

They'll turn brown sometimes when stressed or sometimes if changing color. How big are these fish? You could actually have a male that retained its juvenile colour (yellow) longer and is now sexually developing, they'll turn brownish then blue.

What are your parameters? How often do you water change?

 

[cichlidfirsttimer]

About an inch and a half. It's for sure getting bigger quick! I change my water about every week or 10 days. Parameters last night
Ammonia somewhere between 0ppm and .25ppm
Nitrites 0ppm
Nitrates 40ppm
PH is 8.2

I have sand substrate and holy rock with lots of hiding places.
I am going to try moving rocks again with the next water change. I have a feeling maybe he's stressed.
I don't really want to say what other fish I have in there....I think it's a pretty aggressive tank so I've been told by some of the fish owners.. :s

 

[Tifftastic]

So, at that size you can't determine sex in all individuals. Its likely a male that retained larval colouration longer than its counterpart did.

Your parameters sound just fine.

Johanni are really aggressive fish. You'll likely see them start killing other things depending on what's in there.

 

[Frank Castle]

I have 2 pseudotropheus johanni in my 55 gal. I thought that I had a male and a female. The yellow one I was told from the fish store owner was a male. Then I found out it was probably a female, even though she has 2 egg spots.
Anyways, she has turned from yellow to sort of a brownish color. I heard this could be because of stress. Is this true? Or is she maybe dying?

They'll turn brown sometimes when stressed or sometimes if changing color. How big are these fish? You could actually have a male that retained its juvenile colour (yellow) longer and is now sexually developing, they'll turn brownish then blue.

What are your parameters? How often do you water change?

It could also be a hybrid JohanniXAuratus - it happens more frequently than most think....I had the 2 hybridize a number of years ago when I kept Malawi cichlids.

About an inch and a half. It's for sure getting bigger quick! I change my water about every week or 10 days. Parameters last night
Ammonia somewhere between 0ppm and .25ppm
Nitrites 0ppm
Nitrates 40ppm
PH is 8.2

I have sand substrate and holy rock with lots of hiding places.
I am going to try moving rocks again with the next water change. I have a feeling maybe he's stressed.
I don't really want to say what other fish I have in there....I think it's a pretty aggressive tank so I've been told by some of the fish owners.. :s

You could tell us anyway I assure you, you are DEFINITELY not the only one with insanely aggressive fish on this website.

About an inch and a half. It's for sure getting bigger quick! I change my water about every week or 10 days. Parameters last night
Ammonia somewhere between 0ppm and .25ppm
Nitrites 0ppm
Nitrates 40ppm
PH is 8.2

I have sand substrate and holy rock with lots of hiding places.
I am going to try moving rocks again with the next water change. I have a feeling maybe he's stressed.
I don't really want to say what other fish I have in there....I think it's a pretty aggressive tank so I've been told by some of the fish owners.. :s

pretty sure ammonia is supposed to be 0

 

[cichlidfirsttimer]

It's as close to 0 as it gets...I've had the tank for a while and it never seems to get as yellow as the test strip. I think it may just be my water!

I just have had some opinionated people telling me what I should do. I decided that this is a hobby for me and I'm just starting, so obviously I'm going to make mistakes and lose fish. That's sort of the fun of it...Figuring it out!

Here's what I have.......
2 pseudotropheus crabro
2 Metraclima pyrsonotos albinos (One named trump and he is the jerk of the tank for sure!)
The lady at the fish store told me I needed to get them in pairs and I disagreed...she insisted. I wish I would have listened. This was my first purchase and it made my tank very aggressive to start off....Trump was so pretty tho!!
1 pseudotropheus johanni female...at least i thought she was...she went from orange to this ugly brown.
1 metraclima mwbeca
1 cynotilapia elongatus...he's the only fish i've lost so far...
my last purchase was
1 melanochromis auratus- he doesn't have proper coloring either
1 what i thought was pseudotropheus johanni male...could be something different
1 pseudotropheus acei

I know I need to add a few more...they could be all territorial and need more to the mix. Getting the right fish is slow going in this small city I live in.

Suggestions of what to get that may be less aggressive are welcome.
Comments on how stupid a selection I made are not!

I'm thinking I'd like more blue... Metraclima callainos or labidochromis textilis cobalt... no more with stripes!!

 

[Tifftastic]

It's as close to 0 as it gets...I've had the tank for a while and it never seems to get as yellow as the test strip. I think it may just be my water!

I think the reason you're never seeing a full zero is you are using strips and they're not accurate. If you use Prime and strips it always shows up as in between 0 and 0.25. Even if you don't use Prime the strips will show this way.

Suggestions of what to get that may be less aggressive are welcome.
Comments on how stupid a selection I made are not!

Unfortunately, because your choices are so aggressive, I would not recommend adding anything less aggressive, as they will likely fall victim to the more aggressive fish in your tank. The M. auratus will become the boss of that tank, and everything needs to be able to stand up to him.

 

[cichlidfirsttimer]

So, I finally found some information on the difference between a pseudotropheus johanni and the pseudotropheus cyaneorhabdos...

The latter are all the same color from being born, which is blue and black horizontal stripe. They say not to keep them in the same tank as the johannii's because they cross breed. I didn't know that and unfortunately my cyaneorhabdos went to fishy heaven last week ;(

The former are all yellow or orange when they are born and males morph into this beautiful black and blue while the females stay orange. This is what happened to Mango. She's a he.

I need a new name...

http://tropicalfishandaquariums.com/african-cichlids/blue-johanni-pseudotropeus-johannii.asp