i just took out my undergravel filter stuff and placed my powerhead on the side of my tank and my fish are loving the current.
my once though socolofi are actually red-finned albino zebras
- Thread starter AquariumNoob13
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I wouldn't go through any efforts to increase their survival rate. Mbuna hybrids shouldn't be disseminated beyond the control of the hobbyist whose tank(s) they were born in. You have an idea of the general similarity between albino socolofis and zebras. Now imagine the offspring of the two ending up in tanks being sold as either or (while being none of the above and the distinction between the two species being blurred).
Whether you keep the ones that survive or cull them, that's your call.
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if i keep them won't they eventually get eaten by the red zebras anyway? and could i raise them as feeder food for my bro's JD and/or Angel?
Not necessarily. Depending on variables (size of initial fry brood, quanity of hiding spots, predatory nature of the larger fish in the tank, etc), a small percentage of fry can survive in the tank long enough to avoid becoming eaten and eventually become full-fledged tank occupants. The greater the brood size and number of hiding spots, the greater the chance that the fry will survive.
Several mbuna's in my tank are prime examples of 'survival of the fittest' at work. They (now 3 or 4 inches in length) were the few survivors of the multitude of fry born and left in my main tank.
Several mbuna's in my tank are prime examples of 'survival of the fittest' at work. They (now 3 or 4 inches in length) were the few survivors of the multitude of fry born and left in my main tank.
but i don't want hybrids. i want full bred fish. how can i tell hybrid fry apart from normal fry? like will their parents not protect hybrid's as much?
There's no one correct answer to that question.
Basically if the species are not similar in appearance then you could probably tell visually (fry sired by a yellow top mbamba and mouthbrooded by a yellow lab could probably be identified as being neither species). With similar looking fry you might not know until they're bigger (fry sired by a johanni and a mouth brooded by a msobo will resemble fry of either species until they're well-sized juvies, as fry of both species are born yellow-orange).
A decent gender ratio will greatly minimize the chance that hybridization will occur at all (1 male per several females per species is effective as most will seek out their own species first, then any willing participant second).
The chance of hybridization can be even further reduced by avoiding similar looking mbuna's, or avoid keeping dimorphic species with similar looking genders, or better yet: no more than one genus of mbuna per tank.
Depending on factors the mother will regard any fry she releases as her's, hybrid or not. Aside from temporarily reclaiming them in her mouth at the sign of trouble, I've never really witnessed any greater extent of protection from mbuna mothers (unlike my female nimbochromis venustus', they become ferocious to all other fish in the tank anywhere near their fry, they aggressively protect them).
There should be no real hybridization issue if keeping, say, decent sized groups of yellow labs, snow white socolofi and red zebras together.
Basically if the species are not similar in appearance then you could probably tell visually (fry sired by a yellow top mbamba and mouthbrooded by a yellow lab could probably be identified as being neither species). With similar looking fry you might not know until they're bigger (fry sired by a johanni and a mouth brooded by a msobo will resemble fry of either species until they're well-sized juvies, as fry of both species are born yellow-orange).
A decent gender ratio will greatly minimize the chance that hybridization will occur at all (1 male per several females per species is effective as most will seek out their own species first, then any willing participant second).
The chance of hybridization can be even further reduced by avoiding similar looking mbuna's, or avoid keeping dimorphic species with similar looking genders, or better yet: no more than one genus of mbuna per tank.
Depending on factors the mother will regard any fry she releases as her's, hybrid or not. Aside from temporarily reclaiming them in her mouth at the sign of trouble, I've never really witnessed any greater extent of protection from mbuna mothers (unlike my female nimbochromis venustus', they become ferocious to all other fish in the tank anywhere near their fry, they aggressively protect them).
There should be no real hybridization issue if keeping, say, decent sized groups of yellow labs, snow white socolofi and red zebras together.
the problem with the socolofi is that i can't find them anywhere else! i got them in the "assorted africans" tank at petco and they haven't restocked them since then. the only lfs near my house is called "pet market" and they suck. they have hardly any fish at all. could you recomend a place where i can get them? i also don't like paying the price for labs since i got mine for 3 for $12. the store price is outrageous.
They're one of the most common mbuna's, I'm surprised you can't readily find them in your area. I think I mentioned it to you before, but too bad you don't live near me, I've got about a dozen of the powder blue one's I need to sell (ranging from the length of a paper clip to about 4 inches, $2 to 5 each).
i'd perfer snow white rather than powder blue. i can find the blue ones anywhere, but the snow white ones i can find nowhere.
