Questions about Kenyi Cichlid & other similar type

[jasno999]

I have 3 small Kenyi Cichlid (Pseudotropheus lombardoi). Two female and two male. I wanted to know soem mroe information on them. How aggressive are they torwards other fish, what do they like to eat and what is good for them? What is not good to feed to them? What makes their colors the most bright? How big do they get?

And also what is the difference between the Kenyi Cichlid (Pseudotropheus lombardoi) and the Pseudotropheus demasoni type?

 

[thecichlidaddict]

Lombardoi are one of the most aggressive mbuna one can get. Females stay blue while males turn orange. Keeping more then one requires a tank that is at the very least 4 feet long and 55 gallons - the bigger the better. Because of the aggression, more females is a good idea to distribute the aggression. They are also aggressive toward other tankmates, so it is important to keep only other fish that can handle that kind of aggression. Food should be a mix of a high quality spirulina flake with a general cichlid pellet, leaning toward more spirulina. Frozen invertabrates can be offered as a supplement a few times per week.

Demasoni are different. They're always blue, they are just as aggressive, and they are about half the size. It is sometimes mistaken that their smaller size means they can be kept in a smaller tank. This is not true - because of their aggression they need a tank every bit as big as the Lombardoi do.

 

[jasno999]

Are you kidding me? See I went on the internet and found a few sites that talked abotu these Cichlids and they said totally opposite things from what you jsut said. I read that they only get to about 4-5 inches at max and that they are only a little aggressive. Another site said they could be kept in a 25 gallon tank.

I forget the sites. Oh well. I am not adding any fish to the tank. Maybe jsut a bottom feeder but I am Cichlided out. IF they get too agressive or to big for my 30gal then I will have to return them to the fish store. I am goign to try and make it work. I do nto have a larger tank so there is nto much that I can do. If I had realized how agressive they are supposed to be or become then I would have thought twice and not purchased them. But so far so good and hopefulyl i can keep them all gettign along. The gorumis are doing fine and there is an alge eater along with these fish. My roomate also gave me what looks like a red devil. I did nto want this fish nor did I purchase it. The kid just put it in my tank one day. So I will have to probably find a new home for this guy one day. I know they get to 7" and should be in a larger tank.

 

[thecichlidaddict]

You may find this whole website useful, but check out this thread in particular.

Are Lombaroi aggressive?

 

[jasno999]

crap-balls.

What do I do? I guess I am just goign to leave things alone and see what happens. I am going to keep them well fed and hope for the best. Looks like the other fish are in trouble. But at this point there is nothing I can do. When I buy a house I would eventually like to get a 150gal up to a 250gal tank. But for now I do nto have teh space or money to get another tank and setup. So I either let it go or try to take them back to a LFS.

 

[modernhamlet]

Shouldn't you at the very least return one of the males to the LFS? 1 male: 2 females is much less likely to explode into a massacre than 2:2.

Just a thought. Of course, if they'll take one, they'll prolly take 4, so...

 

[jasno999]

I have one male and two females right now. I don't knwo if I should take them back or just try and care for them. I am up for the challenge but I also do not want to see the other fish torn to shreds.