Red cichlids?

[pete28]

Hello all. Im not new to the site but i havent been around for a while and have made a few tank updates. I have a 45 gallon tall tank set up with cichlids of every color imaginable, except red. Much to my surprise i was reading a tropical fish magazine and there it was a beautiful picture of an all red cichlid! i was so excited i tore out the picture to take it to my local pet store so i could order one but i lost te picture. It has the same body style as a yellow lab but it is bright red. Can anyone please help me find the name of this besutiful fish?

 

[keane]

Hi,

am guessing, with the reference to labs, that it is a mbuna only tank??

try this link....

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1730

If this isn't what you are looking for then then try this link....

http/www.cichlid-forum.com/profiles/category.php?cat=2

Same website but a list of all/alot of the mbuna.

Would have had a look through myself for you but gotta leave work now to go home!!

 

[Ferris]

Could be Iodotropheus sperengae, which are lovely fish although not bright red, do a google for pics. The other one that springs to mind is a Red Zebra, but again they are bright orange not red. Some Aulonacara's have bright red colouring but this is usually mixed with other colours. Might not be an African, could be a Red Devil or other New World.

Wouldn't mind a red Mbuna for my tank but I've never seen anything, maybe one of the other members will chip in with some advice.

 

[freddyk]

If you find out what that picture was I'd be interested. I know of no red mbuna.

 

[pete28]

thank you for your replies i found the picture and the name is listed as

[/I]Tropheus moorii Chimba red from Zambia.

Sorry i dont know how to post the pics. My friend at the pet store said he can order some for me but it will take up to if not longer than a month to get them and they will run about 40 dollars a piece. I was devastated as these are a little out of my budget right at the moment. But what a gorgeous fish. I would love to see some other pictures as i have not found any yet. The only thing is he said that the fish would be wild will this cause any problems with my all cichlid tank?

 

[freddyk]

Ah yes, Tropheus.

I've seen these work in mbuna tanks, there is no doubt they can hold there own. These guys are actually herbivorous fish from lake Tanganyika. Great fish, but they are extremely suseptable to bloat. Water must be pristine at all times, and most food must be spirulina. These fish often get bloat from the stress of moving, and keepers of them often keep medications (and a hospital tank) on hand just in case. They also need to be kept in pretty large groups, or singly, otherwise they tend to beat each other pretty good.

 

[pete28]

wow! thank you freddy that information will be very helpful in the future. I was going to get 3 or 4 of them. As far as the water conditions in the tank, i do weekly changes and teh levels are all sufficient. I have had the tank established for a year with no fatalities or sicknesses. I will definitely use the advice you gave me to make sure everything goes well, and i have a few other tanks in te house that can be ussed for hospital tanks if need be.

 

[Bottom Dweller]

Tropheus - my favorite fish.
mine has a nice streak of red on the sides.
fredyk is correct - buy only one, mine harassed two peacocks that kind of looked like him to death. gets along with the other tankmates.

great personality - looks at you and kind of wabbles about. picks algae off all ornaments. we call him "pooper" seen em 8" long

 

[pete28]

awesome thanks for the input to all