Post by jonv on Dec 13, 2009 16:40:36 GMT -5
I saw your follow up late last night, was just tied up into other things, had been meaning to add on though. Sounds like you put a good deal of research into what you ordered and I'd agree with you that there is a high probability that may have some soccoloffi in them. There are some variants on the colorings and markings in some species as well, this is very true. I mean when we really boil the whole thing down to something very simple, like as to say this is the genetics of a species, if we think of the piles of years a species could be around, tack on the tremendous dollars involved to geneticially map out a fish, no one really knows no matter how close a species you pick up looks to what the wild ones look like, if it's a hybrid till they breed down the line. That's exactly why you have a pretty valid point they could at least be part soccoloffi.
If you just want to keep a group of fish to keep them I mean there's nothing wrong at all with keeping a species that could be a hybrid. The OB peacocks from Malawi are all hybrids. They are a peacock crossed with Mbuna to bring out certain looks, and breed for color strains. People know these are hybrids up front. About the only thing you'd have to worry about if you keep a suspected hybrid group, would be the headaches you'd open yourself up to, if you breed and sell, listing them as "x" species, then have someone say hey, this isn't what it is. This almost happend to me with the group I bought as Ps. Flavus, and after a very close examination, revealed these weren't 100% pure. I'm just grateful someone pointed it out to me before I started distributing. The bottom line on this would be, if all you intend to do is just keep, and even if they do breed, if you avoid selling and passing along a crossed line, there's really nothing wrong with that. If you like how they look, keep em. I just wanted to look out for you and point out these really don't seem to fall into the look of a typical soccoloffi with your best interests in mind on that aspect.
I also feel, from my point of view where if I were in your place what I'd do, to avoid the sexing aspect would be get a proven breeding group from someone. I mean, if a female is holding and spitting out babies, that's about all you need to know there
You pick up a group that's breeding already from someone, that takes that sexing factor out of the picture, and there you go. That really should help keep the infighting among males out of the picture. You will pay a little bit more for a proven group, but at the same time, you cut out the issues of young males harassing each other. That's what I'd do if I were in your place. I order from cichlids.net (atlantis fish hatchery) or Daves rare fish to avoid hybrid issues myself. They aren't perfect but the odds are much better in your favor of not getting tainted fish using someone like that. If I happen to know someone in the nycichlids group selling any certain type you might be interested in, I'll let you know. This is a group of very experienced keepers, and they really know their stuff well.
If you just want to keep a group of fish to keep them I mean there's nothing wrong at all with keeping a species that could be a hybrid. The OB peacocks from Malawi are all hybrids. They are a peacock crossed with Mbuna to bring out certain looks, and breed for color strains. People know these are hybrids up front. About the only thing you'd have to worry about if you keep a suspected hybrid group, would be the headaches you'd open yourself up to, if you breed and sell, listing them as "x" species, then have someone say hey, this isn't what it is. This almost happend to me with the group I bought as Ps. Flavus, and after a very close examination, revealed these weren't 100% pure. I'm just grateful someone pointed it out to me before I started distributing. The bottom line on this would be, if all you intend to do is just keep, and even if they do breed, if you avoid selling and passing along a crossed line, there's really nothing wrong with that. If you like how they look, keep em. I just wanted to look out for you and point out these really don't seem to fall into the look of a typical soccoloffi with your best interests in mind on that aspect.
I also feel, from my point of view where if I were in your place what I'd do, to avoid the sexing aspect would be get a proven breeding group from someone. I mean, if a female is holding and spitting out babies, that's about all you need to know there
You pick up a group that's breeding already from someone, that takes that sexing factor out of the picture, and there you go. That really should help keep the infighting among males out of the picture. You will pay a little bit more for a proven group, but at the same time, you cut out the issues of young males harassing each other. That's what I'd do if I were in your place. I order from cichlids.net (atlantis fish hatchery) or Daves rare fish to avoid hybrid issues myself. They aren't perfect but the odds are much better in your favor of not getting tainted fish using someone like that. If I happen to know someone in the nycichlids group selling any certain type you might be interested in, I'll let you know. This is a group of very experienced keepers, and they really know their stuff well. 
