AboutRon Coleman Expertise I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish. Please do not ask me questions about why your goldfish are sick -- they are almost always sick due to the way that they are sold). Also, please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen
eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. Thanks.
Experience I teach at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page . I also write for many popular aquarist magazines, and I am editor of Cichlid News magazine. I am a scientist and I spend my time teaching fish biology, ecology, behavior and evolution and doing research on the reproductive biology of fishes, particularly cichlids. I do research in the laboratory and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. My main interest is understanding the evolution of parental care in fishes. I am interested in encouraging greater public awareness, understanding and participation in science.
Organizations belong to American Cichlid Association, Pacific Coast Cichlid Association, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, etc
Publications Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes
Expert: Ron Coleman Date: 7/3/2008 Subject: Cichlids
Question Right now I have 5 African cichlids in a 5 gallon tank and they are all doing well. From what I have seen I have 2 kenyi, 2 zebra, and one I cant tell what it is. He is like a darker gray color and it has muted stripes down his body and has a black spot on his gill plate. Any ideas? I know as they get bigger I will have to move them to a bigger tank, I have a 25 tall tank will that be ok most of them are not bigger than a inch one red zebra is 2 1/2 inches. Do you have any ideas on how to sex the different species? The larger of the zebras have removed all of the rocks around the clay pot I have in the tank and made a big hill is that normal? The smaller of the zebras and the kenyi are swimming in a circle toward each other is that normal? I am sorry about all of the questions I am just starting all of this.
Answer Hi Amanda,
The sooner you move those fish to a larger tank the better. The fact that the larger one has started moving gravel around means that he is setting up a territory and when he gets into that, the tank will not be big enough for the other fish to survive in.
With many African cichlids, males have yellowish "egg spots" on the anal fin (the single fin on the bottom, near the back), but this isn't 100% reliable.
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
