Pseudotropheus Estherae

These are p. estherae, also called Red Zebras or Cobalt Zebras, which as you can see is stretching it a bit in either direction. The red is not what I would call red, in fact I would call them yellow. I only have one blue male, and it is a pale blue. This is my 110g display tank in the living room. The amazing thing about these fish is that they are ALL estherae, despite the wild variations in color. If the solid yellow breed with the blue male, they will produce more solid yellow babies, and the dominant males eventually turn blue. In my tank there is only one yellow male dominant enough to show his blue colors.

If the blue male breeds with a yellow/black female, or a yellow/black male breeds with a yellow female, you get more yellow/black fish. And when the video swings over to the rocks you see some of the yellow/black babies hiding in the rocks. This type of fish is a mouthbrooder, so the mom will carry the eggs in her mouth until they hatch and the babies are ready to swim and feed on their own.

The dominant yellow/black male in the tank is most visible at the very end of the clip, and he stands out because he is BIG, and because in the dominant yellow/black fish, the black turns blue. So I have blue fish, yellow fish, yellow/black fish, and yellow/blue fish, and they are all the same type of fish – amazing!

http://i358.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid358.photobucket.com/albums/oo24/stefrobrts/MVI_0750.flv

Baby fish


For months my beautiful Severums have been laying eggs, but not getting any further than that. So I have been trying to make everything in the tank to their liking removing predators that might have been gobbling up the spawn before they could get the hang of protecting it. Finally, they surprised me yesterday by marching out a small herd of fry! Yea – finally! You go guys!

Lazy lazy!

I’m going to have to call this the weekly photo if I don’t get my act together soon!

Here’s my new Dwarf Jewel Cichlids and their new family!


Closeup of the ‘kids’


I love finding new baby fish! The parents do all the work and I get to enjoy watching them!