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I'm thinking of including the following in my mbuna tank:-

Pseudotropheus Socolofi, and
Pseudotropheus Socolofi (Albino)

I read on the profile here that this is one of the more peaceful of cichlid genus. This is similar to the feedback I received on another forum. But today I asked my LFS if he had any. He told me they are vicious fish & horrible, so he won't stock them (although said he would get them in for me, if I really want them).

Does anyone have any experience. I really like the look of these fish, and would like to add them to my mix.

My next question is if the straight Socolofi and the Albino version would be likely to hybridize. Trying to avoid this possibility, if I can.

Appreciate any comments.

Cheers,

Cheers
TW

Different color versions of the same species can interbreed. This is not a hybrid. That's mixing 2 different species. This is the same fish just a different color and actually you want to mix new colors back to the original wild color occasionally. Especially when they are new colors with a small gene pool. Doing so strengthens the new line. Not mixing them back every few generations will likely bring out weaknesses in the new color line and create a very weak form of the species. One reason why alot of color morph and especially albinos are weaker than their wild colored versions.

When you cross an albino with a wild colored the first generation will be all wild colored. Then when you cross those offspring with either other albinos or other wild colored offspring from albino x wild colored mixes you will get 50% albino 50% wild colored. These albinos will almost always be healthier than albino x albinio crosses(which would yield 100% albinos). The exception is if you are starting with unhealthy fish on both sides since you can only get as good as you breed. Weak fish will create more weak fish. Breeding different color varieties isn't so simple as put x colored fish with x colored fish and expect more healthy fish of the same color unless someone else has already put in the effort to create a large gene pool of healthy fish of that color.

scolofi are one of the few malawis i kept..yup, they're fairly aggressive....id say comprable to aurora.

what fish do u plan to stock the pindani with???

Thanks for the advice Mez & Sham

I feel better about the Socolofi. I will add a a mixture of the blue & the albino - making sure I only pick what look like really healthy specimens.

desiredusername, my other fish are / will be:-

6 Saulosi Mbuna (1M / 5F)
6 Cynotilapia afra (Cobue) (1M / 5F)
Metriaclima estherae (1M / 5F)

As a last minute addition, LFS today gave me 2 Pseudotropheus acei White Tail, being fish he bred himself (thanks if you read this post - you know who you are!!! they're looking nice.).

I also have 4 clown loaches.

Cheers
TW