Oh boy I made an impulse buy

[Steve]

Well I made an impulse buy today. Was at Royal Tropical and they had some really nice looking Electric blue Ahli in the one tank and I couldn't pass up. Eventually he's gonna go into the big 7ft Hap&peacock tank I will have set up in a few weeks but for the time being he is gonna have to be housed in my 55g Mbuna tank (zebras, yellow labs, Mbamba's and syno cats). He's about 5" right now and the Mbunas in the tank range from 3"-6". Think he will be okay for a few weeks with them till I get the big tank set up?

Stupid me and impulse buys

I'll post a pic of him in a bit.

[linuxrulesusa]

No QT for him then?  Just curious in light of your other thread.  Not criticizing you, just asking. 

Also is it an ahli or a fryeri?  Have a pic? 

What I've read they may try to eliminate the competition as far as other males so I'd keep an eye on that.

[Steve]

See that's what made it a not very well thought out buy for me lol. I had planned on QT'ing him so that's why I bought him because I figured by the time he was done in the QT tank then the 265g would be up and running and he could go right in. Then on the way home with him I remembered, I have a bunch of BNP fry I got from Jenna over the weekend already set up in the 20g QT tank DOH! . So I don't have much option now but to put him in the Mbuna tank and hope for the best I guess. My own fault, I just wasn't thinking it through very well.

Bag is floating right now, I'll post a pic shortly.

[Steve]

Here he is....

[RichE]

This is why you always have a "back-up" tank on alert 5 status, ready to go when called:)

[linuxrulesusa]

Looks like a fryeri.  Beautiful fish!

[Steve]

This is why you always have a "back-up" tank on alert 5 status, ready to go when called:)

I know Rich I know lol....you got any 20-29g'ish you want to get rid of at the next auction?

Thanks linuxrulesusa, I really like him. I'm actually really surprised because I thought for sure him and the 6" Zebra hybrid I have which is the tank boss would be fighting big time, but for the past 2 hrs they have done nothing but look at each other and swim right by each other. Obviously a few hrs is no gauge at all, but I thought it might be WWIII right from the get go so at least thats a start. Long as they can get along for maybe 3-4 weeks till I get that big tank done and up&running then I'll be happy.

[Steve]

BTW linuxrulesusa, how can you tell it's a fryeri? I don't doubt you because I know most you guys here know a heck of a lot more than the LFS, but as a newbie and never owning a hap before this....what is the tell tale sign to know he's a fryeri? because they said he was a "Ahli" so what exactly is different between a fryeri and ahli just so I can know myself?

Thanks

[danielratti]

Ahli's are not really in the hobby anymore.

http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1337

Defiantly not a ahli.

[linuxrulesusa]

Ahli's are not really in the hobby anymore.

http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1337

Defiantly not a ahli.

Only place I have seen a true ahli is cichlid world in Garden City, IIRC.

[Steve]

Ahli's are not really in the hobby anymore.

http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1337

Defiantly not a ahli.

Just askin' ...so whats the difference ? What makes this not an ahli?  ask just because I dont know so I want to know.

[linuxrulesusa]

Ahli's are not really in the hobby anymore.

http://cichlid-forum.com/profiles/species.php?id=1337

Defiantly not a ahli.

Just askin' ...so whats the difference ? What makes this not an ahli?  ask just because I dont know so I want to know.

Simplest.identifier is a true ahli is pale or ice blue not bright blue.  A few other differences but that is the most obvious, I believe.

[Steve]

So it has the white head and orange lower fins then, like mine...... just more pale blue color?

I'm just trin' to identify, because I'm tryin' but I have a hard time seeing the difference in some of them

[JeffroM]

Steve - The fish you have is known by the common name of Hap Ahli or Electric Blue Hap or Electric Blue Ahli.  Its scientific name is Sciaenochromis fryeri.  When anyone says Ahli most automatically know it is a fryeri.  This whole issue goes back to the whole common name versus scientific name issue.  I just wanted to clarify as you where not sold a misidentified fish - IMO.

Jeff

Nice fish BTW.  He will be just fine with other Haps and Peacocks.

[Ron]

So it has the white head and orange lower fins then, like mine...... just more pale blue color?

I'm just trin' to identify, because I'm tryin' but I have a hard time seeing the difference in some of them

There isn't any white blaze, the face/nose is more pointed, as mentioned the body is typically a paler blue than S. fryeri, and there is more color in the dorsal and anal fins (and more distinct egg spotting in the anal fin from what I have seen).

It's a pet-peeve of mine that people can't abandon the incorrect "S. ahli" or "Electric Blue Ahli" naming and just call them by their proper name - S. fryeri!