Question about Electric blue hap

[Ceejay]

Hey everyone, I just purchased an electric blue hap that is about 3 1/2 inches long. It is supposed to be a male, but it has almost no color, I was just wondering how long it takes before it will start to color up. Any help would be great. Thanks

[newb]

Re: Question about Electric blue hap

you should start seeing color shortly, mine is the same size almost and is just now starting to get his "blue". start feeding him more protein

[armthehomeless]

Re: Question about Electric blue hap

tankmates?

[Ceejay]

Re: Question about Electric blue hap

Tankmates are lemon jake
                     various mbuna
                     75 gal tank.

[marauder_77868]

Re: Question about Electric blue hap

It somewhat varies by the origin/quality of the fish as well. Some color up earlier.

[Ceejay]

Re: Question about Electric blue hap

Cool, geuss i'll just wait and see if he starts to color up, Thanks guys.

[supadave]

Re: Question about Electric blue hap

All my fry start to color up at about 1.5 inches. Heres a picture of one of mine at a little under two inches.

[Ceejay]

Re: Question about Electric blue hap

Man, that's a nice looking fish.

[HawgHunter]

Re: Question about Electric blue hap

Shine a flashlight at the fish....you should see blue all over....if it's only on the head then you may have a female....my icebergs start coloring at 2", unless they're in a tank with an agressive dominate fish....then they don't color too well, as if they're trying to look like a female. If that's the case I put them in a tank by their self for a while and they color up fast and nicely.  But as was mention by marauder_77868, it all depends on origine and quality.

[Ceejay]

Re: Question about Electric blue hap

Yeah, the head is mostly blue, you can see blue all along the body, it's just not near as colorful as it's head. I'll try to post some pics. I think your right, the quality of the fish may may just not be that great.

[Zulaab]

Re: Question about Electric blue hap

Ceejay....
Depending on what location your blue hap came from here is what I can tell you...
Males will always turn deep blue.. no matter what.   Some will show a white blaze others will not (depending on location where the fish originates from)
Males will also display a little orange in their anal fin.  The other is that iceberg males will show a white stripe starting above their eyes and tail back to their tail.
Goto www.cichlidforum.com and look in their profile section, under Lake Malawi, Haps, and look for the name Sciaenochromis fryeri.
Note how all the males have the white stripe in their dorsal fin (something females dont have)
Look at the pictures and see if you can see the difference and see if you can from those see what variant you have.

Females on the other hand (which is what you are very much describing to me) will show some blue in their face, a pretty silver (blank) body and some blue reflections in their body when shining a light at them (take a strong flash light and shine it on their body and if it reflects blue, I can almost guarantee you its a female blue hap not a male)  If the fish is over 2" in length you will know for sure if its a male or female.   Even the least dominant male has more color than a female.   They do not stay blank.

In Houston most of the blue haps I have seen are Iceberg's or derivatives of the Iceberg.  Seldom do I see true blue haps (they are caught in different parts of the lake) and the most common is the iceberg.