Electric Yellow Cichlids Whats Your Opinion?

[karin15]

My pet shop alwais has them in stock and they seem to be quite popular and relitivly cheap, this pet store clasifys them as " semi-agresive " and they keep them in the same tanks as "kribs" and "albino cribs"

I asked one of the workers if they could be kepted in comunity tanks and to my surpize he said yes they dont have a bad atitude compared to most african's and they are more teritorial than agresive, many people buy them and they have had very few problems with people returning them because they were agresive.

OK THAT IS MESSED UP as we all know all African Cichlids are far to agresive for comunity tanks... or are they? thats questioning my basic knoledge (which isnt very good) about fish, maby there generalized to much... i dont know

what do you think?

it dosnt sound right to me, but you never know.




I will be the first to admit that I have kept a full grown krib in a 20 gallon comunity tank (now in my 60 gallon and doing fine)

 

[Ferris]

Yellow labs are pretty much the least aggressive Mbuna but i would certainly never put them in a community tank. Regardless of the aggression, there are very few community fish that have the same water requirements.

IMO it's simply not worth the risk.

 

[karin15]

Yellow labs are pretty much the least aggressive Mbuna but i would certainly never put them in a community tank. Regardless of the aggression, there are very few community fish that have the same water requirements.

IMO it's simply not worth the risk.

I never realy liked them enough to bother trying it, thats probably the only way i would know for sure, however the guy at the pet store likes to brag about how hardy they are.

i would realy like to hear more opinions, then again what are these specail conditions that cichlids need? as far as ive ever heard the only thing you do to set up a cichlid tank is not put anything else in exept cichlids.

 

[adambrum]

i would realy like to hear more opinions, then again what are these specail conditions that cichlids need? as far as ive ever heard the only thing you do to set up a cichlid tank is not put anything else in exept cichlids.
[/quote]


Theres water stats,food,decor and the right mix of cichlids from the right country,lake and species.

 

[jgray152]

I have 2 of them. MAle and female. When I first got them, the Male would try to show is dominance toward the female and any other fish, but after a couple months he simered down and now run from the bigger fish and is territorial toward all fish if they come near is domain. He wont attack them, but chase them or scare them away.

I find them to be great fish to have. They will prey on smaller fish as most cichlids do so don't put anything small in the tank that can possibly fit in their mouth.

Have many hidding places for them. They like to hide, well atleast mine do. Im sure it depends on how dominant they are. My big male dug him self a home under a few rocks that are leaning up against other rocks. Don't worry it wont fall on them. Its cool to see him move sand with his mouth.

Breeding seems to be VERY common with yellow labs. Every other thread on this forum is about them breeding and I must confirm this because mine have bred many times and the mother is holding right now.

Placing these fish in a community tank? Depends on the community fish. I wouldn't place them with fish like guppies. Sword tails maybe. Mollies.... I dunno. Gold fish, no. Angle fish, yes. There are some other community fish that hold their own that you can put these in with. I find in ANY type of fish, and with cichlids in general, that if you want to start a tank with these yellow labs, get them as babies along with other fish of the same size so they can grow together. If a fish feels bigger then another, they will feel more dominant and pick on the smaller fish. This does work in reverse in some occasions though. IF you already have a community tank going for you, then make sure you fish are from 1.5" + and that can hold their own. Then get the yellows as babies. I find this works the best. Sometimes it doesn't work at all though and its just nature for them to chase other fish.

My PH has always been around 7.0 and they do fine. I got them when they were babies. I now am getting more Mbuna and I Will slowly raise the PH to around 7.8.

Don't mix Haps with Mbuna. I did recently and they seem to be doing fine as babies, but I found out my Electric Blue fish which is around 4" is in the Haps family and that makes sence, because he chases and picks on every fish in the tank 300 times a day. Constantly biting causing huge amounts of stress on the other fish and they are starting to show it from small illneses. I am trying to get rid of him for $. My GF paid $26 for him which is a lot to us. We may just have to give him up to a LFS though and take it as a lose. The tank will be a lot more calm without him.

Feeding, I just feed them cichlid flakes. They really like the Tetra cichlid Flake Food and thats what I have been feeding them till recently. I got a diff brand and they seem to be doing ok. Ingrediants seem the same.

Temperature has always been from 78-84 degrees. Keeping the water warm serves 2 purposes in my barn room. Keeps them happy and keeps my room warm

Hope this helps. This is just my experience. Others may have different experience. If anything I have said sounds completly wrong, please say so. Like I said this is just what I have oberserved in my years of fish keeping.

 

[Ferris]

I don't have a problem with anyone trying unusual fish combinations so long as they are prepared to return/rehome fish if it doesn't work and that they have done the neccessary research to understand fully what it is they are undertaking - I've broken the rules plenty of times myself

The main issue i see is that people mix juvenile cichlids and think everything is fine. Believe me its not - until you have a settled adult tank you don't have a success story. The vast majority of cichlids don't display their true personalities until they are full grown adults and thats when the fun starts.

 

[karin15]

I have 2 of them. MAle and female. When I first got them, the Male would try to show is dominance toward the female and any other fish, but after a couple months he simered down and now run from the bigger fish and is territorial toward all fish if they come near is domain. He wont attack them, but chase them or scare them away.

I find them to be great fish to have. They will prey on smaller fish as most cichlids do so don't put anything small in the tank that can possibly fit in their mouth.

Have many hidding places for them. They like to hide, well atleast mine do. Im sure it depends on how dominant they are. My big male dug him self a home under a few rocks that are leaning up against other rocks. Don't worry it wont fall on them. Its cool to see him move sand with his mouth.

Breeding seems to be VERY common with yellow labs. Every other thread on this forum is about them breeding and I must confirm this because mine have bred many times and the mother is holding right now.

Placing these fish in a community tank? Depends on the community fish. I wouldn't place them with fish like guppies. Sword tails maybe. Mollies.... I dunno. Gold fish, no. Angle fish, yes. There are some other community fish that hold their own that you can put these in with. I find in ANY type of fish, and with cichlids in general, that if you want to start a tank with these yellow labs, get them as babies along with other fish of the same size so they can grow together. If a fish feels bigger then another, they will feel more dominant and pick on the smaller fish. This does work in reverse in some occasions though. IF you already have a community tank going for you, then make sure you fish are from 1.5" + and that can hold their own. Then get the yellows as babies. I find this works the best. Sometimes it doesn't work at all though and its just nature for them to chase other fish.

My PH has always been around 7.0 and they do fine. I got them when they were babies. I now am getting more Mbuna and I Will slowly raise the PH to around 7.8.

Don't mix Haps with Mbuna. I did recently and they seem to be doing fine as babies, but I found out my Electric Blue fish which is around 4" is in the Haps family and that makes sence, because he chases and picks on every fish in the tank 300 times a day. Constantly biting causing huge amounts of stress on the other fish and they are starting to show it from small illneses. I am trying to get rid of him for $. My GF paid $26 for him which is a lot to us. We may just have to give him up to a LFS though and take it as a lose. The tank will be a lot more calm without him.

Feeding, I just feed them cichlid flakes. They really like the Tetra cichlid Flake Food and thats what I have been feeding them till recently. I got a diff brand and they seem to be doing ok. Ingrediants seem the same.

Temperature has always been from 78-84 degrees. Keeping the water warm serves 2 purposes in my barn room. Keeps them happy and keeps my room warm

Hope this helps. This is just my experience. Others may have different experience. If anything I have said sounds completly wrong, please say so. Like I said this is just what I have oberserved in my years of fish keeping.

that dose help lol

i just bought one yesterday just to test it out, (5 foot tank fully planted ph 7.1) she ignors the smaller fish and seems to like folowing around my krib, every once in a wile though the kirb chases him away hes maby 3-4 inches in length, acts just like any of the other fish in my tank my experience with any kind of cichlid is taht the are agresive to there own kind more than anything else,
he eats blood worms and flake food and has no problem competeing for food
(check my fish tank for full list of fish)

seems like african cichlids are misunderstood little fishys

 

[jgray152]

until you have a settled adult tank you don't have a success story

Exactly. Thats the big problem with mixing fish. I had adult fish in my tank with my e-yellows. Now I have baby Mbuna fish so we will see how they turn out.

 

[karin15]

until you have a settled adult tank you don't have a success story

Exactly. Thats the big problem with mixing fish. I had adult fish in my tank with my e-yellows. Now I have baby Mbuna fish so we will see how they turn out.

hmmm yeah that is true mine isn't an adult so far so good if i see any sighns of agresion ill just move him into one of johns tanks, but i realy dont see him attacking my albino 3 spot gorami or my angle fish or elephant nose lol hes like the meanest fish in my tank he chases all the fish away from his drift wood

of course this is a yellow lab cichlid a smaller less agresive cichlid speices, so you knever know its a good fish to try the expirement on. (project african cichlid meets comunity fish)

mine is probably about 4 inches right now he looks smaller in my tank than he did in the pet store since he was in a 10 gallon

I don't have a problem with anyone trying unusual fish combinations so long as they are prepared to return/rehome fish if it doesn't work and that they have done the neccessary research to understand fully what it is they are undertaking - I've broken the rules plenty of times myself

The main issue i see is that people mix juvenile cichlids and think everything is fine. Believe me its not - until you have a settled adult tank you don't have a success story. The vast majority of cichlids don't display their true personalities until they are full grown adults and thats when the fun starts.

yeah ive heard that too, same with puffers right? well well just have to see so far so good x_X how big do they get anwais when i asked john he said not to big, do you know in inches?

 

[Ferris]

yeah ive heard that too, same with puffers right? well well just have to see so far so good x_X how big do they get anwais when i asked john he said not to big, do you know in inches?

Around 5", occasionally a touch over.

 

[karin15]

yeah ive heard that too, same with puffers right? well well just have to see so far so good x_X how big do they get anwais when i asked john he said not to big, do you know in inches?

Around 5", occasionally a touch over.

5 inches huh well then i guess it wont be too long before we find out since hes about 4 now, i'm planing on either planting the tank a little bit more or adding a pile of rocks, because i ahve this big emoty space between my drift wood cave and my Eiffel tower that only has one lonly looking little sword plant, however... adding larger rocks will mean that they will slowly decompose and make my water harder right? and almost all the fish i have seem to be happier in slightly acetic lower ph, if rocks or flat stones do then ill just add a few more plants.
my krib dosnt like him very much every time he swims over a few feet to right side of the tank the krib chases him away, the krib seems to have this one spot close to the back right corner of my tank that he likes to stay in
and every time the yellow lab comes within eye sight of it he chases him a few feet away, i tend to think he is just being territoral rather then agresive? hes only started doing this recently and he ignors all the other fish who swim in it expt for my elephant nose who seems to think the hole tank is his teritory, he will actauly chase the krib away from his spot but he alwais comes back just to get chased away again and again untill the elephant nose gets board and swims some were else, luckly my elephant nose is every were so he dosnt stay in one spot for very long, so he dosnt bother the fish TOO much since theres enough room to swim around.

 

[adambrum]

stop right there !

he eats blood worms and flake food and has no problem competeing for food

you can not feed mbuna bloodworm its way to high in protien it causes something called bloat which can be fatel.

Looks like you will have to feed it seperatly from the others this is another reason why its not a good idea to mix.

 

[karin15]

stop right there !

he eats blood worms and flake food and has no problem competeing for food

you can not feed mbuna bloodworm its way to high in protien it causes something called bloat which can be fatel.

Looks like you will have to feed it seperatly from the others this is another reason why its not a good idea to mix.

good to know, so just cichlid pelets? what about my krib is he the same way?

 

[adambrum]

new life spectrum pelets are a good food for mbuna as for kribs im not sure as i only keep mbuna.

I would have to suggest that you do a bit of reading up on the mbuna.

Can i ask what else is in the tank apart from the krib

 

[karin15]

new life spectrum pelets are a good food for mbuna as for kribs im not sure as i only keep mbuna.

I would have to suggest that you do a bit of reading up on the mbuna.

Can i ask what else is in the tank apart from the krib

look on my profile page for the full tank

you know what I gave the yellow fish to john because its to much of a hastle to feed him different food, so I guess my expirement proves that you can mix them just keep them off bloodworms and some of the fish in my tank only eat blood worms x_X