What fish can I put with a dozen Electric Yellow Labs?

[FrontosaurusRex]

I always wanted to do a Yellow Lab/Demasoni/and Strawberry Peacock tank, but I never got around to doing it. I really liked the YouTube tank, I didnt know that many fish could be that happy in one tank. Good luck with your search and post some pics. I have a feeling this is gonna be a really cool tank.

[Complexity]

I always wanted to do a Yellow Lab/Demasoni/and Strawberry Peacock tank, but I never got around to doing it. I really liked the YouTube tank, I didnt know that many fish could be that happy in one tank. Good luck with your search and post some pics. I have a feeling this is gonna be a really cool tank.

Oh, yeah, you can cram them in like that. In fact, it's best to overstock the fish if you're keeping cichlids, the more aggressive, the more overstocked. The idea is that there are too many fish for any single fish to be harassed. Even if a fish tries to chase another, he loses the victim in the crowd. It is a way of controlling aggression and very common with cichlid tanks.

Some people take it to incredible extremes to the point it doesn't even look good. I think the guy's tank in the video has a good density of fish. The lesser aggressive cichlids I get, the less I will need to overcrowd the fish.

A Yellow Lab/Demasoni/and Strawberry Peacock tank sounds really pretty! I definitely want some red colored fish in the mix, but I don't want to add a whole bunch of them like I'm doing with the labs and demasonis. Those two will be my main fish. All other fish will be limited in numbers to help reduce conspecies aggression.

[Cichlidfarm]

I always wanted to do a Yellow Lab/Demasoni/and Strawberry Peacock tank, but I never got around to doing it. I really liked the YouTube tank, I didnt know that many fish could be that happy in one tank. Good luck with your search and post some pics. I have a feeling this is gonna be a really cool tank.

If you do Demasoni you better get 20 or more and a BUNCH of hidding area. Demasoni are some of the most aggressive Mbuna. Most of the time 10-15 Demasoni will turn into one after a period of time. Once the yellow labs grow a little older they will be somewhat the same but not as aggressive. I would Put some peacocks in with you 12 Mbuna that you already have. I have 36 tanks most of them Mbuna and Peacocks. I mix the 2 all the time and they hardley pay attetion to each other and still breed like rabbits. When I 1st started All i wanted was Demasoni...but the only time I got them to stay alive was when I had 30 of them in a 120Gal with about 400Lbs of holey rock.

[Cichlidfarm]

I'd shoot for at least 12-15 to start out with. Most people say that 10 is the absolute minimum to try with, and a lot of people have had 10 turn into 1 within days. With 12-15 you can lose a few and still have enough to disperse aggression. Besides, it's easier spend an extra$30 or so now than it is to lose double that down the road.

If you get 12-15 and some die off you back to 10...and then once they get a little older and start establishing territory more will die off. Demasoni are not something to keep in small group like that...in the end there will only be 1. Trust me.

[Cichlidfarm]

I just read that blue dolphins (Cyrtocara moori) can get up to 8" in size. That's definitely too big for my tank.

Ultimate Fish is an hour away, but I might be able to make the trip now that I'm almost done with this semester at school. I would LOVE to get the fish locally!

I have Moori for $4 each. 1.5"-3" Great looking fish! I have 8 in my show tank. They swim in schools. The coolest thing ever.

[Complexity]

Okay, so Demasoni is out. I'm not crazy about Moori. Maybe one or two, but not a whole tank of them. Same with peacocks; although, I'd be more willing to do peacocks if that's what it came to.

So what is the least aggressive Malawi blue colored fish that I could put in with my yellow labs? Or maybe I should ask how can I create a tank similar to the one in the video?

[Complexity]

If I put in peacocks, can I only put in one particular species because of hybrid breeding?

[Cichlidfarm]

Only tru if you mix Male and females. Very easy to tell between the 2. Males have color and females are brownish and ugly for the most part. So If you want a nice blue color on your peacock. I would get something like a Aul.Lemon Jake, Aul. Maleri Island Peacock, Red Shoulder Peacock, Aul. 'Blue Regal' , or even the Bi color 500.

Here is my Male lemon jake and Male maleri island. ( these are not the best pics) let me find better ones.

[Complexity]

They are pretty fish. I'll have to check their size.

I just ran across this one, Copadichromis azureus. Listed as "relatively non-aggressive" which is great! Very pretty fish, as well. Only problem is they get to 6". I'd rather smaller. But this is what I'd love to find.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/fish/azureus.php

[Cichlidfarm]

Yeah. Most Haps. are bigger then the avg. African. Most Peacock males will max out at 5-6" But really it's not that big. My Lemon Jake is full size and he is about 6"..I have him in a 120G with 2 Females, 8 Moori, a WC Cobue, 10 Syn. petracola Catfish and 1 female Frontosa Brundi that is about 7"

[Cichlidfarm]

With Africans The more the better. Lots of hiding and lots of fish. If the dominte fish wants to kill someone in a tank that is bare and not many fish then it can do so. If he has 30 other fish to go around and 100 spots to look, he will get tired and lose track. In my 120G there is about 400LBS of holey rock and about 25 fish....I should have more fish to be honest with you. The only reason I don't is b.c I want my Lemons to keep breeding at a monthly rate

[Complexity]

You've confirmed my understanding of keeping cichlids. That's why I had mentioned earlier that I want to add more rocks. I'm also working to add the fish in the order of least aggressive first to most aggressive last.

I'm so frustrated with not knowing what fish to get. I just ordered two books that will arrive tomorrow.

Malawi Cichlids in their Natural Habitat, New 4th Edition by Ad Konings

Back to Nature: Malawi Cichlids (Revised & Expanded Edition) by Ad Konings

Between those two books, maybe I can get a better idea of what fish I should get.

[flowerhornhouston]

Do you like Julidochromis marlieri ?
Abino Brichardi ? true orange leleupi ?
I have a colony if you are interested!
I think they do fine with yellow labs.

[Complexity]

Thanks for the offer, but julis and brichardis are both from Lake Tanganyika. I'm switching to fish from Lake Malawi.