Do I have a bad combination?

[MattDunbar]

All fish are slightly over 1 inch. The yellow labs have an additional half inch on everything else.

2x yellow lab
2x frontosa
2x African Butterfly


These are in a 30g, and I am aware that the frontosa will grow larger than the others (I plan on moving them out at about 4 inches), hopefully they will grow at the same speed.

Does anyone see any aggression issues with these? There are plenty of hiding spaces throughout the tank.

 

[kay-bee]

I'm not knowledgeable with the butterfly fish but utimately yellow labs and frontosa's are probably a bad combination, though at slightly over an inch they may apparently get along for the time being.

African cichlids like yellow labs and frontosa's do best in larger groups. When kept in small numbers (pairs) aggression levels become more pronounced (yellow lab vs yellow lab, frontosa vs frontosa, yellow lab vs frontosa).

Currently slightly over an inch, if properly cared for the frontosa's are easily capable of exceeding 4" within 12 months (or less). They have a greater growth rate than mbuna's. I'd recommend relocating them to an appropriate tank (6ft) when they get to 2" or sooner if aggression becomes a problem (and add more to the group to form a colony).

For long term success the yellow labs will also require a larger tank (~55-75gal) with more mbuna's (which can also be yellow labs if you're going for a yellow lab species tank).

Recommendation: get two additional tanks, one for the yellow labs and one for the frontosa colony. The 30gal can be used for the butterfly fish.

 

[MattDunbar]

I'm not knowledgeable with the butterfly fish but utimately yellow labs and frontosa's are probably a bad combination, though at slightly over an inch they may apparently get along for the time being.

African cichlids like yellow labs and frontosa's do best in larger groups. When kept in small numbers (pairs) aggression levels become more pronounced (yellow lab vs yellow lab, frontosa vs frontosa, yellow lab vs frontosa).

Currently slightly over an inch, if properly cared for the frontosa's are easily capable of exceeding 4" within 12 months (or less). They have a greater growth rate than mbuna's. I'd recommend relocating them to an appropriate tank (6ft) when they get to 2" or sooner if aggression becomes a problem (and add more to the group to form a colony).

For long term success the yellow labs will also require a larger tank (~55-75gal) with more mbuna's (which can also be yellow labs if you're going for a yellow lab species tank).

Recommendation: get two additional tanks, one for the yellow labs and one for the frontosa colony. The 30gal can be used for the butterfly fish.

They don't seem to touch each other, the 2 butterflys are swimming around themselves, the frontosas are sticking together in the lower end of the tank (on the side without so many rocks), and the yellow labs have found a spot in heavy rock cover where they've been staying.


How far into the future should I be planning to purchasing those extra tanks. I know I'll have to play it by ear, but I'm hoping for a rough idea of when I should have the tanks by. Also, would it be bad to add 3 extra frontosas, butterflies, and yellow labs when I do move them out (of course, same size), or would it be too late and cause territorial issues?

 

[kay-bee]

The frontosa's would be moved prior to the yellow labs, ideally by the time they're 2.5".

"Theoretically", you could keep them in until they got 4" or until aggression or yellow lab fin nipping, if it manifests, gets out of hand.

Some have successfully kept yellow labs in 29gal set ups so you can play that by ear as to whether or not to ultimately keep them where they are. (try to structure a 1 male/3-4 female gender ratio if that is a goal).