I recently purchased five electric yellow African Cichlid fry. I currently have them set up in a 20 gallon and I am wondering what kind of cichlids or other fish I could put in with them. 
Electric yellow Cichlid tank mates
- Thread starter graylizard
- Start date
I suggest not adding any more fish. Let them grow larger before adding other fish.
Ok but are there other types of cichlid fry that I could put with them if they are the same size.
None. A 20 gallon tank will be too small for the fish you have now within a few months. What are your plans for setting up a permanent tank for them?
I agree that a 20 is not enough space for one of these, let alone a group of them.
The fun thing about mbuna cichlids is that they don’t really care for the whole tankmate thing. They do best with conspecifics or others in a similar aggression bracket (labs with acei and rusty, for example).
The fun thing about mbuna cichlids is that they don’t really care for the whole tankmate thing. They do best with conspecifics or others in a similar aggression bracket (labs with acei and rusty, for example).
I find yellow labs to be the convict cichlid of mbunas. By that I mean that they won't go out of there way to harass other fish, but will staunchly fight for themselves.
They're also great tank bosses for the above reason; they maintain stability in the tank and won't bully fish that don't challenge them.
For example, my current 75's tank boss was my 6 inch yellow lab (until today when he got overthrown by my 5 inch female salvini), and he maintained peace in my tank and in my opinion, established a precedence for future tank bosses to follow.
As for tank mates, yellow labs are like convicts in that they work with a wide variety of cichlids in my experience. They go well with every type of mbuna and peacocks. I've found that they even work great with Central American cichlids of similar aggression levels too.
They will need the 75G (rectangle) in six months or less. I would wait until after you get the 75G and then add fish that are 2 inches (not fry).
You want 1m:4f of the labs, and 1m:4f of the others you add as well, as long as they are small, peaceful mbuna. One idea:
1m:4f yellow labs (Labidochromis caeruleus)
1m:4f acei (Pseudotropheus acei Msuli Point )
1m:4f rusties (Iodotropheus sprengerae)
1m:4f Cynotilapia zebroides Cobue
If you choose more aggressive species, stock them 1m:7f and have fewer species. Shoot for 20 fish to manage aggression.
You want 1m:4f of the labs, and 1m:4f of the others you add as well, as long as they are small, peaceful mbuna. One idea:
1m:4f yellow labs (Labidochromis caeruleus)
1m:4f acei (Pseudotropheus acei Msuli Point )
1m:4f rusties (Iodotropheus sprengerae)
1m:4f Cynotilapia zebroides Cobue
If you choose more aggressive species, stock them 1m:7f and have fewer species. Shoot for 20 fish to manage aggression.