Mixing Yellow Labs with New World cichlids

[glenbo]

I have been given 3 juvi Yellow labs (2") and they are currently being housed with 3 Severum,Green Terror,Blue Acara and a Geophagus Brasiliensis also 3 clown laoches,6 rainbow fish and bristlenose.

I'm planning on eventually doing a full Mbuna set up, however i cant afford it for a little while.

Will this mix be ok for now? all the other fish are much larger but don't seem interested in the labs whatsoever.

I have read on this forum alot of people mix Labs with Green Terrors and other agressive largish New Worlds...also people tend to mix up convicts with Mbuna quite alot.

The only fish im worried about are the 3 sevs as they are the wekest fish in the tank. (all three are adults).

 

[Red Devil]

As long as it is working for you.. i would give them plenty of hiding places if they should need it... and short term may be okay.

 

[glenbo]

As I'm in the process of building a malawi tank while the other fish are still there,I'm adding loads of pebbles and wood to the tank.

Am i right in thinking that the Severums and Rainbows will be much to weak to be housed with Mbuna long term?

And that a GT will be to agressive for Mbuna long term?

If it is possible to get away with it with just labs i may just keep it how it is with plenty of hiding places...if its a deffo nono then i'll stick to my original plan.

 

[Red Devil]

As I'm in the process of building a malawi tank while the other fish are still there,I'm adding loads of pebbles and wood to the tank.

Am i right in thinking that the Severums and Rainbows will be much to weak to be housed with Mbuna long term?

And that a GT will be to agressive for Mbuna long term?

If it is possible to get away with it with just labs i may just keep it how it is with plenty of hiding places...if its a deffo nono then i'll stick to my original plan.

what your getting away with now in my opinion may not work long term.. if you had one very large african cichlid in with the severum and green terror it may work... i actually have one female green terror in with my africans.. but i have to go out of my way every day to make sure the gt eats...they are so slow compared to mbuna... and at the same time can be aggressive..mine is not... but it is a female which may have something to do with it..i also have one very large african cichlid in with RD cichlid... this cichlid was housed for many years with my 2 giant pacu.. after the tank exploded i tried to introduce the cichlid back into his own species tank..but he bullied everyone.. so i ended up putting him with RD whom he has lived with for the past 4 years very happy.... i also have 2 severums with an african cichlid and a clown knife ..that worked out great too..so nothing is written in stone.. it can work... but when you try things you should always have an alternative place for the fish if it does not seem to be working...other wise i would stick with tried and true...

 

[Cichlaholics Anonymous]

it can be done, but I still think the mbuna will be too nippy and harrass the severum and geos

 

[glenbo]

Don't worry i'm trading in the new worlds tomoz and going to have a straight Mbuna tank (with 3 clown loaches and 1 bristlenose)

Gonna get 8-10 Mbuna tommorow and going to keep doing it until I have about 30