# What would you add to the mix ?



## Nomad67 (Apr 2, 2010)

I currently have 2 male and 4 female Yellow Labs and 
3 Labidochromis hongi - "Redtop" Labs . They are in a 70 Gal tank with lots of rock that has many hiding places and caves. They are all approx 1 1/2" - 2". I would like to add something else that is maybe blue or red to the mix. The tank is heavily filtered so over crowding at this point is not a issue. All water parameters are in check and regular water changes are done. I would love to add some type of Tropheus if possible but would love to hear any and all suggestions. Once they become larger i have other tanks that they can be moved to if crowding becomes a issue.
I will post pic's of tank once i get my camera back !!


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Unless you have an eight foot tank, eventually, sadly, Hongi and Caeruleus males will KILL eachother. This won't happen till 3 to 4" but it will happen.

I'd suggest something like yellow labs and blue dolphins, which are frickin STUNNING (C. moori) and have a beautiful shape. You could also add synodontis catfish, like a school of syno petricola, which are a lot of fun. 

You could do yellow labs, blue dolphins, a few synos, and maybe 2 really nice male aulonocara for pizzazz. Pick hongi or caeruleus though before they get large enough because you will get deaths. Labidochromis types can not be mixed.

Have fun.


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## Nomad67 (Apr 2, 2010)

Thanks for the info....It seems everytime i go to BA's in Mississauga on Dundas i get some bad info..What about bumble bee's ?


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Nomad67 said:


> Thanks for the info....It seems everytime i go to BA's in Mississauga on Dundas i get some bad info..What about bumble bee's ?


Mississauga Big Als is no more trustworthy than the kid at McDonald's Drive Thru.

I wouldn't add those.

I have a feeling you've been looking at some trashy Africans and haven't really seen what nice stuff looks like. You want to buy your fish from other people. Go on Pricenetwork. Find someone with some high grade moori (dolphin cichlid) and check them out. If you don't fall in love I will pay your gas.



















A group of those with your labs would look fantastic. Throw in a mellow male peacock like a baenschi (again, from a good source, not a pet shop chain)










and you've got a beautiful tank with no fighting. Labs, baenschi and dolphins are quite peaceful fish. They're all hearty, excellent eaters, live a long time.

You won't be disappointed.

If you want a bottom feeder, which you so totally don't remotely need with Mbuna, you can add a small number of smaller synodontis










Bumble bees are relatively jerkish and would ruin the otherwise peaceful atmosphere one assumes you are going for by having a yellow lab tank.

Also, get yourself a bag of Dainichi (FX line) www.dainichi.com or Darius on pricenetwork. It will give you the best colors imagineable. Cartoon-like yellow orange red and blue.


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## Nomad67 (Apr 2, 2010)

those 2 are beauties ! I like the blue of the Dolphin and the yellow and blue of that peacock. Is the a ratio for the blue dolphin of Male & female?


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I have some 2" P. Socoloffi Snow White in with my labs and zebras. So far the red-x-red zebras are functioning as "additional muscle" in the tank. When the main dominant yellow had nobody else his size, he was doing some harm to the other fish. I have heard that lots of people use a crowd to reduce aggression in malawi tanks. Your mileage may vary here, but I found adding some very aggressive red x reds actually removed the "single dominant" male's position, and everybody seems to get along good. I'm wondering what will happen when my P.Socoloffi's grow up. Who knows if they get to be big and mean, or if they'll be bullied instead?

W


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> I have some 2" P. Socoloffi Snow White in with my labs and zebras. So far the red-x-red zebras are functioning as "additional muscle" in the tank. When the main dominant yellow had nobody else his size, he was doing some harm to the other fish. I have heard that lots of people use a crowd to reduce aggression in malawi tanks. Your mileage may vary here, but I found adding some very aggressive red x reds actually removed the "single dominant" male's position, and everybody seems to get along good. I'm wondering what will happen when my P.Socoloffi's grow up. Who knows if they get to be big and mean, or if they'll be bullied instead?
> 
> W


Your situation with a 'douchebag' lab  is not really the standard situation. Usually in a bigger tank that won't quite happen that way. You'll get a dominant but it wont be a jerk dominant that will cause terror to the tank. I'm quite certain the setup I've suggested will be fantastic. I had two mellow groups (acei and labs) full grown a few years ago. The dominant acei and lab were not mean. They put the other fish in their place but nobody was hurt. There were no 'police' fish everything just got along.

With the moori I would aim for about 1m to 3f. More ideally 1m to 4f.

If you buy them really young you will not be able to sex them yet and will have to grow them (they take like 2 years to reach full size but the early growth rate is higher) and pick your fish and trade the rest.

If you have a few hundred to throw around you can just buy everything as adults. As fry you can get them very cheaply.


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