# tankmates for Yellow Labs in 75g?



## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I got a lovely 75g tank for my birthday used off Kijiji,
and it came with a colony of pseudo zebra red by reds, and yellow lab breeding colony.

I separated out the red by reds from the labs because of crowding, and I'm not sure if I should put several red by reds back into the tank with they yellow labs or get something else as a dither fish that cannot harm any juvenile yellow labs. That is what I would prefer.

So should I put juvenile reds in there, so that the yellow labs come out from their hiding places more? Because when the red by reds were in there, you saw a bit of the yellow labs, and now we see them not at all. They hide except at feeding time.

I mostly want a showpiece tank for the yellow labs. They don't come out and feed only off the bottom or they catch falling sinking pellets, but don't bother to even check the top of the tank (where there is a small amount of hornwort) for any pellets that got caught up there, so if my chosen dither fish or tankmates for the yellow labs are midwater to surface eaters, so much the better.

If it was a biotope companion malawi fish, even a non-cichlid malawian, that would be super cool. Or a complementary species of malawian cichlid would be fine.

Thanks for any ideas you have.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

Although they come from more the lake Tanganyika area.. I think.. Congo tetra fit your needs exactly. It's a non-obtrusive mostly open water fish that'll stay towards the top of the tank and look in the upper level of the tank for food.










I don't find it to be a particularly attractive fish but they have a very endearing personality somehow once you watch them for long enough.. and they get the job done.

I can't think of anything else right now.. Tiger barbs would work but they would cause a lot more interference in the process. Any kind of Danio would work as well, although you may find it impossible to get food down to your labs.

If that ever happens to you by the way you can use a feeding tube-- just get a long piece of rigid tubing that's longer than your tank is tall, put it on the bottom and drop food through. The food goes to the bottom. Fish who prefer to avoid the bottom won't be able to get it and fish which expertly collect food from the bottom will outcompete them there anyways. Fish also learn within 2 days that tube=food and gather at the tube to await the food.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

lol My labs take food as soon as it hits the water...at the surface. I have to seal the top otherwise I'd be filling water every day.

They compete with peacocks and Dolphins for food.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Maybe my labs are shell-shocked from being moved to my house from their old place.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

How long has it been since reset? Could very well be they are still getting comfortable.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Couple of weeks, but then I removed a few juveniles and tore it down again because I thought the colony was too big at full size, and I think I terrorized them sufficiently that they are still scared of me.

I figure maybe a happy dither fish or two at the top of the tank might cheer them up. I think I'll try some kind of african non-cichlid.

I think I'm not very interested with the Synodontis catfish. That seems a common thing in the Cichlid hobby. I'd like to zag where others zig on that, though. Or have a trio of Upside Down catfish as cleanup crew, and then a trio or school of something else.


W


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> Couple of weeks, but then I removed a few juveniles and tore it down again because I thought the colony was too big at full size, and I think I terrorized them sufficiently that they are still scared of me.
> 
> I figure maybe a happy dither fish or two at the top of the tank might cheer them up. I think I'll try some kind of african non-cichlid.
> 
> ...


Why not upside down cats and some congo tetras?

Just dont terrorize the tank. You never get the congos to trust you again.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Yeah, I feel terrible about my labs. Hope their little fishy brains learn that I mean them no harm, eventually.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

wait till you are chasing them and wrapping a giant hand around them...


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## TBemba (Jan 11, 2010)

that is not the worst part then you pry their low lip down and stroke their throat and steal all the babies.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

I saw these labs today. They're a high quality strain with very nice yellow. They just look like they saw a ghost.

I think all they need is something to make them feel comfortable again-- and to know you won't rip up their home again. I've found a lot of malawi cichlids get REALLY upset if you change their tank up. Some individuals become so fond of their cave they become ill when you change their surroundings-- like a cat.

They have potential to be spectacular beautiful happy fish. Congo Tetras. For sure.


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## bae (May 11, 2007)

Some people like to use rainbow fish as dither for hard water cichlids.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

bae said:


> Some people like to use rainbow fish as dither for hard water cichlids.


Also a good choice.










Boesmani match the yellow of the labs and their blue matches the bluish tinge healthy labs get in their anal fin.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

Actually have always wanted Boesemani Rainbows. It would just wreck my "African Tank" theme.  

W


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## cichlidsnorth (Dec 2, 2009)

Why not go with a trio of peacocks? I have found that labs can be shy when they are the only fish in a tank, soon as u add other species of cichlids they shoud come out more.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

I like that idea best. Peacocks. I think I will head to the LFS, probably Finatics, and look for Peacocks.


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> I like that idea best. Peacocks. I think I will head to the LFS, probably Finatics, and look for Peacocks.


You can honestly add pretty much any reasonable african. You could even go ten feet away, grab redxreds, put like five in there, and probably solve the problem


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

They were too aggressive for the Yellow Labs. Chasing and beating on them. But then, they were less scared of the red x reds than they are of ME right now. So I'm scared of putting the Red By Reds back in there, because then if I have to get them back out again, I'll probably kill the Yellow Labs. They'll have little fishy heart-attacks from fright.

W


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## AquariAM (Jan 28, 2010)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> They were too aggressive for the Yellow Labs. Chasing and beating on them. But then, they were less scared of the red x reds than they are of ME right now. So I'm scared of putting the Red By Reds back in there, because then if I have to get them back out again, I'll probably kill the Yellow Labs. They'll have little fishy heart-attacks from fright.
> 
> W


Pseudotropheus acei are even mellower than yellow labs. Make excellent tank mates.

They completely ignore eachother.

I had about 10 labs 8 acei and a male copadichromis borleyi in a tank and nobody ever bit anybody. The labs and acei totally respected eachother no fights no problems. everything spawned. Copadichromis are very docile as well.

You could add 8 acei a male copadichromis and a nice male peacock and 2 female peacocks. There's tonnes of stuff you could do.


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## Chris S (Dec 19, 2007)

Go see Mike at Finatics, he will give you some good suggestions, and can physically show you the fish too


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## shaguars7 (Feb 21, 2010)

you know that red zebras and yellow labs cross breed like crazy so the juvies you are trying to save are likely hybrids which are worthless and should not really be saved anyways.IMO. But if you are really struck on the labs you should get lke 12 demasoni. That is acombo that really works well and looks great. You could also try 3 species of around 6 of each species...and try to get a 1-4 or 5 male to female ratio...I would suggest something other than the yellow tails cause they get a little big for your tank. maybe the thrid species could be maingano..there nice! and maybe gresheiki.
I am not sure if you would of already went to finatics but hey thats just my two cents. I noticed the thread is pretty old.


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## Riceburner (Mar 14, 2008)

I practically tear down my tank every week for the WC. Mine must be used to it now. The labs are in with peacocks and dolphins.


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