Electric Yellow lab Question

[WendiDell]

I found this article about different Cichlids, at the "Tropical Fish Center" It gives information on a dozen different Cichlids, Oscar, Angels, Rams.
The one I found most interesting, mostly because I've never read anything like it before, was about Yellow Labs. This is what is says:


"Electric Yellow: A very attractive fish, bright yellow body color. Dorsal fin has a black streak giving it a good look. This is a peaceful fish, and is not territorial.They live in pairs, and form a matriach family."

I have never heard that Yellow labs paired off. Am I the only one that didn't know this? Or is it hooey?
It would be great if the did, but it would be news to me.
What do you all think?

www.tropicalfishcenter.co.uk

 

[kdpuffer]

My labs are currently just a pair (that's how they came) but I was under the impression they are best in colonies of 1 male to 3-4 females like most other Africans.

 

[WendiDell]

My labs are currently just a pair (that's how they came) but I was under the impression they are best in colonies of 1 male to 3-4 females like most other Africans.

That's what I thought too, but the site out of the UK would explain a lot about my Yellow labs. I have 1 male and 4 females, the only good ratio I have as of yet, still working on it. But he only mates with the one. He gets along with the others just fine, but he won't have any fry with them.
So when I read the UK website, I thought just maybe, but I need to know for certain that's how they work, or not.

 

[kay-bee19]

Like other mbuna species, yellow labs are polygamous breeders (or 'harem breeders') and normally do not 'pair up'.

"...This is a peaceful fish, and is not territorial..."

By 'mbuna standards' they're mildly aggressive and not as territorial as cichilds belonging to other mbuna genera.

But yellow labs are mbuna's and can behave aggressively and territorially depending on variables or certain circumstances. As an example, fights between male yellow labs can occur when multiple male yellow labs exist in the tank:
Little Yellow labs battle - YouTube

 

[WendiDell]

Like other mbuna species, yellow labs are polygamous breeders (or 'harem breeders') and normally do not 'pair up'.



By 'mbuna standards' they're mildly aggressive and not as territorial as cichilds belonging to other mbuna genera.

But yellow labs are mbuna's and can behave aggressively and territorially depending on variables or certain circumstances. As an example, fights between male yellow labs can occur when multiple male yellow labs exist in the tank:
Little Yellow labs battle - YouTube

WOW! Well that UK website was full of it, obviously. That little video cleared that up for me.
I'm amazed how much misinformation is out there. It's frigging annoying and it creates problems for people.
But thank you very much for the video. It proved the old adage that "a picture is worth a thousand words".

 

[Gboy66]

Could a yellow lab be in the same tank with an african chiclid salousi?

 

[mdawg75]

Yes, they can mix depending on how many, tank size , Male to female ratio the normal stuff.

 

[Gboy66]

Oh dont the yellows get bigg?

 

[kay-bee19]

Most get to about 4", though I've seen some larger specimens.

 

[Gboy66]

I thought they wouldnt match up well with my salousi. Interesting

 

[WendiDell]

I may be wrong but I think the Saulosi is a Hap and if so your not suppose to mix Haps and Mbunas.
Even if you could mix Haps and Mbunas, the Saulosi and Electric Yellow males would still have issues after they reach sexual maturity. The adult female Saulosi looks an awful lot like an Electric Yellow Lab adult female as you can see in the Photo's below.
#1 is a Saulosi Adult Female, #2 is a Saulosi Adult Male, #3 is and Electric Yellow Lab Adult Male, and #4 is an Electric Yellow Lab Adult Female. So you can see how the boys may have a few issues with which females are theirs
Other than some very minor shape differences, those girls look a bit a like.

 

[Bl80]

I may be wrong but I think the Saulosi is a Hap and if so your not suppose to mix Haps and Mbunas.
Even if you could mix Haps and Mbunas, the Saulosi and Electric Yellow males would still have issues after they reach sexual maturity. The adult female Saulosi looks an awful lot like an Electric Yellow Lab adult female as you can see in the Photo's below.
#1 is a Saulosi Adult Female, #2 is a Saulosi Adult Male, #3 is and Electric Yellow Lab Adult Male, and #4 is an Electric Yellow Lab Adult Female. So you can see how the boys may have a few issues with which females are theirs
Other than some very minor shape differences, those girls look a bit a like.

They are considered a dwarf mbuna as they only reach 3-4 inches. I have some in with my cichlids and they are ok. NOT saying it's right, as hybridization is possible and frowned upon. So you ( and I) may end up with hybrids as I have ele yellows. These were with the first cichlids I got. I got them supposed to be ele yellow and had one male... He turned blue. They are neat lil fish.

 

[kay-bee19]

...The adult female Saulosi looks an awful lot like an Electric Yellow Lab adult female as you can see in the Photo's below...#4 is an Electric Yellow Lab Adult Female. So you can see how the boys may have a few issues with which females are theirs....

Female yellow labs and saulosi's do not resemble each other. Male and female yellow labs are near identical with only very subtle physical differences. The fish depicted in photo #4 appears to be a yellow lab hybrid and it lacks the black fin markings that the females have. I wouldn't recommend buying a 'yellow lab' that looked like that. Female yellow labs look like this (these two females are mouthbrooding, so their gender is certain):

Additionally, during the display courtship females are instinctively attracted to the males of their species...since the males of these species are obviously different the odds of the females being receptive to them are slim and would be further reduced since a male (or males) of their species would also be present in the tank. With that said, it's theoretically possible for any lake malawi cichlid to hybridize with another (I've seen photos of a yellow lab X malawi eye biter before).