newby needing advice on my cichlids!! help please

[seagrave1977]

hi all,
just cycled my new 5ftx2ft cleair bow front tank and added 8x yellow labs,,,1 paired convicts,,and another 2 mystery cichlids i cant identify they look like severums but have a dark spot half way down body?? any help identifying these would be great i have no pictures as yet could anybody help??

 

[mfdrookie516]

Can you post some pictures of them? I can already tell you that labs and convicts dont belong in the same tank together, and pictures would definitely help id the mystery fish

 

[seagrave1977]

breeder told me they would be fine together would u recommend removing the convicts?

 

[mfdrookie516]

Yes, I would definitely recommend moving the convicts, and possibly the other fish if they're not Africans. With africans, for the most part, you should stick with the same lake. Yellow labs are from lake Malawi, and need to stay with fish from lake Malawi. They're herbivores, where convicts are more carnivorous. They also prefer different water parameters, liking higher pH up around 7.8+. Labs are pretty mellow for mbuna, you could easily house pretty much any other mbuna as well as peacocks. The convicts can happily live in a much smaller tank as well, so if you really like them, you could set up a 30 or so gallon tank for the pair. They do breed profusely though, so be prepared for lots and lots of fry (did I say lots?)...

Will they live together, yes... will they happily live together, most likely not

 

[melosu58]

Welcome aboard.

 

[mgamer20o0]

Welcome to AA.