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are they compatible in a 55gal was only planning on getting 1 or 2 males i was just making sure they wouldny kill my labs or it would be the other way around

thanks

They would get to big for a 55g to be comfortable for them. Some copadichromis azereus would be good though. There just as blue but peaceful and smaller.

I think you'll have some serious issues with the blues. From my experience they are very territorial. I had a couple of males in a 180g with other malawi cichlids and the dominant blue had everyone else rounded up in a corner. I probably didnt have the number of fish required to spread aggression out but I also dont think that a 55g is going to be able to hold these guys with yellow labs for long. You'll probably end up with one dead male and the other being the dominant in the tank.

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Before you criticize someone walk a mile in their shoes. That way you're a mile away and you have their shoes.

yeah lindy, I had a very aggresive electric blue that i had to return.
But i made the miskate in putting him in the tank first, so whenever i added new fish they would be invaded his territory and he didn't like it.

My friend told me to add them last and make sure that there are plenty of other fish to spread the aggression. But i think it also has something to do with individual fish.

As for the question, i also think a 55g is too small. It may work out for 1 electric blue, but i think a 75g+ is much better and the fish will be much more comfortable.







Last edited by PJ at 14-Jul-2005 07:53

i over stock my tanks with about 20 to 24 inches per square foot of course i use extra filtration i have about 20 yellow labs so if i pu 1 is that ok if not can u give me some ideas for COMMON blue malawi
thanks

wow, 20 yellow labs is already enough fish.

I don't think there will be much room in there, once the labs are full grown that is.

20 is easily enough...
If you'd like to add somrthing else to your 55g cut the yallow's in half then add

As for the Blue's, Very territorial and proun to hyper dominance in cramped quarters.
I say 6' tank as a minimum, even still if you don't have enough fish aggression takes over and if you add to many hyper dominance is the issue. Very tricky fish to keep as they get bigger.

i keep labs (7 of em ) with 3 electric blues along with 13 other malawi cichlids in a 250 l tank (sorry i dont know gallons the us/uk thing confuses me.) whilst i recognise that this tank will eventualy be out grown the fish interact well and ive had no problem with bullying, the labs while smaller seem to hold their own.

the electric blue (one in particular) is however extreemly dominant, but seems to limit his agreesion to the occasional herding of some of the smaller fish around the tank (he usualy goes for the peacocks in my experience.)

IMO i dont see a problem keeping them together even in that quantity (over crouding spreads the aggression).