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I want to start a 29 gallon cichlid tank. I like yellow labs and I like the Tanganyikan cichlids the best. I have plenty of caves in the tank and I have crushed coral as the subtrate. I don't want to spend a lot of money on the cichlids. That is why I like the yellow labs. The labs at my LFS are 1-2 in. long. How many cichlids could I fit in there.

If you scale up to a 30 gallon, you could have a small harem of Yellow Labs, say a male and three females.
However, a 29 just isn't a good tank size for them. However, there are a number of Tanganyikan species that would work very well (Yellow Labs are from Lake Malawi). With caves and a gravel (not sand) substrate, sounds like you'd like a rockdweller. For the BRIGHT color you like in the Labs, there's Neolamprologus leleupi, the Lemon Cichlid, which is a stunning orange at adulthood. Or, for pattern, you could pick a Julidochromis or Chalinochromis species, which have lovely black, yellow, and white patterns, depending on the species. Or one of the N. brichardi group, of which the most common is, well, N. brichardi; a group of these soon form a fascinating colony of graceful fish.
With any of these species, you'd buy six or eight juveniles and let them pair off, then return the spares. Then they'd spawn, so your tank wouldn't be "just two fish" for long at all.


I can't promise any of them are cheap, although none are absurdly expensive by any means, but you'll have them for years, so it's more than worth the initial expense to have a bright, happy group of fish well-suited to your tank size.

-Molly
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you may be able to get away with 3 yellow labs in that tank. shell dwellers from lake tang would be perfect.

shelies would be a waste in such a tank. its to tall and the top half of the tank would be empty. the cave dwellers will go as high as the caves so bring them up to the top and the tank will look full.

i think a pair of brichs sounds like a good idea, so does a pair of Juli. both are small species and look very cool.

when you get into cichlids you quickly learn community tanks just dont work so do yourself a favor and go with a specie tank. there is just no way to make a community with out over stocking the tank to crowd the fish and when you do that you can kiss any natural behavior goodbye.

Mouse you would know better theni would, could a pair of julis and a pair of brichs exist in the same tank? or would they kill each other when breeding? i know julis are the masters of nooks in rock work and brichs are more open and middle waters.

I wouldn't say communities don't work, they're just different than non-cichlid communities. Tang communities are probably the most workable example, because the fish fill so many different niches that mixing them is rather like mixing non-cichlids: you have to plan, and know what you're doing, but there are a million choices for a healthy, functioning mix.
For example, the 29 in question could certainly and safely hold both a Julidochromis species (a smaller or gentler one - ornatus, dickfeldi, transcriptus) and a shelldweller species.

Personally, I wouldn't mix Julies and Brichardi. When paired, Brichardi tend to form Death Squads - they've been known to take down half-grown Frontosa, and keep full-grown ones pinned in the corners! Brichardi aren't the best choice for any kind of mix, really, although they can work out in certain settings (6' tank, etc).

-Molly
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ya i knew about the death squad problem but my thought was julis are pros at hiding in rockwork so thought they might be the exception.

Sadly, brichardi are quite good at getting into niches as well. And, of course, little point owning fish as lovely and interesting as Julies if they're hiding all the time, right?

EDIT: It probably could work with a larger, aggressive julie - but not in a 29, methinks.

Last edited by LittleMousling at 11-Feb-2005 15:02

-Molly
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