Setting up New Tank
- Thread starter The Morning
- Start date
Unfortunately African cichlids being African cichlids there is aggression in the tank….just not where I thought I would see it. The dominant lab is chasing everyone. Beautiful fish but I am about to break out my fly rod and tie a size 32 fly on and catch him. 
Unfortunately no. I lost one of the labs and I think it may have been to stress. Other 5 seem to be ok. There is definitely one dominant male that chases everyone even the zebras away from his “area” of the tank. There seems to be only one other lab that has free rein to go where it wants in the tank unmolested so I am assuming it is a female. The other three labs eat but stay in one corner of the tank.
I think one of the Zebras is already holding so keeping an eye on that but all of the rest of them are super active
First picture is dominant male second is the other lab that I assume is female.
I think one of the Zebras is already holding so keeping an eye on that but all of the rest of them are super active
First picture is dominant male second is the other lab that I assume is female.
Last edited:
Feeding frenzy on algae tab. Two of the 5 remaining labs are not doing well. Constantly hiding behind filter tubes and get chased anytime they come out. What would be best? Add more to spread aggression or rehome the two? I hate to have only 3 labs in the tank.
Last edited:
So often people on the forums designate Yellow Labs as one of the relatively peaceful Mbuna.
I have never found that to be true.
One of the most aggressive Mbuna I've ever kept was a male Yellow Lab like yours.
Rehoming an aggressive Mbuna rarely solves anything. The strongest remaining subordinate male usually steps up to be just as aggressive as the original troublemaker.
Two ways to go. Either over populate the tank with many more Yellow Labs & hope for a stalemate between the males, or stock a new group of less territorial Mbuna. I had good luck with Rusties.
I have never found that to be true.
One of the most aggressive Mbuna I've ever kept was a male Yellow Lab like yours.
Rehoming an aggressive Mbuna rarely solves anything. The strongest remaining subordinate male usually steps up to be just as aggressive as the original troublemaker.
Two ways to go. Either over populate the tank with many more Yellow Labs & hope for a stalemate between the males, or stock a new group of less territorial Mbuna. I had good luck with Rusties.
