Hi I was just wondering if you can put yellow labs with severum the severum are young and so are the yellow labs the owner of the pet shop said theyl be fine together but I just want to make sure comments appreciated
Yellow labs with severum ??
- Thread starter Jksim93
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They have different water requirements especially PH. Temperament wise they would probably be ok. Might get interesting if the Severum spawn.
Welcome aboard
I wouldn't mix the 2 species together. African Cichlid can be highly aggressive.
Just to add on to what was said above, the chart above is the type water severum's come from.
The type water yellow labs come from in Africa, has a pH of 8 and above, and is quite hard.
Domestics strains may be more tolerant of either, so if your tap water is neutral pH and hardness they may work.
But the labs are considered rock dwellers, whereas the severum come from flooded forest areas.
As adults both tend to be primarily vegetarian, but that's where the similarities end.
Aggression may of not be a problem, depending on tank size.
A 6 ft tank would probably tolerate both, but a smaller tank may be another matter
Water isn't an issue, unless the sevs are wild caught. Domestic sev strains are typically quite accustomed to different water values, including water with higher pH etc. Kept them for many years in our local hard water with high pH, and high alkalinity. As did many others that I know. A total NON issue IMO. BTW - Lake Malawi is pH of 7.6-7.8 in many areas where labs are collected. Labs are also omnivores, not herbivores. Even still, diet is also a NON issue IME if one feeds a quality feed that includes some aquatic plant matter.
Having said that, I also kept many mbuna species for many years, including L. caeruleus, and they may prove to nip the fins of sevs during breeding/territorial issues. That and when larger, the sev might snap the head off of a lab when breeding. For overall temperament reasons, personally I would not house them together.
Having said that, I also kept many mbuna species for many years, including L. caeruleus, and they may prove to nip the fins of sevs during breeding/territorial issues. That and when larger, the sev might snap the head off of a lab when breeding. For overall temperament reasons, personally I would not house them together.
Agree with RD. Heros species are widely distributed in varied water conditions, they're not from a single location and not always blackwater. For example, note this fishbase entry for pH, hardness, and temperature range for Heros efasciatus, a widely distributed species. Captive bred types have been raised and adapted to a range of freshwater conditions-- within reason, of course. I've kept Heros since the mid 1990s, including some wilds, most of them in pH in the 7s and moderate hardness, as have many others. I've had some live 17 years, so most do just fine in those conditions.
Most yellow labs by far are captive bred and adapted to pH just about anywhere in the 7s. So, excepting a few blackwater Heros that aren't as adaptable (Heros inirida, for example), water is not the issue. Moderate pH and hardness can suit either of them, all the more so with common captive bred severums.
The issue IS temperament. I understand the temptation to keep yellow labs with various fish they shouldn't be with, because of their color, but I wouldn't keep frequently nippy, comparatively boisterous, and potentially aggressive mbuna of any type, including yellow labs, with calmer, slower, severums. Aggressiveness is a sliding scale. Yellow labs tend to be 'peaceful' only relative to other sufficiently aggressive fish, with the wrong fish they can be a pain ime.
Most yellow labs by far are captive bred and adapted to pH just about anywhere in the 7s. So, excepting a few blackwater Heros that aren't as adaptable (Heros inirida, for example), water is not the issue. Moderate pH and hardness can suit either of them, all the more so with common captive bred severums.
The issue IS temperament. I understand the temptation to keep yellow labs with various fish they shouldn't be with, because of their color, but I wouldn't keep frequently nippy, comparatively boisterous, and potentially aggressive mbuna of any type, including yellow labs, with calmer, slower, severums. Aggressiveness is a sliding scale. Yellow labs tend to be 'peaceful' only relative to other sufficiently aggressive fish, with the wrong fish they can be a pain ime.
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