Best tank size for a breeding Electric yellow colony

dazfish

Hi
I have 4 females and 1 male eletric yellow in a 2 foot tank at the moment

Wondering if this is a good size tank or do i need a biiger tank maybe a 3 foot or 4 foot tank

1077

I would think a four foot tank would suffice with LOT'S of rock work, and plenty of filtration.

rrcoolj

Bare minimum 3ft 30 gallon aquarium but a 4ft 55 gallon would be better. If it's just the labs and you have no intent on adding any other fish the 3ft tank will work. Have plenty of caves and heavy filtration.

dazfish

Hi
Thanks so much for the advice. I have just started the fish hobby. im trying to get as much info and knowledge as i can. i have a 6 foot tank with a varity of ciclids mostly yellow labs. And was told that its best if i had a coloney of 4 -5 females to 1 male in a tank to breed. something to do with male being a bully or something. i want to learn on yellow labs and then move up to other cichlids. i only had 6 other tanks on hand and a 4 foot tank with gold fish in it.
So i might set the 4 foot up with th eyellow labs and put gold fish in the 2 foot tanks.

What do you all think

rrcoolj

If they are comet Goldfish then forget about it. Those guys are like mini Koi and get massive. If they are fancy they might work I am not super knowledgeable on Goldfish tough. Why don't you just leave the labs in the 6 footer and do a cichlid community tank?

As for the labs you need at least 2-3 females per male because mbunas breed harem style and the male will constantly pick on and even kill one female. You can have more males you just need more females too. Labs are a milder mbuna so they don't need as many females to males as the more aggressive mbunas like kenyi and Auratus.

dazfish

thanks
im starting to learn heaps more than i thought i knew which wasnt alot. please keep tips coming. What other fish do you think a novice like me could handle along with the yellow labs

rrcoolj

What is in the 6 footer currently? I would get more peacful mbunas. You could add a group of acei, a group of hongi, and a group of rusty cichlids. And maybe a dozen demasoni too. Mbunas are best kept in an overstocked system but you MUST overfilter to accommodate the extra fish. Be sure to add lots of rock work too.

dazfish

i have about 15 yellow labs about 3-4cm, 5 blue dolpin, 2 jonni, 2 eletric blue, 4 Tropheus Duboisi Maswa and about 10 bristelnose catfish

rrcoolj

Sounds like a decent stock. What is the scientific name of the electric blues there a few fish that go by that common name. I would get more johanni and ditch the Tropheus. Tropheus have an extremely high conspecific aggression and are best kept in large numbers. You could maybe keep them but I would add a lot more. They also need to be kept in specific ratios.

dazfish

Sciaenochromis Fryeri Electric Blue
so how many of the Tropheus should i get regards male to female