# can i sneak this in??



## Mikey13 (Apr 1, 2008)

Would i be able to put a few (2-3) male yellow labs into a 38 g community tank with mates like rainbows, 1 bala, a Krib(for now), some rasboras, a gourami, andmaybe one or two others? I know they are SOMEWHAT agressive, but will they kill all of my tankmates or can this possibly work?? I have 3 tanks to kindof rotate some fish through if all **** breaks loose, but, i would very much like to see how the labs would do in this tank???????????


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## Dave (Feb 9, 2003)

While yellow labs are considered mildly aggressive this is in relation to other Malawi cichlids. Compared to most of the other fish on your list, and in a small tank, you are likely to have issues.


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## Mikey13 (Apr 1, 2008)

playing Devil's advocate.......if i bought them as juveniles, would they still grow up and kill my tank list?


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## Dave (Feb 9, 2003)

They might. Just because you start them as juveniles does not mean they will leave your other fish alone when they become adults. The idea of raising fish up together so that they know which fish are friends is one of many urban legends in the fish world.


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## Mikey13 (Apr 1, 2008)

so this is almost certainly fish murder?? Could a breeding pair of Kribs hold their own, or even fast swimmers??


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## Dave (Feb 9, 2003)

I never said they would be killed. I said you will have issues. This can range from one fish killing another, to just having a lot of aggression with nipped fins and tails. Stress, however, can lead to disease and death as well.

Kribs might be able to handle them, then again if they are spawning they might make things hard on the labs. Always a tough call when you are mixing fish in this manner.


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## aTrueAfrican (Aug 7, 2008)

What i would be concerned with would be the mix you already have a 38 is fine for gourami's and Kribs but balas and rainbows need quite a bit more room than you are giving them also most of these species are territorial and semi aggressive so you are probably going to encounter problems on down the line always mix fish appropriatly(sp)and according to the size tank that you have currently.Everyone here understands a fishkeepers want to have but you need to research your fish before buying them so can be prepared to provide the right care for them


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## hollyfish2000 (Aug 23, 2007)

I really dislike the mixing of old world and new world cichlids. They have different water requirements and speak a 'different' language. In addition, a 38 is too small for labs in the long term although it might work for a while if a lab only tank with high pH and plans to upgrade in the future.


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## Mikey13 (Apr 1, 2008)

I'm dying to try and add a few very young yellow labs into a 38g community tank with a bala, and some mature rainbows, and a krib, and a few straglers. Is this feasible? The rainbows and bala are FAST and fairly large, and the krib speaks for itself.


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## xalow (May 10, 2007)

Bala sharks get over a foot long and isn't ideal in that tank just by itself as they enjoy a lot of swimming room. Depending on the dimensions of the tank it might not even be able to house a full grown Bala shark.

As far as adding fish goes, its hard to tell without more information about the size of the tank and exactly how many fish are in there, saying some rainbows and a few stragglers can mean different things for different people.

The krib is susceptible to picking on the smaller cichlids as they are still very young it may be a good idea to wait if they are still small enough to fit in the krib's mouth.


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## Mikey13 (Apr 1, 2008)

the bala was a gift for my daughter, and i am aware of their sizes and it will eventually have to go. i was looking at labs about 1-1.5 inches or so(males only).


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

Mikey13 said:


> ... i was looking at labs about 1-1.5 inches or so(males only).


At that size, unless you are an expert at venting it will be impossible to sex the labs. Even for an expert, it would be very difficult, and probably not truely reliable.


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## Mikey13 (Apr 1, 2008)

Thanks, i am DEFINITELY not an expert. I'm just not very interested in breeding these guys and from what i've read....once they start, you can't get them to stop, and i don't want a million lab babies everywhere. I suppose it's going to be a risk if i try this anyways, and maybe i would get 2 females. I don't think that there are many differences between the 2 sexes anyways is there? Size, and the striping on the dorsal??


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## MalawiLover (Sep 12, 2006)

They are visually identical. Some characteristics may be slightly more prevalent in one sex or the other, but its not a sure thing.

If you are not interested in breeding, just don't remove the holding females. When they spit, everybody in the tank will get a little snack and you won't have to worry about being overrun with babies.


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## Mikey13 (Apr 1, 2008)

Thanks for all the info guy's.


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