# Cobalt Blue & Electric Yellow breeding



## jchild40 (Mar 20, 2010)

I recently joined the site, after about 5 years in the hobby (with a very slow learning curve, I admit!). It's addicting! I'm strengthening my 100 year old floor for a 75 gallon.

I believe that electric yellow are also refered to as yellow labs, is that correct?

Looks like the cobalt blue (is there a more appropriate name when refering to this species? Metriaclima Callainos?) is holding after breeding with the yellow lab. It was the first time I saw the mating dance, which was very interesting to watch!

Is it possible for these two to breed? What kind of fry would I get; probably something that I wouldn't want to separate into the 10 gallon to grow out, because they are a hybrid?

I only have a 29 gallon bow front and am months away (at best) from a larger tank so I would have to give the fry away if they were to survive.....


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## loffy74 (Sep 28, 2008)

Yes its possible. Almost any Mbuna could have some degree of possibility of crossing.
Of coarse you can lower these possibilites by providing proper Male to female ratio's of both
species.

Some species will breed with anything, others the likely hood is very low.

Yellow labs seem to fall in the breed with anything category.

I would not keep the fry, (they will be ugly)
Just either leave the fry in the main tank ..to be eaten 
or cull the fry .


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## lil_flame33 (Mar 20, 2010)

loffy74 said:


> .
> 
> I would not keep the fry, (they will be ugly)
> Just either leave the fry in the main tank ..to be eaten
> or cull the fry .


You don't know that they would be ugly... some will look like the mom and some will look like the dad, but some will look like neither and some will look like both.....

You can't sell hybrids though, so unless youre planning to keep them its best to cull they fry or let them be eaten in the tank...


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## loffy74 (Sep 28, 2008)

true. I guess I meant not pure bred, is ugly to me.
Preserve the species :thumb:


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## jchild40 (Mar 20, 2010)

Yeah, I wouldn't share the fry. She released/swallowed the eggs this go around. I envision that she gave up because she became so hungry; by day 3 she was coming up when I fed them, even though she wouldn't open her mouth.... but it's more likely that the eggs weren't fertile.


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## Timkat4867 (Jan 11, 2008)

Have at least 5 of each species to lessen the chances of hybrids. How many are in the tank now?


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## CutieSusieQ (May 12, 2009)

My Cobalts and Labs have never attempted to breed..and for a long time that's all I had in my 55 gallon - just Cobalts and Labs. Recently, however, I decided to add some Rusties... The proper male to female ratio is very important for several reasons - one reason is to help prevent crossbreeding. Should have 1 male : 4 females (at least) of each species. But I personally think having 5 or 6 females and 1 male of each species is best though (as long as your tank is big enough). Labs arent as bad as Cobalts, but an adult male Cobalt can easily run 4 adult female Cobalts to death when he's ready to breed. So that is why I said I personally think having more than 4 females is best.


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## jchild40 (Mar 20, 2010)

I have only a 29 galllon bow front. There are 3 young mbuna's in there, one yellow lab, one cobalt blue, and a mutt (darn lfs, it _may _be a rusty).... As they reach adulthood, I'm starting to see the typical issues of not having proper m:f ratios.

I'm looking for at least a 75 gallon to start a real lake malawi set up with proper ratios, etc. Will likely start with all juvies.


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## jchild40 (Mar 20, 2010)

If I ended up with hybrid fry, I would keep them in this tank. Doubt very much that I would have any survive. This go around, they must not have been fertile, because about 4 days into it she had given up.


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