# yellow lab cichlid in a community tank???



## simonk15 (Apr 5, 2012)

I am relatively new to the hobby, tried saltwater for a few years and failed miserably. I set my sights on starting a 55g African cichlid tank but decided to start with a 24g community tank to get my feet wet handling freshwater.

The tank is a 24g tall running an aqueon 55/75 HOB with chemipure elite. Ph is stable at 7.6. It has been about 3 months since start-up, and i have 4 black neon tetras and 3 red lamp eye tetras at this time. I am starting to collect the equipment i will need to begin the 55g Cichlid tank.

I found out last week that a friend of mine has a fairly sizeable yellow lab Cichlid in a 20g (with who knows what ridiculous water conditions) that he has been neglecting for some time with hopes that it will die so that he can get rid of his tank. He has offered it to me to take of his hands ASAP.

I am wondering if i can move him into my 24 community tank for a couple weeks until my 55g is ready for livestock. The concerns are whether the water conditions are even suitable for a yellow lab for a short time or if it would even survive the change from the water it currently resides.

The other question is if he will make a snack out of my little tetra friends before the 55g is cycled.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

The pH is tolerable...what pH is he being kept in now? You would not want to change more than 0.2. You would want to quarantine him anyway, right? So your tetras don't get sick?

But I do think he would kill the tetras.


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

Yeah, I'm thinking the tetras wouldn't have time to get sick. But I like labs better than tetras really.


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## brinkles (Jan 30, 2011)

If the tank he's in isn't well kept, he might be sensitive to the change.


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## simonk15 (Apr 5, 2012)

so It sounds like it's going to be a tough ride for the little guy, but i'm thinking that giving him a chance to survive the potential PH shock is probably a better outcome than leaving him to die a slow death from neglect.


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## vann59 (Jun 20, 2011)

Agreed.


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## DJRansome (Oct 29, 2005)

Even tougher on the tetras. :thumb:


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## AulonoKarl (Mar 9, 2012)

In your first post you mentioned that your friend was neglecting it so that it would die and he could get rid of his tank... I say if he wants to get rid of his tank, you take his tank AND the lab.

Now when you start up your 55 gallon, you can keep your tetra tank AND you'll have a quarantine/hospital/time out tank as a spare.


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